title
PERMITTED USE CHANGE ON DEERHAVEN GENERATING STATION (B)
Ordinance No. 0-09-29, Petition No. PZ-09-45
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending the Zoning Map Atlas by specifying the permitted uses on certain City property known as the "Deerhaven Generating Station" with the existing zoning category of "PS: Public Services and Operations District", as more specifically described in this Ordinance, located in the vicinity of 10001 N.W. 13th Street; providing development standards; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF MEMORANDUM
This 1,061-acre property is the site of the City's Deerhaven Generating Station, which is located on the north side of US Highway 441 at 10001 NW 13th Street (parcel number 05884-001-000) at the north end of the City. It abuts City-owned property to the east and north with Alachua County Rural/Agriculture land use and Agriculture zoning, and is in use as managed timberlands. To the south is land with Industrial land use and I-2 (General industrial district) zoning that is the site of a lumber and saw mill business. Immediately to the west is the Alachua County Public Works Department which has Alachua County Rural Employment Center land use and Agriculture zoning. To the west, across US 441 and within the city limits of Alachua is Commercial land use (with Commercial Intensive zoning), Industrial land use (Industrial General zoning), and Moderate Density Residential (0-4 dwelling units per acre) with PUD zoning. This area is comprised of vacant forested land, various commercial establishments (plumbing/construction supplies, carwash, storage shed sales, two single-family subdivisions (Staghorn and Brook Pointe), a retail nursery, a bicycle shop, a farm, and a gas station/convenience store at NW 43rd Street. Several telecommunications towers are nearby - three to the west of the plumbing/construction supplies business, and one east of NW 43rd Street and south of the gas station/convenience store.
The Deerhaven property was annexed into the City of Gainesville in 1981, and in 1982 the City of Gainesville approved Public Facilities (PF) land use and Public services and operations district (PS) zoning for this property. The City's Land Development Code has since been updated to require that permitted uses be specified for properties that are zoned PS.
This petition proposes amendment of the existing PS zoning district by adding a list of uses to be permitted by right on the subject property. The proposed uses are existing uses at Deerhaven with two exceptions: communications towers and facilities; and, green industries that assist in reducing society's reliance on fossil fuels, that would benefit from the availability of waste heat or by-products of power generation, or which may have by-products that are beneficial to the production of electricity. The other proposed uses include electric power generating plants and ancillary systems and buildings; fuel and chemical transportation, loading, storage, and handling systems as required for power generation or for management of power generation by-products, including rail and truck conveyance, unloading and loading facilities; long-term storage and disposal of power generation by-products; timber planting and harvesting; wildlife management; training areas for police and fire agencies; outdoor storage; and accessory uses.
The proposed permitted uses will allow for a biomass electric generating facility, a proposal for which was recently approved by the Gainesville City Commission. Development plan review is required for all future development at the subject property in accordance with the requirements of the City of Gainesville Land Development Code.
In addition to proposed uses, standards for future development are proposed. These standards include buffering provisions that will help to ensure the continued compatibility of this long-established public utility facility with the surrounding land uses.
The Plan Board voted 6-0 to approve the petitioner's request.
Public notice was published in the Gainesville Sun on May 12, 2009. The Plan Board held a public hearing on May 28, 2009.