title
REZONING - COFRIN PROPERTY (B)
Ordinance No. 0-05-04, Petition No. 166ZON-04PB
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending the Zoning Map Atlas and rezoning certain property from the zoning category of "RSF-1: 3.5 units/acre single-family residential district" to "CON: Conservation district"and "PS: Public services and operations district"; allowing development of a nature and activity-based recreation park without the approval of a preliminary development plan; located in the vicinity of the north side of Northwest 8th Avenue, east of Northwest 49th Drive commonly known as the "Cofrin" property; 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
The subject property is approximately 30 acres in size, is undeveloped except for a single-family house, has an RSF-1 (3.5 dwelling units per acre single-family residential) zoning, and an SF (Single-Family) land use designation.
Adjacent property to the west is zoned PD (Planned Development). The land use of this property is SF. Adjacent property to the north is RSF-1. The land use of this property is SF. Adjacent to the east is RSF-1. The land use of this property is SF. Zoning to the south across NW 8th Avenue is CP (Corporate Park), and the land use of this property is MU-M (Mixed-Use Medium).
These properties were purchased in December 2003 with the assistance of a grant from Florida Communities Trust (FCT). FCT is a state land acquisition agency that assists local governments in acquiring land to implement goals, objectives and policies of conservation, recreation and open space, or for natural resources conservation, using Florida Forever Revenue Bonds. Funds also came from Alachua County Forever, a program approved by the voters to acquire, improve and manage environmentally significant lands in Alachua County, and to protect water resources, wildlife habitats and natural areas suitable for resource based recreation. In addition, funding came from the City of Gainesville, and a charitable donation came from Gladys G. Cofrin. This re-zoning is being sought to allow the City to comply with the FCT obligations associated with obtaining acquisition grant money. Among other things, these obligations require the benefiting community to designate and thereby protect the acquired property and to manage the project site only for the conservation, protection and enhancement of natural resources and for public outdoor recreation that is compatible with the conservation, protection and enhancement of the site.
Designation of these properties as PS (public service: 7.7 acres of the 30 acres) and CON (conservation: 22.3 acres of the 30 acres) zoning will allow the City to develop these properties as both a nature park and an activity-based recreation park. The Nature Operations Division of the City Recreation and Parks Department will be managing the park and staff will soon be preparing site plans for this property to develop the 30 acres in this manner.
The Plan Board heard the petition and recommended that it be approved. After hearing oral comments from staff about Nature Operations Division plans for the property, the Plan Board exercised its discretion, as provided for in Sec. 30-75(7)(b), not to require a preliminary plan be submitted to the City Commission before the property is rezoned.
Public notice was published in the Gainesville Sun on October 5, 2004. Letters were mailed to surrounding property owners on October 6, 2004. The Plan Board held a public hearing October 21, 2004. Planning Division staff recommended that the Plan Board approve the petition. The Plan Board recommended that the City Commission approve Petition 166ZON-04 PB. Plan Board vote 5-0.