Agenda Item Name:
Title
CPA 04-20: Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment to Rural and Agricultural Policies in Section 6.0 of the Future Land Use Element
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Presenter:
Ken McMurry (352) 374-5249
Description:
Public Hearing on Transmittal of a County-initiated Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Rural and Agricultural policies including requirements and standards related to clustered rural residential subdivisions and increasing the maximum number of lots in rural residential subdivisions allowed to have unpaved private easement roads.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners transmit CPA 04-20 to the State Land Planning Agency and other reviewing agencies for review and comment.
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Prior Board Motions:
December 4, 2018:
1. Direct staff to develop language regarding the open space associated with Rural Cluster Subdivisions to specify that area is conservation land and silviculture is not an allowable usage but food production on a limited basis could be an option, staff to provide some language for the Board to review.
2. The trigger for requiring Rural Cluster Subdivisions should be 10 units and not 25.
February 14, 2019: Accept the modifications as proposed by staff with the following changes:
1. That the last sentence of Policy 6.2.12(c)(1) be stricken and any changes necessary to make the elimination of the sentence possible.
2. 6.2.12(e)(3) A forest management plan for the open space of the rural cluster subdivision will only be required on existing silviculture operations and only to the point where they can be made an acceptable fire risk.
3. Request for language that would allow some discretion/flexibility as to the requirement for paved internal access on rural developments.
May 5, 2020: Accept the changes and modifications proposed by staff with amendments to 6.2.12.(c.)(1) Permitted uses, and to 6.2.12(e) Ownership, maintenance, and management plan, and authorize staff to advertise for public hearings.
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
N.A.
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Background:
In May 2018, the Board of County Commissioners identified local foods as one of many issues to include in the Evaluation and Appraisal of the Comprehensive Plan that is periodically required by Florida Statutes, Sec. 163.3191, to update the Comprehensive Plan. As part of the Evaluation and Appraisal process, the local foods issue was discussed in workshops and with Advisory Committees, including the Local Planning Agency as well as the Rural Concerns Advisory Committee, and was translated into strategies and draft policy amendments that were presented to the Board on December 4, 2018. At the December 4th meeting, the Board also directed staff to develop additional language to lower the threshold for requiring clustering and clarify uses permitted in the open space. Staff brought these changes back in February 14, 2019, and at that meeting the Board accepted these draft modifications and directed staff to bring back additional policy changes to uses permitted in the open space, to management plans, and to allow flexibility for internal road paving requirements in rural residential subdivisions. At its March 28, 2019 meeting, staff brought these back and the County Commission reviewed these draft policies again; some Board members expressed concerns with some aspects of the draft language on open space and agriculture in clustered rural residential subdivisions, and the Board deferred discussion of these issues to a future meeting after the public hearings on the amendments based on the Evaluation and Appraisal of the Comprehensive Plan. Staff brought back discussion of the draft changes to the Board at the May 5, 2020 meeting, and at that meeting the Board authorized advertisement for public hearings on the draft provided by staff along with two additional modifications, to types of agricultural uses in the open space and to timing of the transition of ownership and maintenance of open space from an original owner to a homeowners association.
At its August 19, 2020 Public Hearing on this item, the Local Planning Agency recommended that the Board of County Commissioners transmit CPA 04-20 to the State Land Planning Agency and other reviewing agencies for review and comment. Once CPA 04-20 is transmitted to the State Land Planning Agency for expedited review and received by the reviewing agencies, any agency comments must be received by the County within 30 days. The County must then hold its second public hearing to adopt the CPA 04-20 amendments within 180 days of receipt of agency comments.
Attachments include Exhibit 1 (included in Staff Report) containing text of the amendments by CPA 04-20; Attachment A. Selected Maps Adopted in the Comprehensive Plan or from Supporting Data and Analysis for Reference; Attachment B. Excerpted Policies for Reference from Future Land Use Element (Includes Proposed Amendments) and Conservation and Open Space, Housing, Economic, and Energy Elements; and a letter from the Alachua County Rural Concerns Advisory Committee to the County Commission Regarding Draft Changes in CPA 04-20 (also previously provided to the County Commission on July 2, 2020).