Agenda Item Name:
Title
County Growth Management Area Charter Amendment Implementation Procedures and Request to Advertise Public Hearings on Draft Amendments to the Unified Land Development Code.
End
Presenter:
Ben Chumley, Senior Planner, Growth Management Department (352) 374-5249
Description:
Staff will provide a presentation to update the Board on implementation procedures for the County Growth Management Area Charter Amendment that was approved by Alachua County voters in November 2020. Also, staff is requesting authorization to advertise public hearings on draft amendments to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) which are necessary to implement the County Growth Management Area Charter Amendment.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
1. Authorize advertisement of public hearings on draft amendments to the Unified Land Development Code.
2. Provide any additional direction to staff on County Growth Management Area implementation procedures.
End
Prior Board Motions:
N/A
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
Cost of advertisement is estimated to be about $1,200, and there is sufficient budget in account 008.65.6500.554.49.04 to cover that cost.
End
Background:
In November 2020, the voters of Alachua County approved an amendment to the Alachua County Home Rule Charter to establish the “County Growth Management Area” (see Map of Area, attached). This amendment went into effect on January 1, 2021. The Charter language (see Charter Language, attached) provides that, within the County Growth Management Area, the County’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations exclusively govern land development, regardless of whether the property is located inside or outside municipal boundaries. The Charter language provides for the potential removal of lands from the County Growth Management Area by supermajority approval of an ordinance by the Board of County Commissioners. The Charter also authorizes the Board to enact implementing ordinances and provides that the charter and implementing ordinances prevail over conflicting municipal ordinances.
In January of 2021, the County sent a letter to all the municipalities and the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council to remind them that the Growth Management Area Charter amendment was in effect, to provide information about the new Charter language and Growth Management Area Map, and to offer technical assistance from County staff in the implementation of the new Charter provisions. Since that time, staff has developed more detailed draft procedures to implement the new County Growth Management Area Charter provisions, and will provide an update on those procedures to the Board. After receiving any input from the Board at this meeting, staff anticipates additional outreach to cities to discuss the draft implementation procedures.
Additionally, several revisions to the Alachua County Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) are necessary to implement the County Growth Management Area Charter provisions. These revisions include adding a new subsection, 400.03.05, to recognize the County Growth Management Area and its effect pursuant to the County Charter. Also, the proposed revisions specify that, for areas within the GMA that are within municipal boundaries, the municipality retains the right to process applications for development orders (this includes rezonings, special exceptions, special use permits, development plans, and building permits), and requires that the municipality provide the County with a copy of such applications. This required notification will allow for County staff to review such applications and to provide technical assistance to the municipalities in ensuring consistency of any applications with the County’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations. The draft revisions to the ULDC also remove several existing references to the “unincorporated area” throughout the Code where those references are either unnecessary or potentially inconsistent with the new Charter language. The draft revisions would also add a definition of the County Growth Management Area to the Code.