"Airport Land Use: Gainesville Regional Airport Facing Encroachment"

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Hatchet Creek decision delayed
By JEFF ADELSON
The Gainesville (FL) Sun


Gainesville city commissioners continued to debate Hatchet Creek, a
subdivision that would include up to 2,000 residential units in the area
surrounding Ironwood Golf Course, into the early morning today, focusing on
the compatibility of the project with the nearby Gainesville Regional
Airport and the potential economic benefits the project could provide to the
east side. 

Shortly after midnight, the City Commission decided to delay a vote on the
matter and continue the discussion, though a majority was poised to impose
strict conditions on the project that have been opposed by its developer.

As commissioners wrapped up their comments toward the end of Tuesday's
meeting, Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan struck back at east Gainesville
advocates who have suggested the commission's skeptical attitude toward the
project was motivated by a bias against the east side. Hanrahan also
criticized the project's development team for bringing revisions to the
subdivision late in the game - with some changes coming during Tuesday's
meeting.

"Some felt like there was bias going on, and I'll tell you I think there is
bias going on," Hanrahan said. "In this exact situation, with property this
wet, this close to the airport, with this many issues this late in the game,
if this were in west Gainesville it would have been turned down a long time
ago, I can tell you. The only reason we're still talking about this is
because we all want to see development in east Gainesville."

"I just want to emphasize to people who say there is a bias against this
project, it is exactly the opposite," she said. "This would have been turned
down flat" had it been in west Gainesville.

At a previous City Plan Board meeting, Doris Edwards, of the Community
Support Coalition For East Gainesville, accused both the City Plan Board and
city planning staff of bias against east Gainesville residents for imposing
conditions on the project limiting where development could occur.

Commissioners were prepared to vote for a set of conditions Tuesdays similar
to those imposed by the City Plan Board, but were persuaded to put off the
decision by Commissioners Ed Braddy and Rick Bryant, who together with
Scherwin Henry have been strong supporters of the development. Commissioners
will meet again on the issue Monday.

Gainesville Planning and Development Services Director Erik Bredfeldt
described the commission's decision Tuesday as a balancing act between
bringing new residents to an upscale east Gainesville development and
ensuring that the airport, now seen as a major economic engine for the city,
is not harmed by new residents who could demand flight curfews because of
airport noise or create issues for future airport funding.

"What you've heard tonight is the airport say, 'Yes we believe there is a
path forward' and a developer who believes there is a way to make this
work," Bredfeldt said.

A revised proposal offered by the developer Tuesday outlines a project that
would include 1,500 homes, a 500-unit assisted living facility and 200,000
square feet of commercial and office space. The project is an age-restricted
development that would require at least one person in each home to be 55 or
older.

Following concerns from city and airport officials about the impact of
adding residents across the road from the airport's main runway, the
proposal would keep residential units off the noisiest parts - the 65 and 75
decibel zones - of a 200-acre industrial property that is included on the
project site.

Residential units in these zones on the other 300 acres of the property,
which is now zoned for residential use, would be limited to the density
already allowed on the property.

"I fully believe the citizens deserved to have the quality of life and the
amenities that other residents experience in their community and
neighborhood as well," Henry said. "I appeal to my fellow commissioners, I
appeal to all parties involved to work together to see if we can bring this
to fruition."

The proposal came after an official with the Federal Aviation Administration
sent a letter to representatives of the developer warning that adding
residential units in these zones could jeopardize grant funding for the
airport. The letter came in response to a letter from Henry, a supporter of
the project, sent to the FAA asking about the agency's policies.

Both the FAA and the Florida Department of Transportation have sent letters
to the commission raising concerns about the compatibility of the project
and the airport.

These issues raised concerns from supporters of the airport.

"To develop east Gainesville we don't have to sacrifice an airport that is
the envy of a lot of communities our size just because a developer bought
the wrong piece of property," said Bill Pokorny, general manager of the
University Air Center at the airport.

The developer's proposal does not go as far as recommendations from city
staff and the City Plan Board, which would limit the development to 1,699
units - including the assisted living facility - and prohibit residential
development on industrial areas of the property. This recommendation would
also allow 200,000 square feet of retail and office space. City planners
said they were not comfortable with the revised proposal, but suggested
outstanding issues could be resolved as the project moves through the
approval process.

If approved, commissioners must still vote in favor of the project twice
more before the property's land use is officially changed. Developers must
then apply for zoning that will lay out the details of where homes and other
buildings are located on the site, which will require another round of
approvals.

While the airport took center stage Tuesday night, debate at the meeting
ranged over a number of issues, including whether the city or Alachua County
had erred in approving previous developments near the Hatchet Creek site.

Other issues touched on whether the project could help bring the city-owned
Ironwood Golf Course - which officials said now costs the city more than
$200,000 a year - into the black; the lack of children in the development,
which means the project will not help integrate high-income students into
eastside schools; the lack of alternative eastside sites for a development
of this size; and the extent to which the economic benefits of the project
would extend to the rest of east Gainesville.

"I think it can bring a lot of benefit to east Gainesville, but I don't
think its going to change all of east Gainesville," Commissioner Jeanna
Mastrodicasa said.

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