Claudia Rasnick: Is development at all costs what we want for Alachua?

Letter to the editor

Is development at all costs what we want as an Alachua community? That is what is happening in the City of Alachua. Take a look at the Mill Creek situation: the County stepped in, and the City of Alachua hired an external legal firm to help them well after the fact.

Fast forward… the City of Alachua is poised to approve three very large developments on U.S. Hwy 441 near 43rd street in the space of one mile: Rizzo Storage, Maronda Homes, and Schmidt Farms.

When the City of Alachua Commissioners finish this next round of approvals:

  • There will be an additional 700 plus homes plus commercial development in a square mile;
  • At least three more exits are proposed on U.S. Hwy 441, with one exit on 43rd Street. If you travel south in the morning toward Gainesville, significantly more cars will be entering traffic while you are going 50-70 mph. 
  • Flood plains are involved – where will the water go?
  • Wetlands may be filled in – where will the water go?
  • A sinkhole — what happens with underground structures? Where will the water go?
  • More water moving into Turkey Creek, Bahia, Staghorn, Brooke Pointe, and 93rd Avenue—are we okay with flooding existing residents? 
  • The County has purchased homes that repeatedly flood. Is the City of Alachua prepared for that as well?

Current zoning (U.S. Highway 441 is to the right):

Future Land Use:

Flood Plains:

Sinkhole – Proposed Maronda Homes:

I have respectfully submitted a written request for involvement at the County level to:

  • Discuss the necessity of a watershed study to be completed prior to moving forward with construction and approval of any impending actions. The Schmidt Farms proposal is scheduled to be approved by the City of Alachua on February 10, 2025, so time is of the essence.
  • Provide assistance from County staff to the City of Alachua staff (similar to the direction given in the Mill Creek situation).
  • Review these three new developments and how they conform to the County’s Comprehensive Plan and the County’s Climate Action Plan.

Claudia Rasnick, Gainesville

Claudia Rasnick, the Chief Financial Officer of Gainesville Regional Utilities, is a Brooke Pointe resident who is writing as a private citizen.

The opinions expressed by letter or opinion writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AlachuaChronicle.com. Assertions of facts in letters are similarly the responsibility of the author. Letters may be submitted to info@alachuachronicle.com and are published at the discretion of the editor.

  • There is a housing shortage in this area. We need new houses/apartments built yesterday.

    There is no perfect place to build these units. No matter where they are built, someone is going to complain – ie nimby. I sympathize with the writer, but ….

    …. Florida is going to turn into another Southern California in housing density over the next 20 to 30 years. People are coming; nothing is going to stop it.

  • 720 MORE single family homes…plus MORE industrial? Our area rivers and springs are ALREADY drastically depleted and struggling to survive.
    From where will the water come to sustain the greedy intentions of politicians’ and profiteers’ over-development?
    Not too distant in the future, our beautiful areas of Alachua County won’t be discernable from central and south Florida.

  • As long as they build single family homes and not any multifamily structures or apartments. That’s what the commies in the GSSR really don’t like is houses over apartments because they know houses = republicans and apartments = democrats and they don’t wont to risk losing control of their utopia GSSR where county meets nature some day and the signs on the county line say zero drug tolerance.

  • There is better property going North toward Waldo or better yet further toward Starke !! Both City and County Commissions are putting a noose around the necks of the taxpayers because they do as they want and don’t care about public comment. It’s inside and outside Developers that rule over public opinion or complaint. Nothing logical come from either commission ever. They think with developement come better tax revenue but it mostly only leads to infrastructure destruction. Don’t get me started on how pitiful our traffic signal timing and management only creates more congestion throughout major intersections all over.

  • Sounds like another case of “I got mine and don’t want others to have theirs.”
    Difference is they’re hiding behind false concerns for the environment. I think the environment was here before any of us were.

    • The difference between a developer and an environmentalist is that the environmentalist has already built their house.

  • Development rights are a basic constitutional right. But it should be done with natural resources in mind, such as away from sinkhole-prone areas (future, not current). That would be near waterways and wetlands. Pick your poison.

  • There is a Neighborhood Workshop tonight, February 3 beginning at 6:00 to discuss the self storage development. Meeting Location: NV5 office, 11801 Research Drive, Alachua FL, 32615. This is not a public hearing, but an opportunity to provide input and see what is proposed. Take a stand!!

  • Who the hell is going to live in all these new apartment complexes they keep building? Illegals, section 8?

  • State and local government need to do a much better job planning for these developments.

    For example, this development in question. Where are the plans to add a lane to 43 rd st between 53rd and 441?

    Or.. for the new development north of 441 on 34th street. Two lands need to be added to 34th from the Amazon center to 8th Ave.

    I also might add an additional lane needs to be added to 39th between 75 and at least 34th. The traffic calming on University ave (speed bumps) has resulting in that traffic being moved to other roads.

  • Excellent presentation of the plans and problems in this area Claudia. The City of Alachua is notorious for it’s boosterism, expansionary actions – see city limits – and lack of constraints on quick buck artists, and with copy cat Newberry up for sale, the county is awash in unplanned growth. If only the county had unified government and planning, some of the environmental and infrastructure problems could be logically resolved.

    Those who think owner’s rights are inviolate forget that they are humans, a species that exists only socially and through cooperation, and that is everywhere, all the time, and and all of us.

    Those convinced everyone in power is a crook and that improving our systems is impossible, have already surrendered to avoid the hard work necessary for civic improvement.

    Hope you are able to positively impact the changes aimed at your neighborhood.

  • Besides the environmental concerns, my questions are WHO is going to build and PAY for the added infrastructure needed for these new homes ?
    Guaranteed there will need to be new water and sewer plants, expanded roads, more fire, police and schools all to support these new developments.

    WHO is going to pay for them ?

    It’s not right that a developer buys cheap raw land, puts in streets and houses and then CYA and walks away with their profits and then taxpayers of that town and county have to pay for all of the infrastructure needed.
    In other places they require the developer to get a 30 year bond to pay for all of this and anyone who owns one of these houses have to pay on it for the next 30 years. (Oakleaf Plantation in Orange Park is a good example).

    I’m not against development but it needs to be planned and the infrastructure paid for FIRST.

  • I don’t think the Alachua or High Springs needs any more developments. They ruined everything the beautiful farms every corner has to have a building or a bank. I don’t support any more buildings plus they have tons of new houses. They’re just sitting empty already bc they can’t sell them. They cost too much, that’s my opinion.

  • Claudia: excellent letter and maps. However.

    The Alachua City Commission has had a pro sprawl majority continuously for the last 50 years. The ONLY way to change things is a three vote majority of moderate commissioners. Letters in the media and talking sense at the podium for 3 minutes will make you feel like you are doing something but you are actually wasting your time. They will tolerate your comments for 3 minutes and rubber stamp the development 5-0 as fast as they can. They call it “Business as usual” in Alachua.

    In two weeks is a very short qualifying period (with confusing hours) for two seats on the city commission. Full information on the election is not on the city website. They do not want the public to know.

    Unless you or someone else finds and qualifies two moderate candidates with a chance of getting elected, NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE IN ALACHUA. The real estate developer cartels have everything they want approved by the city commission. Only 3 votes changed on the city commission will change Alachua.

  • I know EXACTLY where the water will go. Low laying areas where the water traditionally drained to will be filled in, and that water will now run off into areas where water used to run from, thus flooding areas that did not previously flood.

  • >