Many of the three-dozen people involved in the Envision Alachua Task Force were optimistic from the beginning.
They embraced the desire of timber and development company Plum Creek, which owns 65,000 acres in the county, to collaborate in planning the future of its local property.
But long-time rural leaders Bobbi Walton and Justin Williams were skeptics.
Walton, the unofficial “mayor of Windsor”, feared that the process would end up destroying the character of the hamlet in which she and her husband have lived 48 years.
Williams, an officer in the Cracker Boys Hunt Club, worried about how Envision Alachua would affect the group’s long heritage of hunting in the 14,000 acres it leases from Plum Creek.
“My children are the fourth generation of my family to hunt on these lands,” he said. “I was sure that I would be thought of as a three-eyed monster when those on the task force found out who I was and who I spoke for.”
Now Walton and Williams are converts to the multi-year collaboration that ended up focusing on bringing jobs to eastern Alachua County—possibly through manufacturing plants, distribution centers and agricultural research facilities (including ones for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences).
In fact, Walton feels like she’s having the best of both worlds; Plum Creek plans to implement a development buffer around Windsor while providing economic benefits to the community.
“I want them to hurry up because I want to live long enough to see the vision become a reality,” Walton said.
Williams has discovered new supporters among people he had assumed opposed hunting: environmental activist Rob Brinkman and Charles Lee, director of advocacy for Audubon Florida.
“I found that the group was very accepting of our views and even grew to support the heritage of hunting that my family and fellow hunt club members enjoy,” he said.
The collaborative process worked well, in Williams’ opinion. “The group hasn’t had one argument,” he said.
“We’ve had candid and professional discussions. I’ve seen other situations in the past where people working on an issue would quit trying to work together, with the attitude that they would fight it out at the county commission.”
Williams is sold on the economic benefits that will come from Envision Alachua. “My education is in business, and I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 16 years old,” he said. “I see how this can provide opportunities for families to remain together.”
Plum Creek has been able to involve community members and representatives from a broad range of organizations, including the University of Florida, Santa Fe College, county government, environmental organizations and East Gainesville leaders, Walton noted.
“They’ve done something the county can’t afford to do and involve everyone in planning,” Walton said. “There won’t be anybody shocked when they show up for their building permits.”
Two people most active in Envision Alachua are Heather Surrency and Gladys Wright. They have a bond because Surrency was a student at Shell Elementary in Hawthorne, where Wright was principal for 22 years.
Surrency and Wright have helped create the East County Educators Committee as an outgrowth of Envision Alachua.
“I have two children, and I’m looking forward to positive opportunities for them,” said Surrency, whose daughter is 8 and whose son will be 9 months in December. Although Surrency isn’t a member of the task force, she has been actively involved in meetings throughout the process. At one meeting, she struck up a conversation with Dug Jones, SFC associate vice president for economic development.
“He was phenomenal in letting me know about Santa Fe resources that are available to Hawthorne,” she said.
Santa Fe will begin offering community education in Hawthorne in January, including computer, health and art classes. The college is considering academic classes there for next school year.
The educators committee also is working on quickly getting residents involved in St. Leo University’s Gainesville branch and attending job training classes offered by FloridaWorks.
“When the jobs come, we want to have people geared up and ready,” Wright said. “We have a lot of low-income people and seniors who need good jobs.”
Additionally, the committee also is devoted to giving school children a stronger foundation, Wright said. “We have to begin at the elementary school level to prepare students for filling quality jobs,” she said.
“The reality is that many of our youth are capable, but they don’t have the aspiration to succeed. We have to encourage them to be productive, and we have to boost their self-esteem.”
Surrency and task force members have begun speaking about Envision Alachua to community groups. “I’ve been going to churches,” she said. “I get a great response. People are in disbelief, and they start clapping and cheering.”