Three years ago, Plum Creek said it was serious about involving the local community as the company plans the future of 60,000 acres of land it owns in Alachua County — a holding that is more than 30 times the size of the University of Florida campus and nearly three times the size of Paynes Prairie.
Envision Alachua
The company launched Envision Alachua, a program that aims to engage the public in a manner that’s unprecedented both locally and in the state of Florida.
The process sought to strike a balance — focusing on providing economic opportunities while also protecting the environment and enhancing the community.
With the help of the community, a master plan was created and submitted to Alachua County in December 2013.
Participation continues. The county commission will hold workshops on the proposal before considering it.
HOME magazine is presenting a summary of information about the impact the master plan would have on the community if the commission approves it.
The Process
When developing properties that total 15,000 acres or more, Florida law provides for sector planning to create a custom-made overall plan to achieve the best possible outcomes for the community.
Plum Creek involved the community in every step of planning over the past three years, which included:
- Putting together a broad-based task force to set guiding principles that would strike a balance among economic, environmental and community considerations;
- Conducting community workshops in order to hear the concerns and ideas of the public;
- Meeting with a technical advisory committee to create a plan that was in keeping the state and county regulations; and
- Securing participation and input from more than 1,700 individuals in and around Alachua County.
Ultimately, the task force reached a consensus on how the Plum Creek property will evolve over the next 50 years – with the goal of creating jobs while conserving the vast majority of the property.
Environmental Provisions
The community involvement in Envision Alachua led Plum Creek to commit to environmental measures that, it says, exceed what the county’s Comprehensive Plan could achieve by:
- Requiring at least 52,000 acres in conservation, agriculture or open space while making fewer than 8,000 acres available for urban development — a higher ratio of undeveloped land to developed land than the Comprehensive Plan requires;
- Establishing a goal to reduce water consumption within the developed areas of Plum Creek’s property to 50 percent of typical usage;
- Placing the majority of homes within the proposed developed area within a half-mile of places of employment; and
- Designating about 340 acres of rural land surrounding the community of Windsor as a buffer to development.
Long-Term Commitment
Plum Creek has owned the land for 13 years, and it plans to continue as the master developer of the land.
At a town hall meeting in Hawthorne, one resident commented, “I would rather deal with one entity and solve the problems and get the proper protections in place.”
Developer Ed Dix applauded Plum Creek’s work over many years. “They aren’t going to drop a bunch of Lego blocks in the area and build it out all at once,” he said.
Educational Potential
Educators who have been part of the Plum Creek planning process see potential for future partnerships with the company.
Santa Fe College can tailor job training for specific employers moving to the Plum Creek land, as it has done for other new employers in Alachua County, said Dug Jones, the college’s assistant vice president for economic development.
An educators committee has also been formed as an offshoot of Envision Alachua.
“When the jobs come, we want to have people geared up and ready,” said task force member Gladys Wright, a retired principal of Shell Elementary School in Hawthorne. “We have a lot of low-income people and seniors who need good jobs.”
“I have two children, and I’m looking forward to positive opportunities for them,” said Heather Surrency, a Hawthorne resident and a member of Envision Alachua’s East County Educators Committee.
Economic Benefits
Plum Creek is partnering with the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, the University of Florida and Santa Fe College to recruit large advanced manufacturing companies to Alachua County.
Such companies require large amounts of land, and a study shows that no other property capable of supporting that type of employment need is available in Alachua County, said task force member Adrian Taylor, vice president of Innovation Gainesville and regional initiatives for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Plum Creek will emphasize jobs for people living in the Hawthorne area — the location targeted for development — and East Gainesville.
“Advanced manufacturing jobs can provide the kind of entry- and mid-level employment opportunities for advancement that the community so desperately needs to end the cycle of poverty,” said Dale Brill, the economic development consultant for Envision Alachua and former director of the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade & Economic Development. “Advanced manufacturing can generate jobs within reach of the full spectrum of Alachua County’s residents.”
In addition, the University of Florida is considering placing agricultural research facilities in the area, said task force member Jane Adams, UF’s vice president for university relations.
Participants Reflect
“This is a microcosm of how we are going to answer questions facing people around the world in developing a sustainable future,” said Jack Payne, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources.
Task force member Justin Williams, an officer in the Cracker Boys Hunt Club, was originally worried about how Envision Alachua would affect the group’s long heritage of hunting in the 14,000 acres it leases from Plum Creek.
“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.
Plum Creek has done more than any other landowner in the state to involve stakeholders in planning the future of its property, said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida.
Using the sector plan with its long-term perspective for future planning is a better approach than considering smaller projects one-by-one, Draper said, adding, “It’s much easier to deal with one large landowner.”