November 13, 2023
The Lee property development effort has now entered what will likely be a protracted and unpredictable final stage. As many of you know, Special Area Planning, required since 2,279 acres of the 3,006 acres of the Hickory Sink Strategic Ecosystem are within the Lee Property, is in three steps.
Stage One
The first, a Scope of Work, is described in the Alachua County Unified Land Development Code as a formal document identifying the area, issues, and processes for subsequent study. The Plan of work was submitted on May 1, 2020, and was approved by BOCC on June 1st.
Stage Two
That approval paved the way for stage two, a Special Area Study, to identify flora, fauna, and geologic and hydrologic features of the land to be preserved or protected. The original Special Area Study documents were submitted to the county on April 11, 2022, and in response to county staff and Commissioner evaluations, a supplement was proposed on July 5th, 2022. In response to that supplement, a Second Supplement was submitted to the BOCC on September 19, 2022. This Second Supplement was approved unanimously by the BOCC on Nov 7th, 2023.
The Lee family’s often repeated goal is to preserve as much of their 4,068 +/- acres as possible after donating or selling (one hears both) approximately 580 acres to the University of Florida for a 36-hole golf course and supporting buildings, including cottages and other infrastructure. In this scenario, called Local and State Conservation, funding sufficient to place approximately 3,492 acres in a conservation easement is being sought.
If that funding is not available, the property will be developed according to a scenario called, Collaborative Planning. In this scenario, 1,490 +/- acres will be protected and the rest of the acreage, minus that for the golf course, will be developed. It is important to note that the golf course will be built regardless of which scenario becomes reality because golf courses are allowed by right under the current agricultural zoning.
Stage Three
That brings us to stage three, Special Area Planning. Initially, this planning will proceed in two steps, beginning with golf course development. Simultaneously, the Lee family and partners, presumably including the University of Florida, will pursue funding for the conservation easement from state and local sources. If funding is not forthcoming, the Collaborative Planning Scenario, including the development of housing, will be initiated, at which time the plans for the golf course may already have been submitted to the Alachua County Commission.
Next Steps
The League of Women Voters of Alachua County’s Natural Resources Committee will be advocating for a golf course and supporting infrastructure that sets the standard for environmentally conscious courses nationwide. Given the environmental sensitivity of the land on which the golf course is to be constructed, the aquifer and native flora and fauna deserve nothing less. Simultaneously, we will support the search for conservation easement funding.
Public meetings are a mandatory part of the planning stage and the NR Committee will post schedules for these meetings and others related to the Lee property development.
Roberta and I will be asking for your help. We believe that the Lee family and the University of Florida want to do the right thing. Our goals will be to remind them, as necessary, of what the right thing is and urge them back on track if they seem to veer. Additionally, the County Commission and staff have and will continue to invite public engagement on this and other county issues. As a committee, we aim to RSVP to those invitations. Join us.
