BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Staff Writer
LAKE BUTLER — The Union County Board of County Commissioners met Jan. 17 as the Union County Planning and Zoning Board to consider applications for changes to the zoning and land use portion of the county’s comprehensive plan.
The seating area was full of Providence residents who were vocal in their opposition to making the changes that would allow a store to locate in their community.
The meeting ran for one hour and 15 minutes, with a full 50 minutes taken up with citizen comment against the applications. There were no citizen comments made in favor of the matter.
The application for both changes was made by Gerry Dedenbach of CHW Professional Consultants in Alachua, acting as agents for the Ann Christoforidi’s Trust asking the comprehensive plan to be amended, changing the land use to Commercial General from the current Agriculture and that the zoning classification of the property also be changes to the same.
The property in question is in Providence, at the intersection of C.R. 241 and C.R. 18. It is comprised of approximately 3.2 acres.
Dedenbach spoke to the commission, informing them that the changes were being requested to allow the construction and operation of a retail store with a small grocery section. Although he did not name this store, members of the audience were all referring to it as a Dollar General store. Dedenbach answered commissioners questioned whether the commercial use of the property would present any hazard to the nearby river, and he said no problems were anticipated due to the property being located above the river’s floodplain.
A total of eight citizens spoke against the approval that would allow the project, citing numerous reasons why they did not want it in their community. After each spoke the audience applauded what they had said.
Dr. Bill Lennon told commissioners that he had moved to Union County 50 years ago because he wanted to raise his children and grandchildren in the county. He said the store would increase crime, make more potholes from the increased traffic (both cars and tractor-trailers), and would release more pollutants into the atmosphere. He asked commissioners, “What do you want the county to look like in the future? What kind of legacy do you want to leave the county?”
Sean Newsome spoke next, saying that he was speaking for a number of families, none of which wanted the store to be built. He cited concerns that it would first be a store, then another, then a gas station and then other commercial enterprises. He also cited the situation of an out-of-state trust represented by an out of county developer. He asked the board to “Keep Union County Union County.”
Wayne McDaniel said that C.R. 18 had been more than rough enough for years and then asked what the increase in truck traffic would do to it. He said he had moved to his property 56 years ago because he wanted to be away from commercial development. He said, “If I wanted to be closer to stores, I would have moved closer to them.”
Mallory Southwell brought the commission a petition against allowing the store signed by 150 residents. She said the store would harm the local economy, according to her research that showed when such a store opened it decreased local profits by 30% on average.
Brandon Elixson said that the commission had always done a good job protecting residents personal property rights in the past, and he cautioned them that their zoning must be “strategic.” He added that he had not encountered one person in favor of the project.
Clay Dale told board members that his father had bought the property because it was rural and that he (Clay) wanted it to stay that way. He told commissioners that, “I would rather have my butt beat rather than go to town, I sure don’t want town coming to me.”
Ryan Southwell told commissioners that the citizens “Don’t want growth here.”
Donald Parrish voiced his opinion as well, saying, “We don’t want this.”
Dedenbach came back to the podium, telling the commissioners that his firm had placed many such stores around the state, some in small counties such as Levy.
“Since the 2005 recession we have placed about 300 such stores,” he said. “The goal is to never do a bad job. This is not an attempt to hurt the county, but change happens inevitably.”
Matt Cason, president of the development company said that it is incorrect that no one want the store because his company first started looking at the area because of request from residents.
“Some of the counties where we have located actually created new land use and zoning classes to accommodate us,” he said.
Once everyone had spoken the matter was taken up by the commission and discussed.
District 4 Commissioner Mack Johns said he was glad to see the people that had come to the meeting to make their wishes known and said he really doesn’t want to see commercial development in his district.
Commissioner Jimmy Tallman asked County Attorney Russ Wade whether he should abstain from voting on the applications because he owned a business that could be considered a candidate for having his sales hurt by the new a new store. Wade said it was a tough call. Tallman answered that there could be some overlap of merchandise and if he voted against the project, he was afraid of it being perceived as a conflict of interest.
Commission Chairman Ryan Perez thanked all the citizens in attendance for coming to the meeting.
“I love citizen participation,” Perez said. “It makes the commission’s job so much easier when we know what the people want.”
Commissioner Channing Dobbs said he had talked to a number of citizens over the phone and that he sees some of the problems anticipated from the project in his home district in Raiford, which has a similar store.
“I want to commend the people here tonight, who took their time and came out and gave their opinion,” Dobbs said.
Perez added that he had asked the Union County Property Appraiser, Bruce Dukes to check on the value of the property and then asked the Tax Collector to give him at least an estimate on how much the store would raise for the county through ad valorem taxes. He said the answer was not a great deal, only about $4,000 per year.
Dedenbach suggested that the matter be tabled and stricken from the agenda to allow him time to talk with his client and see what they wanted to do. Newsom spoke up again, asking why the group and/or the county had not held a public, town-hall style meeting on the matter. Dedenbach also pointed out that the order in which the matter was listed was not correct, since the comprehensive plan should have been listed first and then the zoning issue.
Wade said the order should be changed if the commission planned to vote on the matter, because the comprehensive plan issue was more legally defensible and the zoning issue was more actionable.
Dobbs made motion to deny the application to amend the land use regulations in the comprehensive plan as requested in the application and the motion passed the board 4-0, with Tallman abstaining. With this decision the board negated the need to address the change of zoning.
