The Newberry City Commission unanimously approved a new comprehensive plan upon second reading at a regular meeting on Monday.  

The city began soliciting public input through open houses in early summer of 2023, and the comprehensive plan update has been through hearings and workshops with the city commission and planning and zoning board. 

In December 2024, the city received a single comment on the document from FloridaCommerce, which staff used to further revise the document before bringing the finalized version to the commission for adoption on Monday. 

CHW Consultants prepared the portions of the plan that deal with future land use, traffic circulation and housing, while city staff focused on reviewing recreation and open space, conservation, intergovernmental coordination and economic development, capital improvements and water/wastewater. 

The public school facilities and property rights had been recently updated already, so Stacey Hectus, director of community development, said they did not require further review. 

Hectus said she would be bringing back the wastewater, solid waste, stormwater and potable water elements and the capital improvements element for further improvements in April. 

In response to FloridaCommerce’s one technical assistance comment, Hectus said staff amended the written elements to expressly state a 10-year planning period, the city has now included an updated future transportation map for the planning periods and additional data and analysis have been added to document changes and form a historic linkage within the comprehensive plan elements. 

Commissioner Tim Marden made the motion to approve the finalized plan, seconded by Commissioner Tony Mazon, and approved unanimously by the commission. 

Upon the commission’s approval, city staff now has 10 days to send the final document to FloridaCommerce for enactment. 

Hectus said updating the city’s 350 pages of land development codes is next—a task which has not been done since the early 1990s. She said staff started the LDR rewrite/overhaul in December and is holding weekly meetings for the task. 

City staff is taking a three-pronged approach to the LDR overhaul, according to Hectus: 

• Phase 1: Reorganize – could involve repealing and replacing portions of the code. 

• Phase 2: Diet – no substantive changes other than wordsmithing to streamline and remove outdated terms. 

• Phase 3: Make substantive changes. 

The current timeline for completing the LDR overhaul would last through early 2027. Commissioners asked Hectus to try to make it happen faster than that. 

“I would say that I wish it could be done within a year, instead of a two-year period,” Commissioner Monty Farnsworth said. “If we could make it a priority.” 

Mayor Jordan Marlowe said that would require spending more money for more consulting help because city staff does not have the bandwidth to work faster on the LDRs in addition to their existing duties. 

Commissioner Mark Clark said he would also rather have it done sooner, and asked Hectus to come back with a cost estimate to finish in a year. 

Interim city manager Dallas Lee noted that the two-year timeline already factors in $50,000 that the City Commission budgeted for consultation. 

Publix traffic signal agreement 

The commission also authorized the city manager to execute a $134,000 agreement with Publix for a traffic signal across from the newly-opened Market at Newberry Farms, at the intersection of Newberry Lane and State Road 26. 

Jamie Jones, assistant city manager for utilities and public works, said the traffic signal was originally meant to be a joint effort shared between Newberry, Alachua County, Publix and Gromax, the developer of 128-acre Highland Park across the street from Publix. 

The Publix developer committed early on to $134,000 for construction of a traffic signal either at Newberry Lane or County Road 235, intended to cover a third of a $400,000 traffic signal. 

Alachua County stepped out of the deal when the signal was set to be placed on Newberry Lane instead of County Road 235, and after multiple stakeholder meetings the city still does not have consensus with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on what type of traffic signal to install—full access turn lanes or not. 

“[Publix] stood behind the pledge this entire three-year period, we’ve just never got it on paper, got a signed agreement,” Jones said. “We now have an agreement… at least we have secured that $134,000 worth of funding towards the light, whatever the light may be.” 

According to Jones, FDOT at one point held Publix from proceeding with construction because of the issue, but the urgency was taken away when FDOT released Publix from that hold. 

Jones said staff is still working to get consensus on the type of traffic signal, and the commission will receive a presentation on the project sometime this spring. 

In the meantime, the city now has a written agreement with Publix, stating that Publix will provide the $134,000 for the traffic signal once plans are finalized. The city agrees to spend the funds on the traffic signal within five years, or return the money. 

Farnsworth made the motion to authorize the city manager to execute the agreement with Publix, seconded by Mazon. The commission approved the motion unanimously.