The Neighborhood Meeting is an informal meeting between the applicant and any interested citizens. Neighborhood Meetings are encouraged as opportunities for informal communication between owners and occupants of nearby lands, applicants, and other residents who may be affected by development proposals. Although all issues may not be resolved, the Neighborhood Meeting allows for early citizen input and discussion. The meeting offers an opportunity to listen to the concerns of citizens before you enter into the formal application process. The meeting may be a chance to improve your plan or make small changes that will make a big difference to your neighbors.
The following applications require a meeting: Site-Specific Amendments to the Official Zoning Atlas, Planned Developments, Special Exception Permits, Site Plans, and Major Subdivision Preliminary Plats. Neighborhood meetings are optional for any other applications under the LDRs.
The first order of business is to schedule a Pre-Application Conference with City staff. You must do this before you schedule a meeting and before you file your Rezoning, Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Special Exception permit, and Subdivision Development Plan applications, among other applications. To schedule a meeting, call (386) 418-6121.
Following your Pre-Application Conference you will then have to notify members of the public through various avenues. You need to notify property owners near the subject property, as well as registered City neighborhood organizations. To do this you must:
- Place advertisements in the Gainesville Sun and the Alachua County Today
- Send a letter to all property owners within 400 ft of the property
- Send a letter to all registered City neighborhood organizations.
City Staff can advise you of any organizations or persons registered to receive notice. The ad must be published in the paper and the letters must be post marked at least 14 days before your meeting. See advertisement and mailing instructions below for more information.
When & where to hold the meeting
You must hold the meeting before you file a formal application with the City. On weekdays, meetings shall be scheduled after 5:00 P.M.; on weekends, at anytime. A second meeting is required if you do not file for a development order within six months of your first meeting. You must schedule your own meeting at a location generally near the subject property. It must be handicapped accessible. At the neighborhood meeting, the applicant shall explain the development proposal and application, inform attendees of the character and nature of the process for review , and respond to comments and questions neighbors may have about the application and propose ways to resolve conflicts.
What to do after the meeting
After your neighborhood meeting, you may file your application with the Planning Department. When you file your application you must include:
- A copy of the ad published in the newspaper
- A copy of the mailout letter
- A copy of the address labels used
- A copy of the sign-in sheet
- A written summary of the issues related to the development proposal discussed, comments by those in attendance about the development proposal, and any other information the applicant deems appropriate.
Advertisement Information
Place your ad in the Gainesville Sun [(352) 374-5012] and the Alachua County Today [(386) 462-3355]. The ad must be published at least 10 business days before the meeting. It can be published in any section of the paper other than classifieds. When you place the ad, please advise the paper that the ad cannot be placed in the classified section. The size of the ad must be at least 2 columns wide (3 ¾ inches) and 2 inches long. Ads must include the location of the subject property and the time and location of the meeting.
For rezoning and land use requests, the ad should state the specific district requested, for example:
RSF-1 (Residential Single Family, 1 unit/acre)
For development review projects (plats, subdivisions, special exception permits), the ad must state the specific proposed use, for example:
5-unit commercial, 1-story with 12 parking spaces
See Sample Ad for an example of what you’re ad should look like. The City Planning Department will assist you if you need help composing your ad.
Mailout Letter Information
Your letter must include the same information as the ad, and must be mailed first class at least 10 days before the meeting. For rezonings, you should also attach the complete list of uses permitted in the zoning district. The Planning Department can provide you with this information. See Sample Mailout Letter for an example of what you’re mailout letter should look like.
The Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Office, (352) 374-5230) located at 12 SE 1st Street, Gainesville, FL , will provide mailing labels of property owners within 400 feet of the subject property. You will need the tax parcel number(s) and address/location of the subject property. You will need several copies of labels. Please check the requirements for your specific application request.
