Newberry’s Planning and Zoning Board unanimously approved multiple developments during a regular meeting on Monday that could bring over 1,700 homes to Newberry and reviewed site plans for a compost facility that will recycle materials from the new wastewater treatment facility into organic fertilizer.

With Mayor and Board Chair Tim Marden and Member Anne Polo absent, the 160-acre Sandia West development rezoning near Champions Park from agriculture to planned residential development passed in the first trial of the city’s new petition process. Once approved by the board, the petition goes before the City Commission and city attorney to be converted into an ordinance.

Last month, the City Commission approved the development’s large-scale land use change from agriculture to low density residential 4-1, with Commissioner Rick Coleman in dissent, and sent it to the state for review.

Craig Brashier of NV5 engineering said on Monday that although the size of homes planned for Sandia West is still unknown, the development is planning for 3.13 homes per acre. He said the rolling land supplies natural storm water basins and a buffer, and the development is dependent on the building of Sandia Town Park phases one and two.

“I do want to point out that this site is within the city’s urban service area, so it’s where they have planned for growth within the more central parts of the city,” Brashier said. “It’s important to define those areas and where that growth is intended to take place so that you can preserve the areas outside that for the long term, for agricultural and green space and conservation issues.”

Because of the homes per acre estimate, Board Member Jessica Carey said it concerned her how little backyard or greenspace residents could have. Brashier said similar developments usually incorporate shared greenspaces maintained by a homeowners associations, and that residents would benefit from the Sandia Town development, too.

Carey also asked how quickly homes would be built since the development process had already spanned over 15 years.

City Manager Jordan Marlowe said Sandia West probably wouldn’t develop within a year because it would start in the northeast corner. He also said the current City Commission only supports a 3-5% rate of development at one time to keep infrastructure up to speed.

“The most houses we’ve ever built in a year [is] 220,” Marlowe said. “As it comes to dust and construction, I just ask for a little grace. Sometimes the good Lord doesn’t bless us with the rain in the moment, and things are a little bit dusty, right?”

After the board approved Sandia West, it approved another large-scale land use amendment change for a 1,250-home development on 225 acres called Newberry Ridge.

If approved by the City Commission and state, the amendment would change the current mixed-use land located east of Champions Park to residential medium density.

Marlowe said staff supported Newberry Ridge because mixed-use opens the door for commercial development, decentralizing downtown by pulling people away from it. Applicant Florida Land Development Partners said Newberry Ridge would allot eight residences per acre and provide more diverse housing options pricewise.

Although Board Member Naim Erched voted for the development, he said it didn’t make sense to build townhouses far away from town centers and that he didn’t want to bring Miami to Newberry, with developments like Newberry Ridge or Sandia West.

But, he said it’s better for the Planning and Zoning Board to approve them if they meet city standards even if they don’t like them.

“If we go and say we’re gonna deny this because I just don’t like houses, well, guess what? Sandia [West] is gonna be like, ‘get our attorney. We’re now gonna end up suing you Newberry,’” he said. “They’re gonna make some money and they’re gonna build the house…our job on the [board] is a protection for [residents] to really ask the questions, try to see if we can engage our developer a little bit better, make sure concerns are being met, and then pass that concern to the commission.”

The board will consider land development changes from agriculture to planned residential development for Newberry Ridge, as well as another 500-home development called Countryway II during a special meeting on April 21.

On Monday, the board also unanimously approved a site development plan for a 15-acre composting facility at Newberry’s Environmental Park (2429 SW 266th St.).

The facility operated by Life Soils Florida would focus on reducing synthetics in the water supply by turning bio solids from the city’s new wastewater treatment facility into a natural fertilizer.

Ryan McMeekin from Life Soils said Newberry first partnered with his company during the wastewater facility’s planning about three years ago. Since then, he said finding solutions for disposing of bio solids has become even more vital following stricter state regulations for how the materials can be handled.

McMeekin said Life Soils uses an inoculant called Harvest Quest to reverse the physics of composting. Harvest Quest eliminates the turning and flipping of materials required for composting by introducing a biological package to create COMAND, an active and organic soil amendment.

McMeekin said research from the University of Florida has found that microbes in COMAND can naturally suppress diseases as a substitute for synthetic products like fertilizers.

Its nutrients aren’t leachable, he said, and it can hold up to six times its own weight in water making it more sustainable for water conservation in sports fields, golf courses and commercial or housing developments.

“If you watch any of the Gator’s games, all those fields are grown out of COMAND,” McMeekin said. “We use about 75% reduction of water, so that’s substantial, especially in a 500-home community. A lot of ordinances now are passed where home builders must use this product. So that’s been a big win for us.”

The Life Soils site will share a driveway with the Alachua County Rural Collection Facility off County Road 337 and produce the COMAND that will landscape the wastewater facility, which is expected to be completed in 36 months. Life Soils’ site plan will go before the City Commission for approval.