Alachua County Commission moves to close Florence Landfill early

Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford asks questions of staff during a January 2025 meeting.
Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford asks questions of staff during a January 2025 meeting.
Photo by Seth Johnson

Concerned citizens gathered outside the Alachua County Administration Building on Tuesday to advocate for closing the Florence Landfill in southeast Gainesville, wanting the County Commission to “dump the dump.” 

The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) was only scheduled for a staff update on the facility and its status. But after a packed public comment, the commissioners passed a six-part motion concerning the landfill.  

The motion, which passed unanimously, directs staff to do the following: 

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  • Start a plan to regularly monitor air conditions (report with plan within 60 days) 
  • Begin graphing groundwater data from water tests and report the information to the board 
  • Review installing “no truck” signs along SE 27th Street, SE 41st Avenue and SE 15th Street (reporting back within 60 days) 
  • Contact the landfill’s owners to ask that drywall be diverted to a Palatka site and ask to close the site ahead of schedule 
  • Send a chair letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Alachua County Legislative Delegation and other state departments about the community concerns 
  • Review and return with the details of what a landfill closure plan involves (within the next 90 days) 

Commissioner Ken Cornell made the motion, and he said he feels partly responsible for the issue. He said the landfill isn’t in compliance with the current comprehensive plan and it is incompatible with the area’s land use. 

The Florence Landfill operates under a special use permit, and the BOCC has ratified that permit multiple times since the current owners took over operations of the business—following failures by the previous owners. Those votes to ratify the permit happened in 1994, 1999, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018.  

However, since the last approval, Alachua County staff said the landfill ownership hasn’t asked for reviews to extend the permit. The landfill has switched to use a section of state statutes that allows the business to continue operating under Florida emergency orders.  

This allows the special use permit for the landfill—along with other types of permits—to be extended without county input until the emergency orders for natural disasters are finished and then for another two years.  

Community members meet before an Alachua County meeting to oppose the Florence Landfill.
Photo by Seth Johnson Community members meet before an Alachua County meeting to oppose the Florence Landfill.

The Florence Landfill used the emergency order for subtropical system Nicole to extend its contract. That emergency order ended in August 2024. 

County staff said the ending of the emergency order starts the two-year timeline and allows the landfill to operate through August 2026 if not renewed. Florida law gives a maximum of four years that a permit may be extended through this statute under the event of multiple emergency orders.  

Commissioner Anna Prizzia said Florence Landfill ran as responsible an operation as possible. But she said the previous commission and current BOCC members seemed intent to make the 2018 permit the final one. 

“I think we all had the understanding that we needed to right this wrong, that this dump needed to go,” Prizzia said.  

However, she said the state law has now allowed the county to resolve the issue and find new ways to handle its waste. 

Patrice Boyes, an attorney for the Florence Landfill, said the business believes state statutes allow the continued operation through October 2027. She said she would talk with staff to see why they have a different date.  

Boyes also said the Florence Landfill has tried to be a good neighbor, agreeing to reduce the allowed height of the landfill by five feet and entering into a settlement agreement with surrounding residents following a challenge to the state’s permit from the Department of Environmental Protection. 

However, she warned that the BOCC may be extending beyond its authority with the six-part motion.  

“You’re trying to thread the needle to turn a land use authority into something that exerts persuasion or authority over environmental issues,” Boyes said. “And I think that’s a problem, and we’ll have conflict if you continue to go down that road.” 

She said the motion  items that might be more productive if staff and the business discussed. She said they could look at ways to settle community feelings on the issue and reduce adversarial conflict. But Boyes said the county has no justification to ask for an early closure of the business.  

Boyes also pushed back against some of the public comments. She said the business is not a dump but a state-permitted construction and demolition landfill—with no ongoing violations. 

The Florence Landfill negotiated the settlement agreement in good faith with leaders of the surrounding community, Boyes said. Now, she said some of those members are back to disparage the business in front of the commission. She said that seems unfair to the business.  

Before the meeting, community members listed the impacts of living next to the landfill, including constant noise, large trucks coming up and down the streets, poor roads, smell, dust and eyesores.   

Speakers said they wanted the county to “dump the dump” and “right the wrong” of allowing the landfill in that spot. The groups said they collected more than 200 signatures in support.  

Community members posted signs during a protest against the Florence Landfill.
Photo by Seth Johnson Community members posted signs during a protest against the Florence Landfill.

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Terry

Looked at the complainers website, (which states no facts but has a lot of complaints) read this article. Does anybody have any proof there is an issue? I do love the complaint of the condition of the road. (most roads in Alachua county are crap open your eyes)

Look this is going to be an eye sore FOREVER! You can’t fix it. I do know Florence C&D (which is now own by Waste pro) doesn’t use it anymore. (they dump somewhere else) If there is dumping there I don’t know who is doing it. It’s located in an area that can never grow in size because of the state parks. (no new homes) The school that’s out there was closed years ago (because of it’s age) So I am confused what the real issue is?