Alachua residents must wait until the new year to speak on a special exception permit for the Tara April development after the city’s Planning and Zoning Board granted the applicant a continuance during a regular meeting on Tuesday.
The unanimously approved continuance will postpone the hearing for the permit until Jan. 13.
Tara April is one piece of a five-prong development plan that includes more than 1,000 homes and commercial components. The project has received intense scrutiny from Alachua residents and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, who set aside $1 million in 2024 for any lawsuits and legal experts needed to oppose the project.
Find a full timeline of the Tara developments here.
Tuesday’s continuance enraged some public commenters, who argued with the board that the continuance is the second time the permit has been delayed. In September 2024, Alachua staff removed it from a meeting agenda without a future meeting date.
If approved, the stormwater infrastructure proposed for the Tara April property would make way for new development near Mill Creek Sink, a sinkhole which connects to an underground karst cave system and feeds into the Floridan aquifer.
The applicant, Tara Forrest LLC., sent an email requesting the continuance at 6:20 p.m. on Monday, the night before Tuesday’s meeting.
The board justified the delayed hearing by citing the city’s Land Development Regulations that applicants are allowed one continuance. Alachua City Attorney Scott Walker said the September delay didn’t constitute the applicant’s one continuance.
Tara Forest LLC. requested the application return at the Dec. 9 next meeting, and Board member Virginia Johns initially proposed a motion to allow the request.
But Alachua County’s Assistant County Manager Missy Daniels, who represented the county as an affected party, said the date conflicted with a county hearing and asked the board to set a different date.
Residents agreed with Daniels and said they’d want to attend both the county hearing and the Alachua meeting.
Editor’s note: This story was underwritten by a grant from the Rural Reporting Initiative at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida. To learn more or get involved, click here.
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Approving this stormwater plan is a direct threat to the Floridan Aquifer. Mill Creek Sink isn’t just a hole in the ground—it’s an open doorway into our drinking water. Any runoff, chemicals, or pollution from new development would flow straight into the aquifer with no natural filtration. In karst terrain, even “good” stormwater systems fail over time, and once the aquifer is contaminated, it cannot be fixed.
There are plenty of places to build. There is only one Floridan Aquifer. This project should be denied. I don’t know how we even got this far. This seems like a no-brainer.
Thank you for your coverage Lillian! This is a complex project with an impressive timeline and your help connecting all of the dots is much appreciated!
Alachua’s pro sprawl pro quick buck development city hall makes Donald Trump look like an honest man. City hall is disgusting.
On a related note, will FDLE complete their investigation before the statute of limitations runs out?
A review of delinquent property taxes has an extensive list with this companies first name. Still trying to figure out how tara St. Augustine is on 39th av in gville.
An Effected Party
YES Tara April’s Stormwater plan will directly affect the ENTIRE State of Florida Aquifer. Not Just Us!! When MillCreek Sink collapses (and it will in time) if this storm water plan is pasted in January 2026 at the PVB meeting, Who is going to take responsibility? I saw and heard the citizens at Tuesday meeting tell the true story about how they were all ready granted a first postponement in September 2024, and now they got a second postponement. Legally Don’t They Only Get One?? Why were they granted 2? Something is wrong in City Hall!! The citizens of Alachua know that and that’s why the PZB was confronted. This is truly a sad state of affairs for the City of Alachua!! There are a few other projects in progress that need to be held ACCOUNTABLE also. Open your eyes City of a Alachua!!!