The city of Alachua’s Building and Planning Department placed a stop work order on the Tara Phoenicia property near Mill Creek Sink Thursday morning for unauthorized clearing of land.
According to the order, the complaint applies to Alachua County tax parcel 03066-002-000.
Principal Planner Carson Crockett said the city received the complaint Thursday morning and doesn’t know who was removing the regulated trees, although it typically falls on the owners of the land.
Developer Sayed Moukhtara owns Tara Phoenicia through Tara Forest LLC. The property is poised to serve as the commercial component of a five-development plan bringing more than 1,000 homes to the karst-sensitive land over the Floridan Aquifer.
Alachua’s Planning and Zoning Board issued a highly contested but unanimous rejection of a special exception permit for stormwater infrastructure on the Tara April property in January, seemingly halting development for the time being.
Crockett said no more trees are allowed to be removed until the complaint is sorted out. Although response varies for different properties, he said this can look like coming to the city with a restoration plan or getting proper approvals.
The landowners would have around 30 days to submit a restoration plan or else face fines.
Kook-Tara did the same thing on the same property in 2018. Look it up!
Good!
Stop this Developer, as well as others, from acting outside the boundries of the norms of local requirements.
The situation facing the City of Alachua is concerning, but it’s also a reminder of how important it is to handle development disputes carefully and strategically. We’ve seen in other Florida communities, like Dunnellon near the Rainbow River, how prolonged legal battles with developers can strain a city’s finances and resources.
If mistakes have been made along the way, continuing down a costly legal path may only make things worse for taxpayers. Rather than escalating the conflict, the City of Alachua should focus on resolving this matter through mediation or a structured legal process that minimizes financial risk.
Protecting the community and environment is important, but so is protecting residents from unnecessary financial exposure. A balanced, practical approach one that seeks resolution instead of prolonged litigation will ultimately serve the city best.