The Newberry City Commission approved the acquisition of two land parcels—one donated—and took early steps to prepare for a possible stormwater assessment for downtown businesses, during its regular meeting on Monday. 

Easton-Newberry Sports Complex Land Acquisition 

The commission voted unanimously to accept a donation of about 60 acres from the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), to be used for multipurpose fields and a laser tag area as part of the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex master plan. 

Though the SRWMD board chose to provide the land to Newberry for free, it comes with a conservation easement that restricts the city’s ability to develop the land. But Joe Lovelady, Newberry’s director of capitol projects and facilities, said the city did not want the land for intense development anyway. 

The conservation easement prohibits permanent structures and the use of impervious materials that would affect water’s return to the land, but it permits the creation of multipurpose fields and the installation of the appropriate lighting for those fields. 

Lovelady said staff will look into options for walkways made of impervious materials, and received suggestions from commissioners and a citizen commentor about wheeling a portable concession stand and/or bathroom out to the fields on the donated land. 

“There are ways to accommodate their desires, and to suit ours as well,” Lovelady said. 

The land also includes two wells, which the city already uses, and city manager Mike New said while timber rights will pass to the city, SRWMD did thin the trees in anticipation of transferring the land to Newberry. 

New said SRWMD and Newberry have been in discussions about the transfer for about seven years, and that the land is valued at $900,000. 

Commissioner Tony Mazon made the motion to accept the SRWMD’s donation, seconded by Commissioner Mark Clark, and approved unanimously by the commission. 

Seaboard Drive Land Acquisition 

The commission authorized the city manager to offer $110,000 for a half-acre parcel of land along Seaboard Drive, with potential use as a splash pad, farmers’ market, parking or stormwater facility, in expectation of further city projects along Seaboard Drive, between State Road 26 and SW 15^th Ave. 

The city has been trying to work with CSX Transportation to make a road that would run parallel to the railroad tracks, creating a grid system that would connect SR 26 with SW 15^th Ave., according to New and Mayor Jordan Marlowe. 

New said the commission has been planning an improvement project along Seaboard Drive for about four years, but CSX owns the land and has leased it to Florida Northern Railroad, which has expressed no interest in getting involved in the project. 

“That project has stalled, but staff doesn’t believe it is dead,” New said. 

New said a property owner of a 0.56-acre parcel along Seaboard Drive, who is retired and lives in Georgia, is liquidating some assets and recalled that the city had once expressed interest in his property, so he reached out to see if the interest was still there. 

A property appraiser assigned the parcel a value of $101,000, which New said was below the owner’s expectations. He told the commission staff typically gets about 10% of wiggle room on items like this, and asked for authorization to offer $110,000, which the owner had indicated to him would be acceptable. 

The commission voted 4-1 to approve the offer, with Commissioner Monty Farnsworth in dissent, reasoning that the commission’s job is not to supply parking lots and stormwater areas in the downtown, and it should not just be acquiring properties. 

As for the larger Seaboard Drive project, New said staff is waiting for a strategic opportunity when CSX will need something from the city. 

Stormwater Capital Assessment Resolution of Intent 

The commission unanimously approved a motion to send the Alachua County Tax Collector a resolution of intent for a downtown stormwater assessment. 

The letter does not implement a stormwater assessment and does not even bind the city to create an assessment, but it opens the opportunity to do so next year. The notice is due by the end of 2024 if the city wants to have the option of implementing an assessment through the tax collector in 2025. 

At the commission’s direction, consultants have been working on the assessment in conjunction with a stormwater engineering study, but the draft engineering report only came back a few weeks ago, according to Dallas Lee, Newberry’s assistant city manager and chief financial officer. 

Marlowe said the commission’s intent in asking staff to explore a stormwater assessment, is to create a way for downtown businesses to pay the city for stormwater infrastructure and services instead of sacrificing precious portions of their land to fill stormwater field requirements. 

Because the city and consultants only recently received the report, which identifies the downtown’s stormwater needs, Lee said the consultants have not yet created a recommendation for the assessment. He said consultants and staff should have recommended assessment rates ready in the spring for the commission to consider. 

Clark made a motion to approve the resolution of intent, seconded by Commissioner Ricky Coleman, and unanimously approved by the commission.