- The Alachua County BOCC approved the University of Florida's 580-acre, 36-hole golf course project with cottages and clubhouses on Parker Road.
- The golf course is authorized to use up to 2 million gallons of irrigation water daily, primarily from lakes, stormwater basins, and reuse water sources.
- Archer received permission to install an eight-mile wastewater pipeline to Newberry's regional facility, with a $5.8 million budget and capacity for 175,000 gallons daily.
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) gave greenlights Tuesday to UF’s 36-hole golf course on Parker Road and an eight-mile wastewater pipeline from Archer to Newberry.
UF Golf
In April, the BOCC gave preliminary approval for new land use and zoning categories needed to create UF’s 580-acre golf course facility with cottages, clubhouses and conservation areas.
The change in categories went to various state departments for review, but no comments on the project came from the Suwannee River Water Management District, the St. Johns Water Management District or Florida Commerce.
The Florida Department of Transportation said it expected no significant adverse impacts on transportation resources of state importance. The Department of State said there were four archaeological sites on the property, but none were considered significant.
With the state review finished, Alachua County quickly finalized the new categories at the meeting. The project will advance to a preliminary development plan that will return to the BOCC in the fall.
The site will have approvals for up to 2 million gallons of irrigation per day. UF plans to use only water from lakes, stormwater basins and reuse water. Potable water from Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) or wells would only be used in drought conditions, a document said, or if GRU couldn’t provide enough reuse water.
The Florida Legislature gave $38 million for the project.
Archer wastewater
A project years in the making, and with recent state funding, the city of Archer asked for permission to extend wastewater lines through unincorporated Alachua County and to the city of Newberry’s regional wastewater facility, expected to be completed in 2029.
The BOCC prevents wastewater and water lines from extending outside cities and designated “urban clusters” in an effort to prevent urban sprawl, but Archer’s pipe would be an eight-inch diameter force main intended only to transport the wastewater and wouldn’t include hookups to residences.
The project will cost $5.8 million for both the eight-mile force main and a master pump station. Archer is also paying for capacity at the wastewater facility, up to 175,000 gallons per day. That’s enough to cover 700 homes, according to BOCC backup documents.
Newberry intended the $75 million project as a regional facility and entered talks with Trenton and High Springs as potential connections, but only Archer is moving forward as a partner.
Archer’s grants to build the pump station and wastewater line expire in October, and the city is working on accelerated plans and designs for approvals. The wastewater line will follow the western edge of State Road 45.
2 million gallons per day would supply between 6000-8000 homes per day (using an EPA estimate) or 100-400 small farms with sprinkler or drip irrigation per day (using a Penn State estimate). University of Florida gets a large discount from the GRU for it’s water supply, and unlike GRU residential customers, UF’s rate does not increase if they use increasingly larger amounts of water (using GRU 2025 Water Rates published on their website).
Also would like to know the names of the lakes UF is going to be sucking on for it’s new academic project/golf course.
Rock on my friend. Great point. I live very near there and am not familiar with any nearby lakes or bodies of water. 2 million gallons a day?! Are they making their own lake?
2 million gallons per day and they get to use potable or. well water during drought conditions for recreational grass?? Meanwhile, we can only water our plants once a week and discouraged from new plantings. This is seriously wrong. We do NOT need a golf course for many reasons – senseless water consumption and increased fertilizer usage being the two most important.
Just what we need: a 580 acre, 36-hole golf course with cottages and clubhouses and use of up to 2 million gallons of irrigation per day.
That’s horrible idea.
So they’re only going to drain my well dry for their golf course if we’re already in a drought? One less taxable parcel of land and more chemicals washing into our dried out wells. What a deal for the people of Alachua county.
“So let me get this straight: residents have watering restrictions, can face fines for watering their lawns outside approved hours, and are constantly told to conserve water. Yet the County Commission approves a golf course authorized to use up to 2 million gallons a day. That’s a double standard that many taxpayers are going to have a hard time understanding.”
I hope tax payers save these articles! If the county thugs try fining taxpayers for irrigation, while a non tax paying entity is permitted to use as much water as it likes… I hope someone with deep pockets files a lawsuit!
‘We have NO Money” cries the County when the property tax is reduced but they somehow have money for stupid things. How many people wanted them to buy the westend golf course?
No one i spoke to that didn’t live there.
I have said it before but I’ll say it again .. I use to think there were only 3 Stooges not 5.