Special Area Study and Plan for Pine Hill Forest Strategic Ecosystem

Alachua County is seeking professional consulting services to conduct a Special Area Study and Plan in accordance with the requirements and procedures in the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan and and Unified Land Development Code for an approximately 1,200-acre project area located in unincorporated Alachua County. The project area is the largest contiguous area of undeveloped privately-owned land remaining within the County's urban growth boundary ("Urban Cluster") as designated in the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan. The project area also contains the "Pine Hill Forest Strategic Ecosystem" which is one of forty-seven such areas designated in the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan as the most significant natural biological communities in private ownership in Alachua County which are afforded special regulatory protections to preserve their ecological integrity. The County's Comprehensive Plan provides that the County shall create "Special Area Plans", in cooperation with landowners,

to establish specific guidelines for Strategic Ecosystems prior to approval of land use change, zoning change, or development approval. This project seeks to develop a Special Area Plan that addresses area-specific issues of Strategic Ecosystem assessment and protection, future land use planning, and infrastructure planning within the context of the County's overall growth management framework articulated in the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan. The desired result of this project is a set of recommended goals, objectives, policies, and maps for the project area to be proposed for adoption as part of the County's Comprehensive Plan. Public involvement and focused coordination with private landowners within the project area will be a major component of this effort. BackgroundLocation: Alachua County is located in North Central Florida. The County government seat is situated in Gainesville. Gainesville is located 70 miles southwest of Jacksonville, 129 miles southeast of Tallahassee, 140 miles northeast of Tampa - St. Petersburg and 109 miles northwest of Orlando. Alachua County has a population of over 250,000 and a regional airport. The County itself consists of a total area of 969 square miles.Form of Government: Alachua County is governed by a Board of five (5) elected County Commissioners and operates under the established County Manager Charter form of government. In addition to the five County Commissioners, there are five elected Constitutional Officers: Supervisor of Elections, Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, Tax Collector, and the Property Appraiser. The Alachua County Attorney also reports to the Board.TimelineSolicitation Release Date:March 6, 2024Question Submission Deadline:April 28, 2024, 12:00amSolicitation Submission Deadline:May 8, 2024, 2:00pmSolicitation Opening – Teams Meeting:May 8, 2024, 2:00pm The scheduled solicitation opening will occur via Teams Meeting; the information to join is provided below. Attendance (live viewing) of the proposals opening is not required. Join Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer, mobile app or room device Click here to join the meeting https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTQyYzk5YzMtZDc4ZS00N2IxLTljMWUtMjAwNTQwN2NjNTNi%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2290fc851d-766d-4d7b-a09c-bfbf1d2dac94%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22c82ab8e7-6ee1-4cd5-9191-4aa322a1828f%22%7dMeeting ID: 259 625 692 241 Passcode: yX9G3Q Download Teams | Join on the web Or call in (audio only) +1 469-998-7938,,366862554# United States, Dallas Phone Conference ID: 366 862 554# If you have a disability and need an accommodation in order to participate, please contact the Alachua County ADA Coordinator at ADA@alachuacounty.us or Equal Opportunity Office at 352-374-5275 at least 7 business days prior to the event. If you are unable to notify the Office prior to the event, please inform an Alachua County employee that you need assistance. TDD/TTY users, please call 711 (Florida Relay Service).