EASTSIDE ACTIVITY CENTER

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EASTSIDE ACTIVITY CENTER DRAFT MASTER PLAN
Board of County Commissioners January 22, 2008
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• Eastside Activity Center Master Plan
• Topics
• Location and context of the Eastside Activity
  Center
• Current Activity Center policy framework
• Community Involvement and Planning Process
• Master Plan Draft Report

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Eastside Activity Center Location
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Eastside Activity Center Location
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Eastside Activity Center Context
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Eastside Activity Center Context
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Eastside Activity Center Context
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Eastside Activity Center Context
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Eastside Activity Center Context
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• Eastside Activity Center Interim Guidelines
• (From Alachua County Comprehensive Plan)
• Employment-based Activity Center, established in
  1994
• Designated for institutional, office, light
  industrial, residential, neighborhood commercial,
  and support service uses
• Promote economic development
• Develop urban design concepts for a mix of
  activities compatible with existing surrounding
  land uses
• Framework for private investment

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Eastside Activity Center Future Land Use Map
(adopted 1994)
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• Activity Center Master Plans
• County Comprehensive Plan calls for updated
  master plans for Activity Centers
• Provide a specific plan to address land use,
  transportation, natural resources, and
  development standards.
• Compact development with a balanced mixture of
  uses
• Pedestrian scale and orientation with public
  spaces
• Vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian
  interconnectivity
• Eastside Activity Center Plan is the first to be
  updated

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• Scope of Work
• County Commission approved Resolution 06-99 in
  September 2006 to initiate the Eastside Activity
  Center Master Plan, including an update of the
  1994 Interim Guidelines
• County Commission Resolution 06-99 included a
  Scope of Work specifying
• Key issues to be addressed
• Planning Process
• Timeline

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Community Involvement

• Community Kickoff December 7, 2006
• Economic Development Focus Group
• Community Meeting
• Conceptual Plan Options February 21, 2007
• Plan options were discussed at a second community
  meeting.
• Consensus Master Plan July 30, 2007
• Consensus master plan concept generated after
  final community meeting
• Community Planning Group December 4, 2007

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Draft Master Plan Map
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Master Plan Key Concepts

• Emphasis on employment-generating development
• Mixed Use transit-oriented node at the
  intersection of Hawthorne Road and SE 43rd Street
• Residential areas (with mixed use option) in the
  north and west sections of the activity center
• Neighborhood shopping, dining, and services
• Strategic Ecosystem protection
• Future right-of-way needs identification

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Employment Mixed Use (A)

• Mix of Commercial and Medium Density Residential
• Residential to occur in conjunction with
  non-residential, based on a specified ratio
• Non-residential focus on office, with limited
  retail
• Minimum and maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
• Higher FAR as incentive for vertical mixed use
  buildings

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Employment Mixed Use (A)

• Transition of non-residential uses from retail at
  the
• intersection to non-retail to the north
• Transit-oriented development (Bus Rapid Transit)

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Employment Mixed Use

• Focus on Employment-Based Uses

• Educational Facilities
• Business Incubators
• Job Training Centers
• Cultural Facilities
• Health Care Facilities

• Professional Office
• Business Services
• Technology-Based Business
• Micro Enterprise
• Research and Development

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Employment Mixed Use

• Limited retail and services to support
  surrounding employment-based uses
• Optional residential allowed within mixed use
  buildings
• Minimum and maximum Floor Area Ratio, with higher
  FAR as incentive for mixed use buildings

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Residential Mixed Use

• Medium density residential along 43rd Street
  corridor
• Low density residential abutting Strategic
  Ecosystem
• Non-residential uses optional within mixed use
  buildings, where the primary use is residential

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Community Mixed Use

• Civic amenities such as a public library or
  recreation center
• May be integrated with residential area to the
  south

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Neighborhood Convenience Center

• Small scale shopping, dining, offices, and
  personal services oriented toward neighborhood
  residents
• Limited to approximately 3,000 to 30,000 square
  feet

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Eastside High School and Civic Space

• Future Land Use of high school property to remain
  Institutional
• Civic open space location for community events
  (farmers market or art/craft shows)
• Use of school property for events requires case
  by case coordination with School Board and
  Eastside High School

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Natural Resource Protection

• Activity Center contains strategic ecosystem,
  wetlands, and high quality upland systems
• On-site evaluation will determine the extent and
  quality of the natural resources
• Protect ecological integrity of the ecosystem and
  enhance water quality through Low Impact
  Development (LID)
• Low density residential adjacent to ecosystem

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Transportation

• Internal circulation system to provide access to
  landlocked parcels
• Pedestrian and bicycle facilities required on new
  roads
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)/Intermodal Station
• Pedestrian safety improvements

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Staff Recommendation

• Accept the draft report and authorize
  advertisement of public hearings and preparation
  of the necessary Comprehensive Plan amendments to
  implement the Eastside Activity Center Master
  Plan.

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Questions?