The crowd spilled into the hallway Tuesday night at Alachua City Hall as residents awaited the latest twist in a yearslong debate over developments proposed near the water-filled cave system of Mill Creek Sink.
Tara April developer Sayed Moukhtara sought a “special exception” permit to build stormwater basins in an area zoned for agriculture near the intersection of Interstate-75 and U.S. Route 441. City and county staff raised concerns about the site’s sinkhole risk and recommended further studies.
Expert testimony stretched for six hours. When the meeting hadn’t opened for public comment by midnight, the city’s Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to adjourn and resume discussion on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m.
The latest extension follows a series of delays. The special exception permit was scrapped from the board’s agenda in September 2024 when city and county staff raised concerns and again in November 2025 when the developer requested more time.
The permit’s scope is narrow. If approved, it would authorize crews to locate two dry stormwater basins next to a site zoned for retail. But board members worried it could unwittingly expedite approvals for other parts of the interconnected, 580-acre “Tara” developments before knowing exactly what’s underground.
City staff recommended the board approve the permit with 11 conditions, including one that would require the developer to do further geotechnical studies before submitting the next stage of its application, an infrastructure plan, to the City Commission.
Board members raised concerns with that approach.
“I can't vote to move forward with a special exception without having a complete picture,” said board member Danielle Judd. “So for me, if I had to do a motion tonight, it would be deny.”
The developer’s attorney, Vinette Godelia from the firm Stearns Weaver Miller, said her client “will do the work,” to understand the site’s geology and sinkhole risk but would share results only from Tara April, not all Tara projects, for the board’s review.
“Geology doesn't recognize property lines or project lines,” said planning department director Bryan Thomas. “ So I think it would be in the best interest of the city, to be able to move these forward, to have the entirety of the study available for our expert to review.”
The meeting will resume on Jan. 20 at Alachua City Hall with public comment.
The board’s decision, unless appealed, will serve as the city’s final say on whether to allow this specific portion of the Tara April stormwater system. If it’s approved, the Alachua City Commission will later vote on what to allow within the larger system in a hearing on the developer’s infrastructure plan.
