The City of Gainesville has gone back to Exclusionary Zoning. The move by city commissioners, on a four to three vote, does away with the short-lived policy of allowing multi-family housing anywhere in the city. That was just put in place last October by a previous city commission. The effort to reverse course …
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a near normal Atlantic Hurricane Season this year. The expectation is for 12-17 named storms between June 1 and November 30. Of those, 1-4 are likely to be major hurricanes. Dr. Andra Johnson, dean of UF/IFAS Extension and the director of the …
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Updates to Alachua County’s landscape irrigation code take effect June 12th. One of the biggest changes is irrigation systems in new residential and commercial developments can only water up to half of a property’s total permeable area. “If you subtract the size of the house and the driveway, what you have …
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Before Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of summer, Florida’s water management districts want to remind visitors to springs and rivers to leave no litter and protect nature. Troy Roberts with the Suwannee River Water Management District said trash takes away from an area’s natural beauty. It is also …
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Several Florida counties are pushing back against the Florida PACE Funding Agency. The agency allows private companies to make home improvements with no up-front cost to homeowners. Instead, a special assessment is placed on the property. That increases the property tax bill and, in some cases, can prevent the property …
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The Suwannee River Water Management District is recommending $4.6 million in projects designed to improve and protect the water quality of Poe Springs. One project totals $3 million to expand the City of High Springs wastewater treatment facility and complete the creation of wetlands. The second project would provide $1.6 …
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U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is rallying supporters as he organizes his first legislative re-election campaign. He announced in January his plans to seek a second term in 2024. Scott was in Gainesville Monday morning, speaking to Republican party officials and supporters. He updated them on issues in Washington, D.C., …
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The City of Live Oak wants to stop people from using backyard sheds for housing. Council Member Lynda Owens says she’s received several complaints from residents. “Let’s ask our code enforcement to start penalizing people who are living in these sheds,” Owens says. “I know housing is an issue. It’s …
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The Florida Department of Health in Marion County has a new Community Health Improvement Plan. A year-long effort to craft the plan produced the four strategic areas of Healthy Aging, Access to Care, Wellness and Primary Prevention, and Behavioral Health. Craig Ackerman, operations director of DOH-Marion County, said specific goals …
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A new tool is available to help residents of Cedar Key prepare for flooding events. A grant from the Resilient Florida program funded the online program that allows users to explore flood vulnerability maps on and around Cedar Key. Savanna Barry is a Florida Sea Grant extension agent who specializes …
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WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville