About 40 people turned out for the fourth community listening session of the Alachua County Forward Focus project at the Jerusalem Church of God by Faith in Monteocha on Thursday.
Several area residents spoke about their concerns, ranging from the need for safer roads to new business zoning.
Monteocha resident John Yarbrough reported how unsafe dirt roads interfere with transportation.
“Even the emergency units don’t want to come into our homes when we call them,” Yarbrough said.
Jake Sylvester, another resident, said he was fined by the county after building a garage on his property.
“They want 75 feet in a buffer zone. I had to tear my garage down, cost me $45,000 and they are still charging me $250 a day.”
Forward Focus is a three-year initiative to increase resources for communities in eastern Alachua County.
Residents described weekly car accidents on the corner of 156th Avenue and Route 231 since Hurricane Helene destroyed a traffic light at that intersection.
“We got some bad roads out here. Are they being completed?” One resident asked.
Former Alachua County Commissioner and local resident Rodney Long said Monteocha needs new zoning to help the area grow a community of small businesses.
“We can’t build businesses. We want to be allowed to build a food hub. We want to be able to develop that business ourselves,” he said.
One local resident questioned Alachua County’s financial investment in the rural community.
“We pay taxes every year. What do we get out of it? Nothing,” a resident said.
That comment prompted audience applause that filled the church.
Another resident stood up and described the difficulty of accessing community services when she calls a county government office.
“When I speak to somebody, they send me to somebody else. Then they send me to somebody else. We get tired, and we don’t follow up. The system doesn’t help us at all,” she said.
After residents argued that county laws prohibit home and business development, Assistant County Manager Missy Daniels agreed that the county does have strong regulations. Sylvester chimed in. “Yeah, for us!” Other residents applauded and cheered in agreement.
Audience members questioned the county’s accountability on resolving these issues.
“Don’t give us ideas and we don’t hear from you any more. This has happened over and over. Can we have a copy of what you’ve written so we can hold your foot to the fire?,” a resident asked.
Sean McLendon, the county's economic development manager, nodded in agreement.
“We are working on that right now so you can hold us accountable,” he said.
The Forward Focus initiative started when Island Grove resident Sherri Krienke approached Alachua County commissioners with concerns regarding the county's communities along Highway 301.
That coincided with county efforts to invest in projects in the eastern part of Alachua County, including a $36 million federal investment to transform the site of the old fairgrounds near Gainesville Regional Airport into the U.S. Army Reserve equipment concentration site. The project will create over 60 high-paying jobs and an estimated $3 million annual payroll.
The Forward Focus initiative covers an area of roughly 330 square miles of eastern Alachua County. McLendon emphasized that the map’s borders are fuzzy, not firm. Individuals living in areas just across its border are still encouraged to provide feedback and are included in the project.
Forward Focus kicked off its listening sessions in Hawthorne in October. Over 50 residents, business owners and local leaders provided their personal experiences and concerns, focusing primarily on transportation, employment, education and economic development.
“This shows the power of representative government, that you have a bunch of commissioners willing to listen to community concern and do something about it,” McLendon said.
The project is currently in the first of a three-year phase. The first phase involves community listening, followed by an economic and social service assessment and a final report that should be completed in October 2027.
Future listening sessions in Island Grove and Melrose will continue to collect community points of emphasis as the team develops a comprehensive outreach plan.
Residents of eastern Alachua County are encouraged to email ForwardFocus@alachuacounty.us with questions and concerns.