After being turned down by the city commission in October 2007, the developer of the proposed Hatchet Creek community in northeast Gainesville appealed the decision at Wednesday night's commission meeting.
The development, which Commissioner Rick Bryant called "Haile Plantation East," would be primarily for residents 55 and older and would contain commercial areas, 1,199 homes and 300 assisted-living facility beds.
Project supporters hope it would bring increased development to East Gainesville.
In order for developers to build at the proposed site, the city would have to make changes to its land-use policy. Commissioners had not decided by press time what conditions, if any, to accept in changing the proposed site's land use to allow for construction.
Disagreement arose when the developer asked commissioners to change the land-use category for 200 more acres than the company had previously requested, allowing it to build on more land.
It also asked to be able to build in airport-noise zones, which are subject to 65 decibels of sound.
At press time, there were two motions on the floor - one restricting homes to the original 300 acres instead of the requested 500 acres, and another prohibiting them from being built in the noise area.
The issue was further complicated by the possibility that in the fall the commission may discuss changing its definition of an airport-noise zone to include lower decibel levels, which would make it even more unlikely that the developer would be able to build there.
Members of the Gainesville Regional Airport Authority announced at the meeting they had also commissioned a study into possible changes in airport-noise zones.
"I think not taking the time for the study to be completed would be a great mistake for the commission to decide tonight," said Peter Johnson of the airport authority.
The land-use change was originally turned down because of concerns over the development's proximity to the airport and the possible destruction of wetlands.
Developers and city officials agreed destroyed wetlands should be replaced by man-made ones.
"In general, I don't think any of us like to see wetlands destroyed," Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan said.
