The Bridlewood residential development project in High Springs is moving forward despite ongoing pushback from residents about its environmental and infrastructural impacts.
The 688-acre development was first approved by the High Springs Plan Board in September 2022. The High Springs City Commission approved it the following month in a 4-1 vote.
Commissioner Katherine Weitz cast the sole dissenting vote, citing the increased density as her reasoning against the development.
Although the Bridlewood Master Plan outlines about 1,400 units, Christopher Potts, vice president of LGA Engineering and developer, told commissioners in February the project could include up to 2,000 single- and multi-family units and an additional 200 senior living units. The plan designates lot sizes of 70, 80 and 100 feet.
Potts declined to comment.
The proposed density and lot sizes are inconsistent with existing residential areas in High Springs, Weitz said, warning of possible environmental consequences.
She said the project had to halt activity for roughly a month while animals were moved, but to her understanding, they have all now been properly relocated.
She also cited potential traffic issues. If every resident in Bridlewood has one to two cars, there could be more congestion on the already busy roads in High Springs. She said she doesn't feel that the traffic study conducted by the project was in-depth enough.
“[The developers] did the bare minimum of what was required so they were meeting the Department of Transportation’s recommendations, but they did not do anywhere near enough to understand the real traffic impact,” she said.
Beyond transportation, Weitz also has geological concerns. High Springs’ karst terrain, formed by soluble rock like limestone, often includes underground voids, springs and sinkholes. Uncovering land for development could expose unstable ground, she said, posing safety risks.
Bryan Buescher, a 65-year-old retired High Springs resident and cave diver, said he saw shallow caves on the Bridlewood property that are prone to collapse. A more thorough geological study of the area should have been conducted, he said.
“I think minimal work was required to put in this rather significant development,” Buescher said.
High Springs residents also voiced apprehensions about how the increased density from Bridlewood will impact the town’s infrastructure and public services. When finished, the subdivision will nearly double the size of High Springs, Buescher said, increasing the cost of services like fire and law enforcement.
“It’s going to be extremely challenging for a small town like High Springs to keep up with those costs,” he said.
Developers proposed adding a community development district to the subdivision at a Feb. 13 city commission meeting. A CDD, which functions similarly to a homeowners association, manages infrastructure and facilities by adding a fee to residents’ property tax bills. The developer told commissioners the CDD would operate alongside an HOA. Rebecca Burns, a 61-year-old High Springs resident and real estate broker, opposed the proposal. “Residents would have to pay for a property tax base for Alachua County, an HOA fee to take care of the neighborhood, and now we are talking about a CDD fee,” Burns said. “That is not affordable.”
In her experience as a real estate broker, she said it’s not common in the Alachua County market for residential developments to have CDDs.
This proposal was denied by the city commission with a 3-2 vote.
Commissioner Katherine Weitz said the commission and High Springs residents shouldn’t “stand in the way of Bridlewood being built” because the developers have legal rights to the plots of land. Intervention could mean legal trouble for the city, she said.
“They have a legal right, and we cannot and should not get in their way in terms of proceeding, but we can be involved in every phase of the development,” Weitz said.
Sara-James Ranta contributed to this report.
Contact Ava Cyr at acyr@alligator.org. Follow her on X @Avacyr01.
