The Alachua County Commission approved a residential and agricultural development at its Tuesday meeting, passing it to the state for review. The commission also requested information about alleged data sharing by Flock Safety cameras in the county.
Everlee Farmstead Community
The Alachua County Commission voted unanimously to approve plans for the Everlee Farmstead Community, a mixed-use residential and agricultural development located near Parker Road in southwest Gainesville. The application will now head to the state for review.
The 2,600-acre property is expected to accommodate 2,700 families on 900 of its acres. The development will include a mix of apartments, single-family homes and commercial infrastructure, such as shops and restaurants.
The center of the development will feature a farm where community members can grow and access seasonal crops and flowers. The farmstead will rely on community-supported agriculture, a partnership model in which consumers pay local farms for a share of their harvest, hosting a farm stand and seasonal markets.
The surrounding land is managed by the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences for research and environmental protection. The commission previously approved development on other portions of the land, greenlighting UF’s 36-hole golf course in April.
The community will also include livestock, such as chickens and cattle, and an apiary for beehives, according to Austen Roberts, president of The Roberts Companies.
The Roberts Companies is a Florida-based developer with several planned developments in Alachua County, like The Hammock and Cellon Creek, two projects with residential and commercial lots.
Roberts, a North Florida native who grew up surrounded by agriculture, said the project is especially meaningful to him. He hopes to bring his experience to Alachua County families, he added.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to curate something special, something that preserves meaningful agriculture and open space and creates a connected community,” Roberts said. “To build a special place where you can leave your front porch, walk miles of trails, experience nature and wildlife all along the way and have our kids grow up and know where their food comes from.”
The first phase of construction is expected to begin in 2028 pending permit approval, with families projected to move into the community in 2029.
Several commissioners spoke in favor of the development ahead of the vote, including Commissioner Mary Alford, whose district includes the proposed site.
“I've had calls from many of my former neighbors and friends that live in the Haile [Plantation] area,” Alford said. “They've all said, ‘We thought we weren't going to like this, but we really love it.’”
Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler echoed the sentiment, saying she was impressed by the development plans.
“I've been asking for eight years now [for] every development to give me something I've never seen before,” she said. “Now I know it's time I can finally retire.”
During public comment, Sam Cornell, a local beekeeper and the nephew of Commission Chair Ken Cornell, spoke against the development. He said a 20-acre farm can’t provide enough food to feed a community.
Sam described the project’s farm component as a “Trojan horse.” He said it overshadows concerns about the capacity of the area’s single-lane roads and the potential environmental impacts of building on natural land.
“If you talk to a farmer from this area or from the peripheral counties, they will tell you the numbers need to be inversed,” he said, referring to the ratio of farm acreage to population. “We are losing the forest for the trees here.”
Flock cameras
The Alachua County Commission also requested information about the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office’s use of Flock Safety and Axon cameras during Tuesday’s meeting.
Flock Safety is a private surveillance technology provider for over 7,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. The cameras are designed to monitor vehicles, storing license plate information and vehicle characteristics. Images and recordings are stored for a 30-day period unless law enforcement decides otherwise.
Axon makes a variety of cameras, including officer body cameras and outpost cameras. It is unclear which type of Axon cameras are used throughout the county. Axon Outpost cameras are most similar to the ones offered by Flock Safety, using automatic license plate reading technology.
Unlike Flock Safety cameras, Axon allows law enforcement to decide how long recorded information is stored. It is unclear how many law enforcement agencies use Axon cameras.
The discussion on cameras followed public comment, when Sam discussed concerns with data sharing. He alleged information captured by the cameras is distributed to other agencies using Flock Safety cameras.
“Ask yourself why the Nebraska State Patrol needs a photo of your car — or, actually, 12 photos of your car — on Newberry Road taken today,” Sam said.
According to its website, Flock Safety does not distribute information captured by customers unless they opt in to sharing policies.
During his comment, Sam said the commission should consider the implications of sharing local data with a nationwide database.
He said the money allotted in contracts with the camera companies could be used by local law enforcement to hire more officers.
It is unclear how much money ACSO has spent on Flock Safety or Axon cameras. In 2025, the Gainesville Police Department paid Flock Safety $25,000 for 10 cameras.
As of September 2025, ACSO had two Flock Safety cameras using automatic license plate reading technology.
Commissioner Anna Prizzia said she also worries about alleged data sharing.
“I have the same concerns that you have about rights to privacy, access to our data, and [I] had expressed that,” Prizzia said.
Prizzia said she hopes to learn whether the cameras are managed solely by ACSO or if some are run by the county. She also requested information from ACSO about contract language and whether it agreed to allow data sharing.
It is unclear what actions the commission will take moving forward.
Contact Olivia Lofaso at olofaso@alligator.org. Follow her on X @OLofaso77652. Contact Grace Larson at glarson@alligator.org. Follow her on X @graceellarson.
Olivia Lofaso is a third-year journalism student and the Summer 2026 city/county commission reporter. She previously worked as a contributing writer at The Alligator. In her free time she enjoys visiting art museums and solving crosswords.
Grace Larson is a second-year journalism student and this summer's metro editor. She previously worked as city/county commission reporter and K-12 education reporter for The Alligator. When she's not editing stories, Grace enjoys running, weightlifting and going on random side quests. If she's not at her desk, you can find her at any place offering free food and crafts.
