Zoning Districts and Uses
Growth Management
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What is the purpose of Zoning?
Zoning of land is the tool used by the County to regulate the use of property for the purposes of protecting public health, safety, and general welfare of the community. The purposes of Zoning are to regulate land use, prevent land use conflict, and allow growth to occur in a rational manner.
Find your Zoning & Future Land Use
- Use the online Map Atlas.
- Use the interactive GeoGM Mapper.
- or Call 352-374-5249.
Find the uses allowed in your zoning district
View the use table
Each zoning district allows certain uses and prohibits others. Some uses are permitted and others are allowed on a limited basis. Some uses are allowed with a Special Use Permit or by Special Exception. Accessory uses are also allowed in certain instances.
What is the difference between Zoning and Future Land Use?
Future Land Use (FLU) is a generalized approach to land use, whereas Zoning is divided up into more detailed uses that support very specific types of development. For example, the Commercial FLU designation is broken up into many Zoning districts, including BR (supports Retail uses), and BW (supports Warehouse uses).
Zoning aims to:
- Use land for its most suitable purpose.
- Protect or maintain property values.
- Promote public health and safety.
- Protect the environment.
- Manage traffic.
- Manage density.
- Encourage a variety of housing types.
- Manage aesthetics.
- Provide for more orderly development.
- Help attract businesses and industry.
Zoning Districts and Requirements
Zoning districts implement the Future Land Use designations adopted on the Future Land Use Map 2020. These zoning districts also implement
the goals, objectives and policies of the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan and other adopted maps.
Every zoning district has standards that specify development density, building height, dimensions, setback and other requirements that must be met, as outlined in
Chapter 403 of the Land Development Code (ULDC).
Rural/Agriculture Zoning Districts
These districts implement the Rural/Agriculture policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Agricultural designations on the
Future Land Use Map
There are four zoning districts in this category including Agriculture (A), Agricultural Rural Business (A-RB), Agriculture (AG-TDR) and Conservation (C-TDR).
The A-RB district provides for limited commercial or other uses that serve or are ancillary to the agricultural use.
The last two districts implement the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) policies of the Comprehensive Plan.
Residential Zoning Districts
These districts implement the Urban Residential policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the
Residential designations on the Future Land Use Map.
The Single family, Estate Residential(RE) district allows for 1 dwelling unit per 2 acres, and the RE-1 district allows 1 dwelling unit per acre.
Both districts are only allowed in the Estate Residential designation on the Future Land Use Map.
The Low density, Single family (R-1aa, R-1a, and R-1c) districts have various maximum densities up to 3-4 units per acre and are only allowed
in the Low Density designation on the Future Land Use map.
The Medium to High density, Single family (R-1b, R-2, R-2a and R-3) districts allow for increasing densities and are only allowed
in the Medium, Medium-High and High Density designations on the Future Land Use map, respectively.
Commercial Districts
These districts implement the Commercial policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the
various Commercial, Office and Tourist-Entertainment designations on the Future Land Use Map.
There are 8 districts in this category that allow for various commercial business and professional services. The districts are Administrative & Professional (AP), Business & Professional (BP),
Retail Sales & Service (BR), Business-Tourist & Entertainment (BR-1), Highway Oriented Business Services (BH), Automotive Oriented Business (BA and BA-1)
Business Marine (MB), and Business/Warehouse (BW)
Industrial Districts
These districts implement the Industrial policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the
Light Industrial, Manufacturing Industrial, Warehouse/Distribution and Heavy Industrial designations on the Future Land Use Map.
There are 4 districts in this category that allow for various industrial and manufacturing uses. The districts are Wholesale/Warehousing (BW), Light Industrial (ML),
and Industrial Services and Manufacturing (MS) (MP).
Special Districts
The Planned Development (PD) district promotes the development of land as phased planned communities and the utilization of creative concepts for development
planning not otherwise provided in the Land Development Code (ULDC).
The Residential Professional (RP) District provides a transition zone between commercial and residential uses by allowing urban density residential development,
certain institutional uses and limited office uses.
The Hospital/Medical (HM) District implements the Institutional, Institutional/Medical, and Office/Medical designations on the Future Land Use Map
of the Comprehensive Plan. Development within this zoning district shall be consistent with the Institutional, Institutional/Medical or Office/Medical policies of
the Future Land Use Element.
The Conservation (C-1) District implements the Conservation designation on the Future Land Use Map and shall be used for other properties
which have natural limitations to development because of their sensitive environmental character.
The Preservation (P) District implements the Preservation designation on the Future Land Use Map in conjunction with an approved management plan and,
where applicable, conservation easement or covenant document.
The Manufactured/Mobile Home Park (RM) district provides a district for the location and installation of manufactured and mobile homes in approved parks, occupied as single family dwellings, with the intent of creating an
environment of a residential character, designed to enhance living conditions and permitting only those uses, activities and services which are compatible
with the residential environment.
