Gainesville commissioners eliminate single-family zoning citywide after split 4-3 vote (2025)

Following months ofcontroversy anddebate, a measureeliminating exclusionary zoning has become thelaw of the land in Gainesville.

As anticipated, the Gainesville City Commission voted 4-3 Monday to ditch single-family zoning throughout the city. It is the first city in Florida to do so.

The hotly contested ordinance will immediately go intoeffect, although opponents have threatened legal challenges and new commissioners starting in January have pledged to overturn the change. Developers can build duplexes, triplexes and— on rarer occasions— quadplexes, in any neighborhood with no sunset provision under the measure.

“I am voting for people to have the opportunity to have families,” said Commissioner ReinaSaco. “I’m not voting to take away your home. I’m not voting to bulldoze your home."

What to know:What you need to know about the debate over exclusionary zoning in Gainesville

First vote:Gainesville commission gives first OK to elimination of exclusionary zoning with 4-3 vote

Gainesville history:Debate on exclusionary zoning limits for Gainesville neighborhoods goes back to Jim Crow Era

Mayor Lauren Poe and commissioners David Arreola,Adrian Hayes-Santos andSaco supported the measure. Commissioners Cynthia Chestnut, Desmond Duncan-Walker and Harvey Ward voted in dissent.

In August, the same majorityfirst voted 4-3 to amend the city’s comprehensive plan by doing away with exclusionary zoning. Despite opposition from the state, the Alachua County Commissionand other parties, city commissioners proceeded to pass the measure in a second and final vote.

While advocates say it will help address an affordable housing crisis in dire need of action, the issue sparked mass concern from local homeowners who say it will ruin longstanding single-family neighborhoods they've grown to love and invest their lives in.

A flurry of public commentspreceded the vote, with some residents speaking in person and otherscalling in. The majority were in opposition to the plan,insisting that the commission listen to the people.

"You have been getting overwhelming input that nobody wants this," said Nancy Wilcox, a concerned citizen who called in."You know this, and this is why this meeting was scheduled today at 3 o'clock, because you wanted to limit public comment, youdidn't want to hear from the public because you know what you're doing is wrong."

Ward said that while he appreciated where his colleagues in support of the measure were coming from, they fell short in terms of community engagement.

"We have not as a city, helped people understand what we're trying to do as a city," he said. "We talked about that years ago, about if we're going to roll out big things, we need to make sure everyone understands those big things before we move ahead with them, because if we don't, it just doesn't work out in the long run."

Jim Crow roots

Mayor Poe said white racists in the 1950s created zoning issues seen across the city today as a means of keeping Black residents out of white neighborhoods.

“I was raised not in this community, but by this community,” he said. “I was taught about our segregated city by my friends that I went to school with. They took me to their neighborhoods that looked nothing like my neighborhood, and it was an eye-opening experience for me.”

Some Black residents, on the other hand, disagree and say that they’re happy where they've built neighborhoods.

“I live in historical Spring Hill," said Monica Frazier, a Black resident.“You’ve said many things about racial injustice or whatever … my family has been there for six generations.We take pride in our neighborhood, and this broad sweeping change will not affect usin a positive way.”

Frazier also urged that the city not move forward, alluding toa rebuke from state officials.

“Here we are again, even after several folks in Tallahassee has said this isn’t a good idea and that you need to slow this down, you’re determined to go forward anyway,” she said. “You’re supposed to hear us, and not just your public agenda.”

State opposition

Early last month, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity sent a six-page letter to City Hall addressed toPoe.

The scathing letter claimed, among other things, that the city’s proposed amendment to end single-family zoning was inconsistent with its comprehensive plan and would serve to do the opposite of what the commission’s majority is striving to do by making housing less affordable.

Despite the department’s critical recommendation, it was not enough to restrain commissioners who support the measurefrom moving forward.

The dissenting commissioners kicked off the meeting by trying to get the commission to postpone the vote until January, when newly elected commissioners take office.

“Regardless of who is elected Nov.8, almost everyone has made a commitment to work on repealing the repeal,” Ward said. “There’s going to be a lot of resources spent by the city of Gainesville and by the community, and a lot of heartache created by moving forward. My hope is rather than adopting this agenda, we … replace what’s on the agenda with a continuation of today’s business to the second meeting in January.”

Despite the minority’s concerns,Poe and Hayes-Santos insisted on proceedingwith the vote.

“I believe we should move forward,” Hayes-Santos said. “I ran for office to make our city a more affordable place … for future generations, and to fight climate change. This ordinance does all of that.”

Poe said he isn't worried about the change and signaled he was aware of the pushback by the incoming commission.

“This has gone through a very exhaustive democratic process and this is the end of that process … so, if a future commission tries to change course, that is their prerogative that happens on issues after every election," he said. "But this is something that is incredibly important that needs to be voted on one way or the other.”

A long effort

It’s been more than four years since the City Commission first began considering zoning changes in efforts to create more affordable housing. A previous effort known as GNV RISE failed in 2018 amid widespread opposition, but opponentsweren't able to stop the plan from passing this time around.

Prior to Monday's meeting, Gainesville Neighborhood Voices (GNVoices) — a nonprofit organization organized to stop or reverse the elimination of single-family zoning —organizeda "Speak Out" rally, where residents were given the opportunity to voice their concerns.

Casey Fitzgerald, president of GNVoices, has repeatedly vowed to challenge the new ordinance in court.

"If the slim majority again votes in favor, GNVoices will be obligated to file administrative appeal. These legal challenges will keep these ordinances in abeyance"or suspension, he said.

Bruce Morgan, another resident opposed to the contentious change, said passing the zoning amendment could result in the city going bankrupt.

"Now, what's going to happen is that your actions will be overturned,but at great cost to this city," he said. "There is going to be lawsuit, after lawsuit, after lawsuit."

Student support

Some UF studentssaid that the city’s plan is the right move.

“This initiative will help in lowering housing prices by balancing supply and demand, and making Gainesville a more affordable city for everyone,” said UF student Don Rodriguez.

Rodriguez added that the new ordinance will alleviate gentrification on the east side by allowing more duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes on the west side.

Some traditionally Black neighborhoods, such Porters Quarters and Fifth Avenue, won't be directly affected by the zoning change, as those areas already allow multi-family units.

Others opposed to the city’s plan maintained that they didn’t want the changes coming to their neighborhoods and that UF was partially to blame.

“The university is sort of pitting the citizens against one another because they really have failed to provide enough housing on campus for their students,” said Barbara Lindsey, a local resident. “They’re not enough dormitories and they really don’t contribute enough to the community.”

Javon L. Harrisis a local government and social justice reporter for The Gainesville Sun. He can be reached by phone at (352) 338-3103, by email at jlharris@gannett.comor on Twitter@JavonLHarris_JD.

Gainesville commissioners eliminate single-family zoning citywide after split 4-3 vote (2025)
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