The Goal: We, the residents of Micanopy, demand that the Town Commission reverse the December 16, 2026 Approval by the Micanopy Planning and Historic Preservation Board and deny the Special Use Permit for a 1,000-gallon-per-day commercial septic system on the residential lot on Tangerine Street.

The Issues: The lot in question is less than ½ of the minimum lot size required for R-2 residential zoned lots!  A residential home was demolished to make room for a massive commercial septic tank and drainfield.  If approved, this project sets a undesireable precedent for our town.

The Undeserible Precedent:

Inviting Reckless Development: Micanopy’s lack of a public sewer system has historically protected the Town from incompatible development.  If the Town Commission allows commercial developers to "buy up" undersized residential lots just to build above ground level commercial-capacity septic systems, a primary barrier to commercializing our historic residential streets will vanish.

The Death of Residential Zoning: Zoning exists to protect homeowners.  If a residential (R-2) lot in Micanopy can be stripped of a home and turned into a 1,000-gallon-a-day commercial septic system, no resident’s property value or quality of life is safe.  No resident of Micanopy expects to buy a house only to wake up one day and discover a commercial septic tank and drainfield as their new neighbor.

Environmental Destruction: This specific 1/4 acre lot is home to a Heritage Live Oak.  Dumping 1,000 gallons of sewage effluent daily into or near the root zone of a protected tree is an environmental death sentence for one Micanopy’s largest and oldest live oaks which define the character of our Town.

A "Commercial Creep" Strategy: This is a classic case of commercial use "creeping" into residential areas.  A septic system is part of a Principal Use of a lot (such as a house).  The Micanopy Land Development Regulations require a principal use on the same lot!  By approving the commercial septic system on a residential lot without a principal use," the Planning and Historic Preservation Board essentially rezoned the lot by stealth without notice to the citizens of Micanopy.

Our Demand: We call on the Town Commission to protect the integrity of Micanopy’s Residential Districts.  Do not let Tangerine Street become the blueprint for how developers can bypass Micanopy’s infrastructure limits.

 

DENY the Special Use Permit for a commercial septic system on residential, R-2 zoned land.

PROTECT the Heritage Oak from 1,000 gallons of daily sewage effluent.

PRESERVE the existing residential zoning that keeps Micanopy a historic town rather than an unwanted mix of incompatible uses.

 

Actions:

Sign this petition to tell the Town Commission: Protect our homes, our trees, and our future.  Say NO to commercial septic systems on residential lots!

Attend the Town Comission meeting on March 9th 2026 at 6:00 pm and tell your Town Commission to vote NO on the Special Use Permit for a commercial septic system on residential lots in Micanopy.