Imagine 294 more cars per day racing down NW 19 Ave and NW 46 with a latte in hand on their way to Buchholz High School, Santa Fe College, work, practice or their place of worship.

Please do not allow this property to be rezoned for lattes!

Since 1964, Suburban Heights has been a haven for those seeking a quiet, convenient, and safe neighborhood.  A current proposal by Wilson Development Group from Atlanta, Georgia and CHW Professional Consultants from Alachua, Florida to develop the St. Michael’s Church property at the southwest corner of NW 23rd Avenue and NW 43rd Street includes as its anchor a “coffee shop with a drive-through” which is almost certainly a Starbucks. This property is currently zoned for office use, and developer wants to change the zoning to permit retail and drive through coffee shops. Such inclusion would inevitably greatly increase cut-through traffic in the Suburban Heights neighborhood. This increased traffic would threaten the safety and quality of life of this neighborhood and the larger community as clearly shown in the diagram and explanation of traffic patterns that would be caused by the proposed development (see drawing below). 

We wish to be clear that we do not categorically oppose development of said property, but the dramatically increased cut-through traffic in Suburban Heights, where residents from toddlers to teens to grandparents walk and bike on streets without sidewalks, makes the proposal incompatible with the stated goals of Gainesville City Comprehensive Plan and with the well-being of the Suburban Heights neighborhood.

Because most Suburban Heights neighbors have not been made aware of the proposed development, we hereby alert you to what is being proposed to the Gainesville City Commission and explain the negative impacts of such development on the Suburban Heights neighborhood. We also provide a brief history of similar past efforts to develop the St. Michael’s Church property and encourage your voice in the effort to oppose the current proposal. Please review the information below and if you support our opposition to the proposed development, please sign and submit the attached petition and/or contact the city commission as soon as possible.

Traffic concerns

• Vehicles exiting the new development can only safely make a right turn.
• What happens when they want to travel north on 43 St. or west on 23 Ave? (i.e. students heading to Santa Fe College or Buchholz High School)
• These vehicles will need to turn into Suburban Heights, go down 46 St and exit onto 23 Ave. so they travel north or west.
• 294+ additional cars per day speeding thru Suburban Heights and down NW 46 St. (based on 20% of the # of vehicles the developer estimates will use the coffee shop and other new businesses daily)
• NW 46 St. is the most traveled road in Suburban Heights and it can't safely handle additional traffic.
• Reduced safety for joggers, walkers and bike riders.
• No sidewalks which forces people to walk in the street.
• Kids walking/biking to school or waiting for bus are at increased risk.
• Recently there have been several fatalities at the intersection of NW 43 St and NW 23 Ave/16 Ave.
• Many accidents have occurred while exiting NW 46 St. onto NW 23 Ave.

Concerns for local/nearby businesses

• Locally owned coffee shops in the area could lose business.
• New development could charge rent that small businesses can't afford but national chains can.
• If this is rezoned, it sets a precedence for future rezoning in the area. Could Suburban Professional Park (adjacent to SH) be rezoned to commercial zoning?
• This plan eliminates land that is for zoned conservation.
• If this property isn't rezoned, it will remain office zoning and have minimal impact on traffic.
• This property is already zoned for office if it's not rezoned there is minimal impact on traffic to SH.

What can I do to help or get more information?

Sign and share this petition. Email these representatives:

• Mayor Lauren Poe, email poelb@cityofgainesville.org
• Commissioner Reina Saco, email sacore@cityofgainesville.org
• Commissioner Gail Johnson, email johnsong1@cityofgainesville.org
• Commissioner Gigi Simmons, email simmonsgg@cityofgainesville.org
• Commissioner Harvey Ward, email wardhl@cityofgainesville.org
• Commissioner David Arreola, email arreoladi@cityofgainesville.org
• Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos, email hayessantosa@cityofgainesville.org

Attend or comment at the Gainesville City Commission meeting where this petition will  be voted on April 28th at 6 p.m. http://www.cityofgainesville.org/ClerkOfTheCommission/NoticeofMeetings.aspx

Review the developer's application for PB-20-00141- Land Use and PB-20-00142 – ReZoning. Click on the below link and follow the instructions:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rxeg72lkkry3rsu/AABofbFW_wFkkvNsU-X_jXWCa?dl=0 

Watch how a Starbucks drive-thru created traffic woes for another community. Click here

Read how two boys were hit while riding their bikes to Littlewood Elementary School on a street that is commonly used by drivers cutting-thru a nearby neighborhood https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/crime/2021/03/02/two-gainesville-boys-hit-while-biking-littlewood-elementary-school/6873775002/

History of this proposal

In 2018 a proposal by the Wilson Development Group was unanimously rejected by the City Plan Board.  Now the Wilson Development Group has returned to the City Plan Board with an altered proposal in the form of a PUD that includes new conditions it says it will abide by. 

Unfortunately, while the new conditions are not objectionable, nothing has been done to address the main cause of opposition to the 2018 proposal.  The main reason that neighbors and the community opposed the proposed development in 2018 was concern about how the increased traffic generated by the development would negatively impact the safety, tranquility, and overall quality of life of the Suburban Heights neighborhood. 

We are not opposed to development of the St. Michael’s Church property.  Very likely this property will be sold and developed for profitable commercial use, but the PUD proposal points toward inclusion of a major national coffee chain.  Our concern is not that the property will be developed but rather that it be developed in a way that proves clearly it is not detrimental to the neighborhood.

Although the developer lists a financial institution and another restaurant as examples of other possible businesses on the property, our understanding is that the developer considers a major national coffee chain with a drive through under the guise of “coffee shop” essential to the deal.

Under these circumstances, inclusion of the “coffee shop” would be the Trojan horse because it allows a large national chain with a drive through, which would result inevitably in significantly increased cut-through neighborhood traffic. 

Despite making what the developer calls concessions or conditions which help in general and which might please and benefit some neighbors, it has provided no concrete evidence that a drive through will not generate a high volume of traffic cutting through the Suburban Heights neighborhood.  Rather, citing as its source the ITE Trip Generation Manual, 10th Edition, the developer has made mere assertions that increased cut-through traffic through the Suburban Heights neighborhood would be minimal. 

It should be noted that even the figures that come from this source would be invalid because they are based on a large national chain coffee shop without indoor seating, while this one would have indoor seating, thereby generating significantly more customers and traffic.

By looking at the traffic generated by Starbucks restaurants around Gainesville as well as around the country, we believe that traffic trips generated by a Starbucks with a drive-through will be much higher than the 1472 suggested by the developers. 

The Developer’s Condition 17 states: "Only one drive-through shall be permitted and used only by a coffee shop, fast casual restaurant, or financial institution. The development plan shall direct drive-through traffic to areas of the development to reduce potential traffic cutting through Suburban Heights and will also minimize conflict with pedestrian and bicycle travel routes."  Even here, as well as with the indications that it would work with the existing traffic authorities to improve neighborhood traffic conditions, the developer has not demonstrated any likelihood of actually being able to effect the promised changes that would mitigate the impact of the volume of additional neighborhood traffic once it is generated.

Thank you for your time.

Concerned residents of Suburban Heights