Newton Road Westgate Apartments Rezoning
At a glance
- What: Ordinance 2026-0659, a PUD rezoning of about 19.35 acres along Newton Road to replace a 2021 PUD (172 townhomes) with a PUD for up to 330 apartments (Westgate Apartments; 11 buildings of up to 30 units, 17.05 units per acre) in the Medium Density Residential category, restoring an earlier apartment entitlement.
- Where it stands: passed the full council 14-1 on 2026-10-13, as amended. Earlier, the committee: approved 4-1 by the Land Use and Zoning Committee on 2026-10-06, amended to require a traffic study at PUD verification.
- Concerns: a neighbor raised wetlands and wildlife, septic drain fields near the retention ponds, and traffic on Newton Road and Hogan Road. The applicant's representative said about 5 acres of category 3 wetlands stay largely intact except for a connecting road, the ponds sit where the current PUD puts them, stormwater must be captured and treated on site, the new plan has a larger buffer on the west side, and Hogan Road runs at about 61 percent of capacity.
- Notes: the Planning Commission approved unanimously on September 17 with the traffic condition. The committee member who represents the area said the applicant's team had met him but had not coordinated with him.
- 2026-10-13 update (City Council): amended and passed 14-1 with no discussion.
- Official minutes (2026-10-13, City Council): 2026-0659 amended and approved 14-1: Gay voted no. Applicant Avanta Westgate Owner, LLC; ex parte contact declared by Carrico, the district member.
Sources
- 2026-10-13 - City Council (council meeting of 2026-10-13; auto-captions)
- 2026-10-08 - LUZ (committee meeting of 2026-10-06; auto-captions)
- Council agendas and legislation: https://jaxcityc.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
- City Council minutes, October 13, 2026: https://jaxcityc.legistar1.com/jaxcityc/meetings/2026/10/3736_M_City_Council_26-10-13_Meeting_Minutes.pdf
- 2026-10-13 - City Council
Discussion time
About 12 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 - City Council | 1 |
| 2026-10-08 - LUZ | 11 |
Log
2026-10-13 - City Council
Amended and passed 14-1 with no discussion.
Minutes: amended and approved 14-1 (Gay opposed).
2026-10-08 - LUZ
Public hearing with one neighbor speaking against and the applicant responding; amended (traffic study); passed 4-1.