Thursday, Nov. 5 the City Commission unanimously approved the extension of utility permits issued by Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU). Representatives from the Business Community Coalition (BCC) worked with City Commissioners and GRU to successfully reach a compromise on the implementation of extension of utility permits in association with SB 360.
Though a utility construction permit is required to move forward with development projects, it was not included under the SB 360 extension. After several meetings with representatives from the BCC, GRU agreed to offer two one-year extensions. The utility permit extension is not retroactive, but it does allow current permit holders to extend their permits to help move projects forward as soon as possible.
The BCC is a partnership of the Builder’s Association of North Central Florida, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce and Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors. The mission of the BCC is to promote public policy that addresses the needs of the community by respecting the environment and encouraging economic growth and development.