Melrose residents plan to protest the proposed Wildflowers Music Park and its requested temporary-use permit at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Melrose Community Park (201 State Road 26).
Wildflowers Music Park is a plan started in 2024 to create a music venue near Melrose, and the organizers purchased 270 acres to start the process. The project, started by a festival organizer, Jordan Puryear, gathered steam with local backers, including $1 million from a local donor.
But Melrose residents worry about the impact of a music venue and festivals that could draw thousands to the rural area. Residents formed Connecting Melrose and started a petition opposing the project that has nearly 1,000 signatures.
“This isn’t anti-growth — it’s about protecting a rural community and keeping development consistent with zoning and the Comprehensive Plan,” Pegi Bonner, organizer with Connecting Melrose, said in a press release.
Another organizer, Sandra Gottschalk, said the group supports smart development but not “loopholes” that turn agricultural land into commercial venues through a temporary permit.
The temporary use permit is scheduled to be heard by Alachua County’s Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 27.