Proposed private Florida golf course for an insurance company to be discussed tonight
Proposed private Florida golf course for an insurance company to be discussed tonight
The city of Alachua's Planning and Zoning Board will hold a public meeting Tuesday to consider plans for a private golf course just south of the intersection of U.S. 441 and Interstate 75. Alachua sits just 20 minutes northwest of Gainesville in the middle of the state.
Tomoka Hills Golf Course, as it would be known, will be for the "private use of the employees of Tower Hill Insurance Group, Inc., its affiliates and subsidiaries and their guests," according to the application submitted by local civil engineering firm CHW on behalf of Lexington, Kentucky-based Tomoka Hill Farms Inc.
The proposed golf course will be next to the new 71,000-square-foot Tower Hill headquarters currently under construction. Other plans for the immediate area include single-family homes, apartments, a hotel, and office and retail space.
The golf course, clubhouse and maintenance facility is slated for almost 200 acres directly west of I-75 and east of Northwest 173rd Street, near Santa Fe High School.
According to the application, the actual golf course would take up about 160 acres, with the greens, fairways and tee boxes only accounting for about 25 acres.
Staff recommends approval of the application based on several conditions, including the development of a groundwater monitoring plan that will monitor for pollutants from fertilizer and stormwater, and that a formal approval process take place if the course is ever opened up for general play.
Tuesday's public meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the James A. Lewis City Commission Chambers at 15100 NW 142nd Terrace in Alachua. If approved by the Planning and Zoning Board, the application would then move to the Alachua City Commission for final approval.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rolls-Royce to build Britain's first mini nuclear reactors
Rolls-Royce will build the country's first mini nuclear power plants as part of a multibillion-pound effort to make Britain a world leader in the technology. The Derby-based engineering giant was on Tuesday confirmed as the sole winner of a design competition, beating rivals GE-Hitachi and Holtec International following a two-year selection process. It will now work with the Government on a programme to initially build three the first small modular reactors (SMRs) by the 2030s, with £2.5bn of funding pledged through 2029 and billions more expected beyond that once construction begins. Ministers said the decision showed they were 'backing Britain', with the majority of the supply chain expected to be based domestically. As a 'preferred' bidder, Rolls will now hold talks to negotiate a final contract with the Government. A location has yet to be announced but sites including Wylfa, in Anglesey, and Oldbury-on-Severn, in Gloucestershire, are among those being considered. Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, said the scheme would boost energy security and create thousands of jobs, as part of a new 'golden age of nuclear' that has also seen the Government pledge £14bn of new funding to the construction of Sizewell C. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, added: 'The UK is back where it belongs, taking the lead in the technologies of tomorrow with Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred partner for this journey. 'We're backing Britain with Great British Energy - Nuclear's ambition to ensure 70pc of supply chain products are British built, delivering our plan for change through more jobs and putting more money in people's pockets.' SMRs would in theory be faster to build than larger nuclear plants, such as Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, and come with smaller price tags – although they remain unproven commercially. Tuesday's announcement also confirmed cutbacks to the SMR programme, which The Telegraph previously revealed were being considered. The Government had earlier suggested that two or as many as three SMR manufacturers would be chosen to take designs forward, with nuclear industry insiders saying this would boost competition and ensure a 'backup' was available should the main winner run into trouble. But with the Treasury under pressure to find billions of pounds for other priorities such as the NHS and police forces, the scale of the programme now appears to have been trimmed back. Ministers also confirmed that Great British Nuclear, the quango set up to manage the new mini-nuclear programme, would be absorbed into Mr Miliband's publicly owned Great British Energy. Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive of Rolls-Royce, said: 'This is a very significant milestone for our business. 'It is a vote of confidence in our unique nuclear capabilities, which will be recognised by governments around the world.' Rolls has also been selected by the Czech government to build some of Europe's first SMRs in a joint venture with state energy firm CEZ. The decision brings to a close a process that was first promised by George Osborne, the former chancellor, in 2015 but did not begin until 2023 under the previous Conservative government. Rolls was widely viewed as the frontrunner in the process and had already been awarded £210m of taxpayer support in 2021 towards the development costs of its SMR technology. But in the past year, ministers have faced calls from Rolls boss Erginbilgic to push forward more quickly to ensure Britain retains 'first mover advantage'. The global SMR market is projected to be worth up to £500bn by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. Rolls is vying against companies including Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi to secure customers and set up supply chains. The company has long supplied the pressurised water reactors that power Royal Navy submarines but has more recently sought to develop SMRs and even smaller 'micro reactors' for commercial use as well. Its SMRs would be constructed from 'modules' that are built in factories and then transported to sites for assembly. The idea is meant to ensure that the plants can be produced efficiently at scale and more quickly than larger nuclear projects. As part of the SMR competition, the Government asked companies to explain how they would bring down costs over time. In the longer run, it is also hoped that the smaller price tags of SMRs will ensure they are more attractive to private investors, which have long viewed bigger plants as too expensive and risky to back without government support. Major technology companies including Google, Amazon and Facebook owner Meta are investing in potential SMR technologies, amid suggestions they could eventually be used to supply power-hungry data centres needed to develop artificial intelligence. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US Telecoms Face Capex Decline Amid Economic Challenges: A Review of Key Operators Including AT&T, Verizon, Charter, Comcast, T-Mobile (DT), Lumen, Frontier, and More
The brief analyzes the US telecom capital expenditure trends, using data from key operators like AT&T and Verizon. In 2024, US telco capex was $80.5 billion, but with concerns over inflation and recession, spending is expected to decline. Telcos are leveraging AI for operational efficiency, amid economic and policy uncertainties. Dublin, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "US Telco Capex Fading as AI Giants Take Center Stage" report has been added to offering. This brief examines the near-term outlook for telecom capital expenditures (capex) in the US, based on the 1Q25 earnings of key operators, including AT&T, Verizon, Charter, Comcast, T-Mobile (DT), Lumen, Frontier, and more. It analyzes how current spending patterns compare with previous forecasts, highlights the main forces shaping investment decisions, explores implications for vendors, and discusses trends in emerging areas such as AI, large language models (LLMs), and data centers. The US market closed 2024 with $80.5 billion in telco capex and $505.2 billion in revenues, representing 27% and 28% of global industry totals, respectively. The USA's capex to revenue ratio, or capital intensity, was in the 17-18% range in 2022-23. That was well above historic levels. The ratio started to moderate in 2024. For full-year 2024, capital intensity was 15.9%. Based upon 1Q25 earnings calls and other datapoints, that will fall further. US telcos are looking to monetize recent investments, and more focused on conserving capital and cutting costs. Economic and policy uncertainty continues to be high, with inflation and recession fears stemming from the presidentially contrived trade emergency. As telcos conserve capex, they must see irony in the massive investment bubble in the data center market. Telcos are struggling to attract the same investor interest. However, telcos are finding other ways to benefit from AI in the US. They aren't positioned well to ride the GenAI wave, but they are deploying AI-based technologies to deliver operational efficiency. For instance: AT&T: using AI to improve call center automation, software development, and digital acquisition. The company says that investment in automation is helping offset labor costs and drive self-service efficiency across sales and support channels. Verizon: integrating AI into customer care and network ops; use cases include predictive maintenance, customer service automation, and internal process efficiencies. Comcast: AI is deployed across billing automation, network troubleshooting, and customer service, reducing truck rolls and call center loads. Machine learning models are used to predict customer churn and drive targeted promotions. Charter: has invested in AI for years, focused on frontline efficiency and self-service; it is reducing repair calls and truck rolls. Internal tools are used to optimize operations, enhance agent support, and reduce OPEX. DT/T-Mobile: AI is integral to DT's digital transformation, aiming at €800 million in group cost savings by 2027. AI is used to optimize fiber rollouts, automate customer service (e.g., chatbots solving 50% of issues without humans), and remotely manage 75% of routers. DT says that AI supports operations across service, coding, sales, and mobile RAN monitoring. Lumen: Lumen is positioning itself as a backbone provider for the AI economy. Lumen Digital platform uses AI for automation and real-time network control. Over the next few quarters, US telcos will remain tightly constrained on capex. Weaker economic growth will hit revenues. Rising government debt and tariffs will cause inflation to spike. Fewer international visitors to the US, less foreign investment, both lead to weaker demand. Tariffs may also cause shortages or high costs in certain component parts used in building networks. Labor costs will rise, as the surge in investment from an adjacent sector (data centers) will make it harder for telcos to keep their staff. But telcos have been wrestling with such issues for years, and they will survive this as well. Key Topics Covered: Summary Market Background - USA 1Q25 results AT&T Verizon Comcast Charter Communications T-Mobile (DT) Frontier Communications Lumen Technologies (ex-CenturyLink) Dish Network (EchoStar) List of Figures Capex forecast for US telco market and recent changes Major capex spenders in US telco, CY24 versus 4Q24 ($M and % total) Summary of US telcos' 2025 capex focus & forecast AT&T's total corporate capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex Verizon's total corporate capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex Comcast's total corporate capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex Charter Communications' total corporate capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex T-Mobile total corporate capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex Frontier capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex Lumen capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex Dish Network capex, capital intensity, and share of global capex For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Huawei founder says chips still lag 'one generation' behind US
Chinese tech giant Huawei's chips still "lag behind the United States by one generation", state media quoted its founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei as saying in a rare interview on Tuesday. Washington last month unveiled fresh guidelines warning firms that using Chinese-made high-tech AI semiconductors, specifically Huawei's Ascend chips, would put them at risk of violating US export controls. The Shenzhen-based company has been at the centre of an intense standoff between the economic supergiants after Washington warned its equipment could be used for espionage byBeijing, an allegation Huawei denies. Speaking to the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, 80-year-old Ren insisted the United States had "exaggerated" Huawei's achievements. Tougher controls in recent years have prevented US chip giant Nvidia, one of Huawei's rivals, from selling certain AI semiconductors -- widely regarded as the most advanced in the world -- to Chinese firms. As a result, it is now facing tougher competition from local players in the crucial market, including Huawei. Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang told reporters last month that Chinese companies "are very, very talented and very determined, and the export control gave them the spirit, the energy and the government support to accelerate their development". But Ren said Huawei was "not that great yet", according to the article published on the newspaper's front page Tuesday. "Many companies in China are making chips, and quite a few are doing well -- Huawei is just one of them," he added. When asked about "external blockades and suppression" -- a veiled reference to US export restrictions on Beijing -- Ren said he had "never thought about it". "Don't dwell on the difficulties, just get the job done and move forward step by step," he added. Sanctions since 2019 have curtailed the firm's access to US-made components and technologies, forcing it to diversify its growth strategy. China has accused the United States of "bullying" and "abusing export controls to suppress and contain" the country's firms. isk/oho/dan
