The Hare Krishna group is looking to add more than 80 acres of mixed-use planned developments to its spiritual community in Alachua.
The planned development request appeared on the county agenda Tuesday, with Brown and Cullen Inc., an agent for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of Alachua Inc., asking for a mixed-use permit that would include farmwork housing, a spiritual retreat, a special-use permit for a private school and private residences on approximately 86.43 acres located at 17306 NW 112th Blvd.
The land use designation for the address is rural agriculture, meaning one dwelling unit can be built for every five acres of land.
The group already owns 127 acres of property in Alachua that include farmland, a temple and a spiritual community, New Raman Reti, that has been in the area since 1977. According to the group’s website, the temple serves almost 500 families and is the largest Hare Krishna community in North America.
The Hare Krishna movement is a popular name for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a community of devotees that practice bhakti yoga and follow the teachings of Gaudiya Vaishnava, a religion founded in India.
