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Great Egret. Photo: Lorraine Minns/Audubon Photography Awards.
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Speak Up for Smart Growth in St. Johns County
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On Wednesday, August 19 at 9 a.m., the St. Johns County Commission will consider applications to designate thousands of acres of agricultural land as "agricultural enclaves" under a new Florida law.
This may sound like just another land-use hearing. It isn't.
Why is this important?
Once land is certified as an "agricultural enclave," the new law gives the property significant development rights and limits the County's ability to decide where and how growth should occur.
This matters for everyone who lives in St. Johns County because this is one of the first times the new law is being applied; the decisions made here will be precedent-setting and will influence how the law is interpreted across Florida.
Development on this scale can mean more traffic, more demand on schools and utilities, greater pressure on water resources and wildlife habitat, and the continued loss of the rural and agricultural lands that give this county its unique character.
The new law sets specific requirements that applicants must meet before their land can be certified. The County Commission should carefully review the data, measurements, and legal interpretations supporting each application to ensure those requirements are actually met.
Audubon's Concerns
Audubon is particularly concerned about the 4,462-acre North Palm Valley Road application. The law generally limits agricultural enclaves to 1,280 acres. A property this large must meet an additional test showing that at least 75% of its boundary is surrounded by existing or already-approved residential development at the density required by the law.
The question is whether the applicant can count development in neighboring Duval County/Jacksonville toward that 75%. The entire western boundary of the property — more than 19,500 feet — is the Duval County/Jacksonville line. If development across that county line cannot be counted, the applicant appears to meet only about 50% of the required boundary test and the property would not qualify as an agricultural enclave.
The law specifically allows applicants to look across roads and bodies of water when determining what development is adjacent to the property. But it does not say that applicants can look across county or city boundaries.
We Need Your Help
Email the county commissioners and express your concerns. Click here.
Additionally, you can attend the County Commission meeting on Wednesday, August 19 at 9 a.m. and speak during the public hearing.
Ask commissioners to carefully review each application and deny any application that does not clearly meet every requirement of the agricultural enclave law.
Thank you for speaking up!
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