Hastings project on hold

Hastings project on hold

By MARCIA LANE
Correspondent
Publication Date: 02/22/05

People went to the Hastings Town Council meeting Monday expecting to hear who wanted to build a 7,000-unit development about 2 miles south of this longtime farming community in west St. Johns County.

Instead, they were told by Town Attorney Ron Brown that the "project is on hold indefinitely." He said he had spoken earlier with the developers' representative, St. Augustine attorney George McClure.

Asked after the meeting who the developers were, Brown wouldn't say. "I can tell you they were developers apparently from Palm Beach County who were interested in acquiring some land and bringing it into the town, and they had a proposal for about 7,000 homes."

Brown said the town had been waiting for a proposed annexation agreement and ordinance. "They sent by a draft but never submitted the formal ordinance.

"I just checked on it and I was told by Mr. McClure that it was on hold for the time being. He didn't elaborate on that," said Brown.

The announcement ended weeks of speculation about the developers. Rumors have ranged from an Interlachen man planning to put in mobile homes to a ploy by area farmers to hike up prices and sell to speculators. One rumor had included a development company from Palm Beach County.

Even without the 7,000 unit development, the council had a lengthy meeting where the word annexation figured prominently.

The council approved first reading of ordinances that if passed will bring in two tracts of land. One is for 39 acres belonging to Charles and Barbara Burrell. The other annexes 380 acres belonging to Thomas R. Lee. None of the owners are asking for their land designation to be changed from agriculture.

If the council gives final approval, the annexations would bring in 400 more acres to a town that is slightly more than 640 acres in size.

Reubin Carter also was there to talk about annexation of the north side of Hastings.

He said the council and the citizens needed to "sit down and try to get us annexed into the town. We've been kept out of there for 100 years. It's time for that to subside," said Carter.

Mayor Tom Ward said there had been repeated efforts to do that. "It appears the county has more to offer you than you know we do," said Ward.

Residents who come into the town must go on city sewer and water, and that is too expensive for poor residents, Carter said.

St. Johns County Commission Chairman Karen Stern spoke up, saying, "The county stands ready to help in any way we can." She said the county did have a number of resources and suggested sitting down with U.S. Rep. John Mica's staff to look at ways of obtaining grants for water and sewer.

"That's the type of thing where we can work together well," said Ward.

In a third annexation issue, builder Wayne Cope told the council (after they agreed to designate 35 sewer and water hookups for a 72-unit single family residential townhouse complex) that they had basically put an end to development in Hastings. The 35 hookups are the last currently available until sewer and water facilities can be expanded. The expansion may be 18-24 months down the road.

"So basically we're shutting down Hastings as a development for now," said Cope.

The council said their rule was to take requests on a first-come, first-serve basis and developer Robert Graubard had come to them first. Ward said Graubard had been working on the project some five years.

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