What do you reckon?
Commission votes 3-2 against rezoning for 252 homes off S.R. 207
By Jake Martin
Posted May 5, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Updated May 5, 2018 at 7:29 AM
St. Augustine Record
St. Johns County commissioners on Tuesday voted 3-2 against a motion to approve a rezoning for a 252-home development on about 219 acres just southwest of the State Road 207 and Interstate 95 interchange, constituting a denial.
Commissioners Jeb Smith, Jimmy Johns and Paul Waldron voted “no” to Commission Chair Henry Dean’s motion to approve, which was supported by Commissioner Jay Morris.
The trio of commissioners voting against the rezoning expressed concerns about the project’s distance from the nearest fire station and the impact that can have on response times and insurance rates, but Smith also turned his sights on some general economic hurdles and the potential subsidizing of fire rescue operations the county could have to take on until tax revenues catch up.
The applicant, property owner Strates Properties, had requested a rezoning of the land from Open Rural to Planned Unit Development to make way for Winding Oaks, formerly known as Strates Crossing. The project was within a designated area where the county anticipates residential development.
After receiving a 7-0 recommendation for approval from the county’s Planning and Zoning Agency in May 2017, hearings on the project later that summer were continued on two occasions before the commission.
The subject property is vacant. The surrounding area includes Vermont Heights, a platted, single-family subdivision to the south and vacant land to the north, east and west. The Country Walk single-family subdivision, as well as the Coquina Crossing and Cypress Lakes PUDs, are located to the southwest of the property along S.R. 207.
Proposed residential density was at more than two units per acre, above the one unit per acre allowed under the existing Open Rural zoning. But the project still included about 116 acres of open space, of which 77 acres would be preserved wetlands.
The developers had proposed dedicating about a little over 2 acres of land for a fire station, given the project area is outside 5 road miles to the nearest station, though one was not requested or required by the county.
Attorney Doug Burnett, representing the developers, said the proposed land dedications for a future fire station and a lift station for the utility department were “pretty significant” considering the size of the development. He also said being outside the 5-mile radius of a fire station hasn’t stopped other projects from being approved, such as all the residential development that has cropped up around the county-owned golf course on the opposite side of S.R. 207.
Fire rescue staff told commissioners it was not an “optimum” location and they’re generally looking for more acreage, although the same layout for the new station in the northwest would fit on the property offered by the Winding Oaks project. The bigger problem is a lack of sufficient funding to maintain the operating side of the equation.
Smith said being outside the 5-mile radius puts homeowners in an” interesting” position in terms of insurance rates and approving developments outside that area can put a strain on existing service areas.
He said the area being considered for a new fire station consists of about 3,800 approved residential units, of which only about 1,700 have been built. He said at the present 1.47 mills levied for fire rescue services, the county would require more than $680 million in additional taxable value to collect the $1 million annually it would take to operate a new station.
“That’s huge,” Smith said. “What happens is, if we continue to push forward with more approvals in that area that has not yet reached that, we’re going to end up subsidizing it at that point.”
He said there’s going to be future pressure on the board to put a fire station in the area whether the county has the money or not. He also said he wants to see what’s already been approved to be built so that the county starts collecting the revenues it will need.
Still, he said the project itself had some “amazing things” going for it.
Dean said he was impressed with the specimen oaks on the property and the plans to keep them and build trails around them as well as the project’s plan for dealing with drainage and stormwater management. He said while there are economic concerns he felt the developers did what they could to meet requirements and come up with ways to work around the challenges.
Before and after the vote, County Attorney Patrick McCormack said while there is a challenging, existing “situation” regarding fire services in that area, the applicant was offering something the county did not require or request as a condition for rezoning. He said even in instances where rezoning applications comply with the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code, the board can still choose not to approve the application if there is “legitimate public purpose” in keeping the existing zoning.
After the 3-2 vote against the motion to approve, he requested the board to consider a motion denying the project based on specific findings of fact to support the denial, which he said would help the process and clarify the board’s position. The board did not consider such a motion.
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