Audubon Florida is asking St. Johns County commissioners to deny a proposal for a large agricultural enclave located near Nocatee, citing concerns that the project exceeds size restrictions under recent state legislation.
The organization contends that the application does not comply with Senate Bill 686, which took effect on July 1 after being signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The law permits certain agricultural enclaves but caps them at 4,480 acres.
Audubon argues that the Davis family’s land, situated north of Nocatee Parkway between the Duval County line and the Intracoastal Waterway, cannot be legally subdivided to stay under that threshold.
While the application identifies approximately 4,462 acres, Audubon states that the proposed boundary cuts through parts of 21 distinct parcels. According to county property records cited by the group, counting those entire parcels would result in a total of roughly 4,569 acres.
The environmental group asserts that the Legislature’s use of the phrase “parcel or parcels” requires applicants to include whole parcels rather than drawing boundaries through them.
Audubon pointed to an interpretation by Orange County officials in a separate case as precedent for this view. In a recent alert, the organization stated that based on the law and that county’s interpretation, the application fails to meet statutory requirements and should be rejected.
