The Davis family, founders of the Winn-Dixie supermarket chain, has initiated the process to develop 4,462 acres of agricultural land in northern St. Johns County. The property, which borders the Intracoastal Waterway and sits adjacent to the existing Nocatee community, is one of the largest undeveloped parcels in the region. The family, operating through the limited liability company BR4700 LLC, filed an application for Agricultural Enclave certification with the county on July 1.
This filing coincides with the effective date of Florida Senate Bill 686, legislation signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on April 24. The law establishes an expedited approval pathway for residential development on agricultural land that meets specific criteria. To qualify, a property must be unincorporated, undeveloped, and under single ownership. It must also be at least 75 percent surrounded by existing development and located in a county with fewer than 1.75 million residents. The eligibility requirements were locked in as of January 1, 2025.
Under the new statute, landowners can bypass the traditional comprehensive plan amendment process. If certified, the county must treat the proposed development as a conforming use. This designation prevents local governments from denying the project based on consistency with the comprehensive plan, future land use designations, zoning ordinances, or traffic impact studies. The legislation explicitly states that enclave projects must be treated as conforming uses regardless of local government plans.
The application proposes a development density of up to one residential unit per gross acre. This density would allow for as many as 4,462 housing units on the tract. The property is bordered by the Duval-St. Johns county line to the west, the Intracoastal Waterway to the east, and the northern edge of Nocatee to the south.
The PARC Group, the developer collaborating with the Davis family, issued a statement confirming the certification request. The group described the Agricultural Enclave designation as a mechanism for streamlined review of single-family development that aligns with surrounding land uses. The statement emphasized that the process supports long-range planning in areas near existing infrastructure and population centers.
