St. Johns County commissioners voted to reject a proposal for a large residential development located north of the Nocatee community along the Intracoastal Waterway. The 3-2 decision reversed the board’s earlier inaction on the matter, which under a recent state law would have resulted in automatic approval.
The project, spanning 4,462 acres, was submitted by the PARC Group and the Davis family, founders of Winn-Dixie. The developers sought certification as an agricultural enclave under Senate Bill 686, a statute designed to streamline housing construction on farmland. If granted, this status would have bypassed standard public hearings required for residential projects on agricultural land.
Commissioner Clay Murphy cast the deciding vote in favor of denial, having previously abstained when the board failed to reach a decision earlier in the month. Commissioners Krista Joseph and Ann Taylor also voted to reject the proposal, while Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst voted to allow it to proceed.
Local residents and an attorney representing them had urged the commission to deny the project.
Murphy stated his intention to oppose the state law, describing it as destructive. He announced plans to begin a petition drive in the county and deliver signatures to the state Legislature to seek repeal of the statute. Meanwhile, county officials have directed their legal team to explore options for challenging the agricultural enclave law, including potential injunctions.
