The Jacksonville Planning Commission gave approval June 6 to rezoning requests and a conceptual master site plan for development related to plans to develop thousands of acres owned by the Davis family in southeast Jacksonville.
The commission voted 7-0 to recommend changing the land use of the site from agriculture in the rural area to multiuse with site specific future land use element in the suburban development area.
On another 7-0 vote, the commission recommended approving a conceptual master plan for development.
On a 6-0 vote, with member Michael McGowan temporarily absent, the commission approved a rezoning from agriculture to Planned Unit Development
The requests applied to 11,047 acres east of more than 6,100 acres the Davis family had rezoned in February 2023. The 17,100 undeveloped acres are envisioned for single-family, multifamily and commercial uses.
According to documents attached to the rezoning request to PUD, the conceptual master plan includes up to 7,892 single-family homes, 2,250 multifamily units and 690,000 square feet of commercial uses.
The property is north of Nocatee, south of San Pablo Road and east of Interstate 295. It is west of the Davis family’s 25,000-acre Dee Dot Ranch.
BJD Timberlands LLC and Estuary LLC made the requests. Both are affiliated with the Davis family, founders of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.
Lawyer Paul Harden, the agent for the property owners, described the development as a long-term process that was part of a generational plan by the Davis family.
In November 2023, the Jacksonville City Council enacted Ordinance 2023-0649 to transmit a proposed large-scale revision to the future land use designation from agriculture to multiuse 11,047 acres east of more than 6,100 acres that had been rezoned in February 2023 for the project.
Adoption of the ordinance led the Davis family to develop the conceptual master plan. With the Planning Commission’s vote, the plan and the rezoning request advance to City Council.
In February 2023, City Council enacted three ordinances to rezone 6,174 acres east of I-295 and south of Butler Boulevard. That rezoning to Planned Unit Development specified 10,575 residential units comprising 6,103 single-family homes, 2,420 town homes and 2,052 multifamily units. It also included 915,000 square feet of commercial space.