Council committee approves rezoning request for hundreds of homes at former Dog Wood Park site

Government

A rezoning request to build as many as 648 town homes at the former Dog Wood Park southeast of Interstate 95 and Butler Boulevard is headed to the Jacksonville City Council for final action after clearing the Council Land Use and Zoning Committee on Nov. 6.

The committee voted 5-0 in favor of Ordinance 2024-0679, which contains the request to rezone 71.7 acres at 0, 7407 and 7447 Salisbury Road to Planned Unit Development to accommodate the project. The site is between Belfort Road and Baymeadows Way, east of I-95.

One potential site plan for the former Dog Wood Park property includes 648 town homes.

One potential site plan for the former Dog Wood Park property includes 400 multifamily units and up to 248 town homes.

According to a Planning and Development Department staff report, the property owners are proposing two site plans, including a version with 648 town homes and one with 400 multifamily units and up to 248 town homes. A recreation area will be part of each.

The project is identified in city documents as the Butler Creek PUD.

The property owners are listed in city documents as Butler Creek Owner LLC of Miami and Orion Investments Enterprise LLC of Jacksonville.

The property is at the former Dog Wood Park southeast of Interstate 95 and Butler Boulevard in Jacksonville.

State records list the manager of Butler Creek Owner LLC as Jorge Ortega Andrade of Miami. Although city records list a Jacksonville address for Orion, state records list a Miami address and identify the manager as Miami-based H2A Capital Corp.

Current zoning for the site comprises two Planned Unit Developments, approved in 2007 and 2020.

The LUZ committee’s approval came on conditions that the developer conduct a traffic study and provide a sidewalk along the frontage of Salisbury Road. Also, if the developer plans to gate the roads of the housing development, the gates must not block Salisbury Road and a turnaround must be provided before motorists reach the gates.

The Belfort Creek property includes land that previously was Dog Wood Park.

Wyman Duggan, a state representative who applied for the rezoning on behalf of the developer, agreed to the conditions.

The Jacksonville Planning Commission voted 5-0, with four members absent, on Oct. 3 to recommend passage of the ordinance.

The private Dog Wood Park closed in February 2023 after more than a decade of operation. The 42-acre park featured more than 25 fenced acres and a lake where dogs could swim and play.

The rezoning drew yes votes from LUZ Chair Kevin Carrico, Vice Chair Raul Arias and committee members Joe Carlucci, Reggie Gaffney Jr. and Rahman Johnson. Members Ken Amaro and Rory Diamond were not present.