Amid strong public opposition, the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency on April 3 unanimously recommended denying a comprehensive plan amendment that would allow the mixed-use development Water Lily to advance.
The amendment would change the future land use designation of about 1,110 acres from Rural/Silviculture and Agricultural-Intensive to Residential-C to allow for a proposed age-restricted development with up to 3,000 homes and related commercial and office space.
The Water Lily is at County Roads 214 and 13 North, about 15 miles west of the Interstate 95 interchange with County Road 207 and about 13 miles north of Hastings.
The process for a comprehensive plan amendment is called a transmittal, where a local government sends a proposed comprehensive plan or amendment to several state agencies for review and potential approval, following a public hearing and a vote by the local governing body.
Developer Aegis Gibson LLC submitted the application to the county Sept. 27. It is a companion to a planned unit development rezoning application submitted March 3.
Zoning rules determine how land can be used in certain areas, while comprehensive plan amendments update a community’s long-term development plan, shaping future policies and land use.
Project representative Doug Burnett of St. Johns Law Group originally requested to reschedule the presentation before the PZA, citing a desire for an environmental specialist to be present to speak on Water Lily and respond to comments.
The motion was denied.
According to a county staff review, the application plans resemble what is called a “leapfrog development,” a type of urban sprawl where developers bypass existing urban areas and build new developments in distant locations, leaving gaps of undeveloped land in between.
That did not sit well with citizens who spoke at the meeting, including Christine Williams, who represented Wilson Farms, which is directly across County Road 214 from Water Lily.
“All four of our locations will be impacted by a development of this magnitude,” she said. “This would be the first domino to fall that would irreparably change the landscape and integrity of the agriculturally rich community on 214.
“This is where multigenerational families produce crops year-round. Economically, it’s important to preserve St. Johns County’s agricultural industry.”
Dozens of residents, including several farmers, raised additional concerns at the meeting, such as water strain, air quality, access to critical care, and traffic, including evacuations because of hurricanes.
A Change.org petition opposing Water Lily has 712 signatures.
According to site plans, Water Lily plans to address traffic flow by developing an access road through the property to redirect through traffic off County Road 214, where farms, including the Wilsons, are located.
Additionally, the developer said in a statement that 10,000 trees are planned to be planted.
If approved, the project is expected to be fully built-out by 2038, the developer said.
The project name comes from the Timucuan word “tocoi,” meaning “water lily.”
Jacksonville-based Boomi CR 214 LLC owns the property. The LLC was created in 2023, and its registered agent is Upender Reddy Ratnam of Jacksonville.
Title managers include Sai K. Konda of Tallahassee; Goda Rudrappa Yellappa Reddy of St. Johns; Venkat Gagganapally of Sanford; Sowjanya Cherukuri of Dulles, Virginia; and Pasham Vikram of Plano, Texas.
BGE Inc. of Houston is the civil engineer. St. Johns Law Group represents the project.
State records show that Aegis Gibson LLC is based in Miami and was created in 2023. It is managed by Mohammad Alam of St. Johns County and Charles Welsh of Jacksonville.
Aegis Gibson says its residential projects include the Chelsea Meadows and Stillwood communities in Durham, North Carolina, and Grove Park in Raleigh.
Aegis Gibson LLC was registered in 2001 in North Carolina and dissolved in 2010, according to Secretary of State records. Welsh was also listed as a manager, North Carolina records show.
The company said in a statement that Southern Village in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is the blueprint for Water Lily.
According to the Urban Land Institute, Southern Village is a mixed-use development on about 312 acres with office, retail, hotel, and restaurant space, along with 1,145 residential units. Bryan Properties Inc. developed it in 1994.
According to its website, Aegis Gibson says it is committed to sustainable development.
“At Aegis Gibson, we believe that responsible land development is the cornerstone of a sustainable future. Our commitment to sustainable development extends far beyond the confines of our assignments. It’s a pledge to uphold the delicate balance between progress and nature,” the site states.
Water Lily is the second major development proposed off County Road 214 that hasn’t passed Planning and Zoning Agency review.
Boston-based Freehold Communities, the developer of Shearwater in St. Johns County, sought to develop a 3,300-home “agrihood” community about eight miles east of Water Lily. The Planning and Zoning Agency and the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners unanimously denied those plans in November.
The commission will discuss and vote on Water Lily on May 20.