Amid traffic and safety concerns, the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency could not agree on a rezoning recommendation for up to 297 town homes off County Road 210.
Called Tidal 210, the development would be on a 67-acre site about a half-mile east of Interstate 95.
The agency was split on a 3-3 vote on March 20, with members Elvis Pierre, Greg Matovina and Henry Green voting to support the recommendation. Members Judie Spiegel, Chuck Labanowski and Richard Hilsenbeck cast votes against it.
The rezoning would change the property’s designation from Commercial Highway Tourist to Planned Unit Development.
Deputy County Attorney Lex Taylor told the agency an even vote is a technical denial and a negative recommendation that will be up for a vote by the Board of County Commissioners on May 6.
Gate Petroleum owns the land through Durbin Creek National LLC and is under contract with Mattamy Homes through Mattamy Jacksonville LLC. Mattamy Homes is the developer of the RiverTown community. Prosser | Prime AE of Jacksonville is the civil engineer.
Ellen Avery-Smith, the attorney representing the project, initially requested a vote on the rezoning request be continued until April 17, but the motion was denied. After learning additional information about traffic concerns, she sought more time to address them. She made the request to the PZA the day before the meeting.
According to its application, the Tidal 210 community is “designed to provide a high-end, gated town home project in the northern part of St. Johns County, in an area where a hospital, medical offices, commercial/retail space, restaurants and offices already exist east of Interstate 95 and other businesses, including a Publix pharmaceutical production facility, will be located in the near future.”
In an email to county Assistant Director of Growth Management Beverly Frazier, Sandy Creek Homeowners Association Secretary Jenny Evans said, “The Tidal 210 PUD would be more like a tidal wave without proper planning of the widening of County Road 210.
In a recent meeting with the developer and their team, the Transportation Planning representative advised that funds would be appropriated for adding an eastbound lane on County Road 210 from the interstate to Moon Bay Parkway using the existing right-of-way.”
“It is unlikely that an eastbound lane could be added without obtaining the property needed. 210 has gas pumps that are already too close to the existing road. At any rate, adding 297 homes will just exacerbate the existing traffic and safety problems,” Evans wrote.
Sandy Creek is immediately south of Tidal. Several of its residents and others in neighboring communities echoed safety concerns.
Avery-Smith told PZA that under its current zoning, the developer can, by right, move forward with other projects that would significantly burden traffic along 210.
Zoned by right means a property or development project can proceed under existing zoning regulations without needing special permits, variances or other discretionary approvals, as long as it strictly complies with the zoning and building codes.
She said those projects could include hotels, motels, restaurants (including drive-thrus), service stations, charter schools, retail outlets and tourist-related businesses, along with banks and storage facilities.
Avery-Smith said project engineers were asked to come up with an alternative development plan under its current zoning. It included an 18-acre school site, a 10.5-acre gas station or other commercial development and an 11.5-acre storage facility site.
“That’s what’s common in this area,” she said.
She said the site is also eligible for the Live Local property tax exemption, which could bring 600 apartments, including affordable housing, in place of what’s being proposed at the site.
An analysis shows daily trips for the mixed-use development option are estimated to be 16,963. The multifamily housing option trips would be about 3,923. Under its PUD proposal for the town homes, trips are estimated at 1,979.
“Again, I say to you board members and people in the audience, this is a much better alternative on what be done on this property as a matter of right,” Avery-Smith said. “I know everyone is worried about traffic and there’s no refuting the fact that this section of County Road 210 is over capacity, but this is what can be done as a matter of right.
“So I would make the argument that everyone is better off with 297 high-end town homes that generate these numbers of trips versus the alternative.”
Matovina said he believes the PUD zoning is compatible with the area.
“It’s quite a gamble for the residents in the county because of the fact this property can, by right, move forward with apartment development at this time,” he said. “I’m going to vote for it for that reason.”