ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 A widely criticized 4,462-acre development proposal near Ponte Vedra and Nocatee was rejected Tuesday by St. Johns County commissioners, following weeks of community opposition and growing questions about the project\u2019s legal path.<\/p>\n
The 3-2 vote brought cheers and applause from residents who urged commissioners to deny the proposal. Commissioners Clay Murphy, Ann Taylor and Krista Joseph voted against it.<\/p>\n
The dramatic swing vote coming from County Chair Clay Murphy. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a motion made to deny based on the area requirements,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cIt was denied based on the fact that there was some ambiguity of the specific requirements for the lands included in the requirements for the borders.\u201d<\/p>\n
The property is controlled by the Davis family, known for founding Winn-Dixie. The proposal, put forward by the PARC Group and the Davis family, was days away from certification before commissioners stopped it. Under the new law the county has 90 days to approve or deny, if no action is taken it would be automatically certified. <\/p>\n
The vote came during a meeting that did not include a formal public hearing on the project, though there was public comment during the public comment portion of the meeting. A hearing took place weeks earlier. Still, public comments Tuesday often sounded like a continuation of the debate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really have the opportunity to lead the rest of Florida when it comes to showing up and protecting our most valuable resources,\u201d one resident said.<\/p>\n
Another questioned why the project needed to be approved immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is the rush to get it approved today?\u201d the resident said. \u201cI think people have said, let\u2019s take it to the power of experts, deny it today and fight it in a court of law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tuesday\u2019s discussion focused on whether new evidence had been presented and whether the evidence from the PARC Group and the Davis family was strong enough to support approval.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to hear from the rest of the board if there is any other evidence, and then I will prepare to rebut,\u201d attorney Ellen Avery-Smith said during a portion of the meeting.<\/p>\n
The proposal comes as a result of changes to Florida law under Senate Bill 686, which opponents say has made it easier to develop agricultural land surrounded by existing development and more difficult for communities to resist such projects.<\/p>\n
The county has considered taking a legal stand against the proposal and similar developments. County leaders have discussed seeking outside counsel to prepare for a potential court fight and what that would look like. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was our outside counsel\u2019s opinion that it would be preferable to litigate this case in St. Johns County versus Leon County,\u201d County Attorney Rich Komando said.<\/p>\n
Joseph said she was not necessarily opposed to development but believed the proposal had bypassed the commission.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not against seeing the development, but it is skipping the board,\u201d Joseph said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in uncharted territory,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n
Clay Murphy said he thinks SB 686 undermines home rule.<\/p>\n
After the vote, News4JAX asked PARC Group for comment. Representatives declined to speak on camera.<\/p>\n
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