ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The controversial expansion of a new development in St. Johns County that was approved in December will have to be voted on again because the state denied its approval.
After the amendment was approved, the county had to submit its own play from the Development of Regional Impact (DRI), but the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) told the county that the amendment will now have to go through a full 60-day review process, not an expedited review.
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Once that’s done to the satisfaction of DEO, the county commission will have to take another vote on the expansion. It wasn’t immediately clear when that would happen.
The commission approved the plans 4-1, with commissioner Paul Waldron the “no” vote.
The plan would add more than 2,300 acres to the development, providing property for up to 5,600 more dwelling units and another 250,000 square feet of commercial space.
The added units would be split into 3,000 single-family units, 600 multifamily units and 2,000 age-restricted units.
People in the area sent dozens of emails to commissioners to oppose the expansion. Some spoke at the meeting about potential problems like traffic and environmental impact.