St. Johns County Rejects Nocatee-Area Enclave, Reverses Two Others, and Heads Toward Court
Two weeks of 3-2 votes undid three farmland projects, and now the fight over the state’s enclave law is moving to the courts.
By St. Johns Standard Staff
Published October 21, 2026
Updated October 21, 2026
4 min read
The fight over Florida's new agricultural enclave law has moved fast in St. Johns County. In less than two weeks, commissioners denied the 4,462-acre project north of Nocatee, then reversed two projects they had approved in August. Chair Clay Murphy now says the county will challenge the state law, and at least one developer is already in court.
The Nocatee-Area Denial
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the County Commission voted 3-2 to deny agricultural enclave certification for 4,462 acres north of Nocatee. The land is owned by BR4700 LLC, tied to the Davis family, founders of Winn-Dixie. Commissioners Krista Joseph, Clay Murphy and Ann Taylor voted to deny, and Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst voted against denial.
The vote came after a Sept. 1 meeting in which separate motions to approve and to deny both failed 3-2. County officials said at the time that the application could move forward by default under the law's procedural rules, which is why the Sept. 15 vote mattered. Murphy, who had been the swing vote, said he had changed his mind. He called the law "destructive on so many levels" and said he wants it repealed.
Two August Approvals Reversed
On Monday, Sept. 28, the commission voted 3-2 to deny agricultural enclave status for Heritage East and Heritage West, projects it had approved in August. Joseph, Taylor and Arnold voted to deny, and Murphy and Whitehurst voted against denial. Whitehurst had asked the board to reconsider at the Sept. 15 meeting. Residents at the meeting opposed the projects, saying they did not meet the criteria for an enclave.
The developer's attorney asked the board to take no action and argued it lacked the authority to reconsider an application it had already approved. A separate project, North Palm Valley, also failed to win enclave status earlier in September.
On Sept. 15, the board also approved a 300-plus-home project on 310 acres near Six Mile Creek, 3-2. That land is owned by AFI Associates, which has ties to the Hutson family.
The Developer's Response
The PARC Group, which represents the Davis family, has said it plans to appeal the Nocatee-area denial. It says the decision is "clearly inconsistent with the facts presented" and that the commission "didn't adhere to the requirements under Florida law." It also says the county's staff report recommended approval.
Separately, developer Mohammad Alam is challenging the county's denial of Tocoi River Estates, a planned rural development of more than 200 homes on County Road 214. The county has 30 days to respond in writing to the court order and explain why its denial should not be overturned.
The County's Plan
Murphy said at a Sept. 22 interview that the county plans to challenge SB 686 in court and to seek a stay of the law. He called the law "an overreach of our zoning laws" and said he is collecting petitions to present to the Florida Legislature on the first day of its January session. County staff will review future enclave applications for compliance with the law. The commission had earlier asked its attorneys to explore options, including an injunction.
The Lobbyist Exit
The Florida Group, which represented the county for 15 years, resigned on Sept. 1, effective Oct. 31. Commissioner Taylor has raised a possible conflict of interest tied to the firm's relationship with The Parc Group, which Murphy disputes. The firm says it never advocated for SB 686 and had no conflict.
What to Watch
Whether the developers' challenges succeed, how the county's own legal case proceeds, and how the Legislature responds in January.
St. Johns Standard will continue following this story.