A State Law, a Deadlocked Vote, and Now a Denial: Inside St. Johns County's Nocatee Development Fight

At the heart of the dispute is Senate Bill 686, a state law that took effect July 1 and creates a streamlined path for developers to build on land that qualifies as an "agricultural enclave," meaning undeveloped farmland largely surrounded by existing development. Before the law, a project of this scale would typically require a lengthy comprehensive plan amendment process, including public hearings and zoning changes. Under SB 686, a qualifying property owner can instead apply directly for expedited certification.

St. Johns County has become a major test case, with several properties on the list for potential enclave certification.

The most contentious application involves 4,462 acres owned by BR4700 LLC, tied to the Davis family, founders of the Winn-Dixie supermarket chain. The property sits north of Nocatee along the Intracoastal Waterway. The application sought certification for up to one residential unit per gross acre, potentially as many as 4,462 homes, though it named no specific community plan, housing type or phasing.

At a Sept. 1 meeting that stretched more than four hours, the County Commission deadlocked. A motion to deny failed 3-2, and a motion to approve also failed 3-2. County officials said the application could move forward by default under the law's procedural rules.

On Sept. 15, the commission changed course. It voted 3-2 to deny certification, with Commissioners Krista Joseph, Clay Murphy and Ann Taylor in favor of denial and Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst opposed. Murphy, who had been the swing vote, said he had changed his mind and called the law "destructive on so many levels." Residents who spoke at the meetings raised concerns ranging from traffic and school capacity to where the water supply for thousands of new homes would come from.

On Sept. 28, the commission voted 3-2 to deny 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. The developer's attorney argued the board lacked authority to reconsider an application it had already approved. North Palm Valley also failed to win enclave status earlier in September.

On Sept. 15, the board also approved, by a 3-2 vote, a 300-plus-home project on 310 acres near Six Mile Creek, owned by AFI Associates.

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 Tocoí 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 a court order and explain why its denial should not be overturned.

Murphy said in 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.

State Rep. Kim Kendall, part of the local delegation that voted for SB 686, has said commissioners and their own lobbyists failed to flag the bill as a priority concern before the vote, though records show county staff had identified it as worth watching as early as March.

The Florida Group, which represented the county for 15 years and helped secure more than $110 million in state funding for local projects, submitted its resignation on Sept. 1, effective Oct. 31. Commissioner Taylor has pointed to a potential conflict of interest tied to the firm's relationship with The Parc Group, one of the applicants under the new law. Murphy has said he reviewed the situation and found no conflict. The firm says it never advocated for SB 686 and had no conflict.

The county is hiring a new lobbying firm. The key questions are whether the developers' challenges succeed, whether a court grants the county's requested stay, and how the Legislature responds when it convenes in January.

St. Johns Standard will continue following this story as it develops.