County zoning agency votes against residential development near Durbin Park

Just about two months after ownership of the largest commercial intensive land parcel in St. Johns County announced its ambitious plans, a proposed residential development right in the middle of it got a thumbs-down from the county planning agency.

Citing concerns about possibly derailing the potential of the Durbin Park's millions of square feet of commercial space, the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency voted 6-0 at Thursday's meeting to recommend denial of a development called Stonecrest.

The Stonecrest property is a 46.5-acre parcel in which 173 single-family homes are proposed to be built. The property is surrounded on all sides by zoned Commercial Intensive, including the Durbin Park development.

The applicant is requesting to amend the property on the Future Land Use Map from Rural Silviculture to Residential-C.

Thursday's hearing was a "transmittal" hearing to determine whether the request will be sent on to state regulatory agencies. The PZA only makes a recommendation to the County Commission, which will hear the item at a later date if the applicant chooses to go forward.

Guiding the PZA was the staff report, which came back with a finding that "single-family home development is not the most consistent future land use for this site, given the surrounding Intensive Commercial land uses to the south, east and west, and the Community Commercial FLUM designation to the north. Alternatively, development of multifamily residential housing would appear a more appropriate transition, as would commercial, office or light industrial uses."

Durbin Park, which was originally called Durbin Creek National LLC Urban Service Area, is approved for an estimated 2.4 million square feet of retail, 2.8 million square feet of office space, 999 multi-family units and 350 hotel rooms once completed. It is located along Interstate 95 near the new State Road 9B-County Road 2209 interchange that is under construction.

Stonecrest is between Interstate 95 and U.S. 1, fronting Race Track Road. That's right in the heart of what will become a busy commercial center.

"I'm not at all comfortable with this," PZA member Brad Nelson said. "I don't think this is an appropriate place for single-family residential when we have already changed our land use map to recognize commercial intensive."

Nelson said he didn't think people living in a neighborhood like Stonecrest would want to be surrounded by all the commercial development.

Other PZA members voiced similar concerns.

"What we have in front of us today, to me, doesn't look compatible, and looks like it could be a problem down the road with the intensive use surrounding it," PZA member Jeff Martin said.

PZA member David Rice added: "I do believe this would be better suited to become part of the overall commercial development."

Representing applicant KB Home was attorney Doug Burnett. He argued that there are already a few homes in the immediate area and that there are successful residential developments all around Race Track Road.

"It's a smaller lot program that we believe transitions well next to the office (development)," he said. "Clearly the market demand (for single-family homes) is there when you look at Bartram Park and Bartram Springs to the north that's sold out and the success that it's had. The area has done quite well."

But the main concern among detractors was that a residential development in that area might stifle the growth of Durbin Park's ultimate potential.

A serious opponent of Stonecrest who spoke Thursday was Ken Wilson, vice president at Gate Petroleum, which owns Durbin Park. He said having a residential community right in the middle of the commercial development might hamper the progress.

"Just the fact that 200 and something residents that will be living here [could] show up and oppose our projects as we move forward with the Durbin Park project," Wilson said.

He said the county has planned well and is set up for a very successful commercial project there. He warned the board that Stonecrest could endanger that.

"The county, I think, is going to miss a unique opportunity if this intensive area gets broken up into residential pods," he said. "I would hate to see the county put roadblocks in front of that future that I think this county has."