The St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency voted unanimously Sept. 18 to recommend denial of a request to modify an expired Planned Rural Development to reinstate development rights for a neighborhood on farmland along County Road 214.
The development, called Tocoi River Estates, calls for 205 single-family homes. Jacksonville-based Aegis Gibson LLC is the developer. First Coast Venture LLC owns the 1,000-acre site where it is planned.
According to the application, about 90% of the property — roughly 928 acres—would be preserved for agricultural and silvicultural purposes.
Aegis Gibson previously said the development represents an estimated $3.5 million in annual ad-valorem property tax revenue once fully built.
The Planned Rural Development (PRD) was created in 2006 for a residential development that was never started. The PRD expired in 2016. The request seeks to reset it for Tocoi River Estates and update the project’s phasing to an eight-year commencement period, up from the previous five years.
Attorney Douglas N. Burnett of St. Johns Law Group represents the project. He told the PZA that the request largely mirrors the original PRD’s scope that the county previously approved, with minor updates to modernize language.
Dozens of residents attended the PZA meeting to speak against Tocoi River Estates, raising a range of concerns.
Many warned that the development could increase traffic and strain already limited infrastructure. They cited potential economic and environmental impacts, including harm to agricultural lands and sensitive habitats along the St. Johns River and its wetlands.
Community members also criticized the precedent that would be set by reactivating an expired PRD, arguing it could encourage similar requests in other rural areas. Several speakers urged county officials to deny the project to preserve the region’s rural character, protect open spaces and maintain existing infrastructure for current residents.
Christine Wilson, whose family has owned a farm on County Road 214 since 1960, called the project “World Golf Village 2.0.”
During a discussion that followed public comments, agency member Judy Spiegel expressed concern about reinstating an expired PRD.
“I don’t see that you’re just reactivating an expired PRD, because you have different stakeholders. It was over almost 20 years ago that it was approved and expired almost 10 years ago, nine years ago,” Spiegel said. “I don’t think you can just go back to the old PRD rules and have them apply to something that is expired. My understanding of the reason that expiration dates are on PRDs and PUDs (Planned Unit Developments) is because they’re designed to meet a specific purpose for a limited time.
“Anyway, that’s just one of my concerns. I won’t go into the other ones, because I need to get past why are we here.”
Other members raised concerns about whether the development would be compatible with the rest of the rural area, its potential effects on water pressure and its limited access to emergency services.
Tocoi River Estates, originally called Water Lily, was planned as a mixed-use development with 3,000 homes and 385,000 square feet of commercial space. The PZA unanimously denied recommending approval of that project April 3. The application was withdrawn.
The PZA vote is only a recommendation. Tocoi River Estates can still move forward with appearing before the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners for a final vote.