A proposed 110-unit infill development along Old Kings Road South took another step through Jacksonville’s rezoning process, receiving approval from the Jacksonville City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee on Aug. 4 over the concerns of neighbors.
Committee members voted 5-0 on Ordinance 2026-0477, which would change the land use to Medium Density Residential, and voted 7-0 on Ordinance 2026-0478, which would change the zoning to a Planned Unit Development. A PUD allows uses, regulations and standards tailored to a property.
Members Raul Arias and Kevin Carrico were not present for the land use vote.
The proposed development is at 7401 Old Kings Road S., the 12.41-acre site of the former Kings Trail Elementary School. The project would stretch from Old Kings Road to another development bordering Powers Avenue.
Dream Finders Homes is the developer, with Live Oak Contracting serving as engineer and architect, according to the Planning Department staff report.
The San Jose Neighborhood Association initially presented five requests for consideration in the project, none of which received endorsement from the Jacksonville Planning Commission nor were fully approved by the LUZ committee.
But attorney Paul Harden, who represented the developer, agreed Aug. 4 to plant trees and install a fence along Old Kings Road to create a natural buffer between the road and the development. Harden and committee members also agreed to set a 30-foot height restriction on the homes while waiving a parking requirement.
Members of the neighborhood association argued the development did not serve a public purpose as Powers Avenue had already seen substantial development in the past three years.
“By opposing 0477, it likely seems we’re just an angry neighborhood trying to block progress or ruin a developer’s bottom line and waste this committee’s valuable time. It looks like we’re completely inflexible. The truth is, we’ve spent months offering reasonable compromise conditions to protect public safety and neighborhood compatibility,” said Chrissy Kinne, the government relations representative for the neighborhood association.
“The applicant’s agent has flatly refused every single effort to collaborate because the rules state the companion PUD cannot be conditioned without the applicant’s consent, and because the applicant refuses to grant it, there’s no room left for negotiation or further discussion on the land use and how his application fails the legitimate public purpose requirement per their request, they’ve simply not shown how the PUD will govern that requirement for this property.”
Harden disagreed with Kinne’s assessment.
“I take great umbrage at Ms. Kinne’s description of our activity in this zoning. Within a week of her asking for a meeting, I met with her and went through all the issues that they had, and really we’ve addressed every one of them,” Harden said.
The subject is set for a full Council vote Aug. 13, when committee chair and district representative Joe Carlucci said he would have final conditions ironed out with the developer and neighbors.