It’s an election year! And we already have some very heated races in St. Johns County!
Having lived here 23 years, I know that for those of us who work in Jacksonville or travel a lot for our work, we often don’t even have time to pay attention to local elections.
Many of us have no idea who our Commissioners are or what they do for the County. Not too long ago a local business person told me he was reaching out to Mayor Deegan for help on something. I asked him why, and he said because she’s the Mayor! I pointed out his business is in St. Johns County and he might want to reach out to our County Commissioners. He didn’t know who any of them are.
That’s not a reflection on this individual – it’s just an example of how in the northern part of the county so many of us work, shop and play in Jacksonville that we naturally know more about the Jacksonville scene than what is happening in St. Johns County.
Today I thought I would spend a little time sharing information about the 2026 Election process in St. Johns County so you can start educating yourself and be prepared to get out and vote in the Primary (August 18,2026) or General Election (November 3, 2026.)
Let’s start with, are you registered to vote? And is your voter registration current? Check out the Supervisor of Elections website and confirm your status. You can do that here: Check My Status
And if you are a newcomer to St. Johns County or Florida, you may not be familiar with our Closed Primary process. If there are qualified candidates from more than one Party, it will be a closed Primary. That means when you go to the polls you will be presented with a Ballot showing only the candidates in your registered party. As an example, if you are a registered Republican, you will only see the Republican candidates on your ballot. If you are a registered Democrat, you will only see the Democratic candidates on your ballot. And if you are not affiliated with any party (No Party Affiliation) you will only see candidates for Non Partisan positions.
Before a candidate appears on a ballot, they have to go through Qualifying. You can see the Qualifying dates for St. Johns County positions on this page: Qualifying Dates & Fees
Most of our County offices have a Qualifying date of June 12. That means that any candidates currently showing on the Candidate List have not yet qualified to be on the Primary Ballot in August.
Today I’ll share known info about 2 of our most visible elected positions, County Commissioners.
We have two County Commissioner seats up for election this year, District 2 and District 4. Those seats are currently held by Sarah Arnold, District 2 and Krista Keating Joseph, District 4.
Commissioner Joseph has filed and shared about her desire to return to the Board for another term. Commissioner Arnold has not filed and all indications are that she is not going to run for re-election.
For District 2, we have 3 Active Candidates. That means they have filed but have not yet qualified.
Timothy Ray Burres is a former SJSO Law Enforcement Officer and is actively running. He has a registered website that is not yet active: VoteTimBurres and has an active FaceBook (FB) page: Vote Tim Burres for SJC Commissioenr
Martin Valerian Pyszczymuka is a 4 year resident of St. Johns County. He has an active website and indicates that he has gathered enough petitions to qualify for the ballot. His website is here: VoteMartin2026.com and his FB page is here: VoteMartinForCountyCommissioner Interesting note on his website is that he is opposing Sarah Arnold who has not filed to run. His website also addresses questions regarding residency eligibility and states that he plans to relocate into District 2 prior to the election.
District 4 has 4 Active Candidates. Again, they have filed but not yet qualified.
James Austin Galloway – At the time of writing, I was unable to locate an active campaign website. Mr. Galloway appears to be using his personal FB page for his platform: James Galloway
Krista Keating Joseph – Sitting District 4 Commissioner. Thanks to the alert reader who pointed me Commissioner Joseph’s active website: Vote Krista She also appears to be using her personal FB page for her campaigning. KristaKeatingJoseph
Heather Lane Neville – Born and raised in Northeast Florida and resident of St. Johns County since 2007. Has an active website: VoteHeatherLaneNeville and FB Page ElectHeatherLaneNeville
As you evaluate candidates this year, I encourage you to spend time learning what each candidate stands FOR — their priorities, leadership style, and vision for the future of St. Johns County.
Local government decisions shape our roads, growth, schools, public safety, and quality of life in very real ways. Thoughtful participation matters.
In a climate where political conversations can quickly become negative, perhaps we can focus more on ideas, solutions, and the future we want to build for our County together.
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I’ve been away for a break but back to providing updates on the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioner’s Meetings.
The County Public Relations staff has been doing an excellent job of publicizing the Commissioner’s Meetings and making them available not only through the County GTV but also broadcasting on social media.
It is so important, especially this year, an election year, to get your information about what is discussed directly from the meetings. I strive to always share with you the direct links to the information so you can watch and hear for yourself what was said. No filter, no bias. I’ll continue to do that throughout 2026.
The May 5 meeting opened with several Proclamations:
Recognizing George Ceccanese and William West for reaching their 100th birthdays!
National Correctional Officers and Employees Week 2026
41 Years of Hope through St. Gerard Campus
Juror Appreciation Month
Foster Parent Appreciation Month
Watch the heartwarming recognitions here: Proclamations
Regular Agenda Items
Agenda Item #1 – Outpost at Old Moultrie Administrative Interpretation Appeal
This item has been trending high on social media for St. Augustine and the southern part of the County for a few weeks.
This is an “Appeal of Administrative Interpretation Letter ADMI 2026-01 regarding whether the subject parcel constitutes a lawfully developed or previously developed commercial site, whether mobile food vendors qualify as a permitted accessory use, and whether any specific provision of the Land Development Code requires a previously developed commercial site to undergo full redevelopment or site plan approval as a prerequisite.”
In short, the owner of the property had been operating a location with food trucks and current interpretation of the Land Development Code had caused the location to be shut down. A special magistrate was appointed to review the decision and ruled the county was correct to shut the location down. This morning’s hearing was to appeal the ruling.
This was a complicated situation and emotions around the decision have been running high. While all the Commissioners expressed a desire to get the business back in operations, there were differences in how to best accomplish that goal.
Rather than rely on soundbites or social media interpretations of what happened at the meeting, I encourage you to listen to the discussion among the Commissioners before their vote at this link: Commissioner Discussion on Agenda Item 1
The Appeal was upheld and the ruling overturned by a 3:2 vote (Murphy, Joseph voting no)
Commissioner Whitehurst followed up with a motion for staff to work to update the LDC to not require paved parking spots for food trucks, not just at this parcel, but for any other similar uses. Commissioner Taylor asked if something could be added for temporary usage. Growth Management Director Roberson shared that there IS a provision for temporary usage that can be applied.
The motion was clarified that the staff is being asked to come up with wording that recognizes Food Trucks are separate from other Commercial structures.
That motion passed 5:0.
You can watch the entire presentation and discussion here:
Regular Agenda Item 2 – Golfway Center PUD – this was a “Request for a Major Modification to the Golfway Centre PUD (Ordinance 1997-67, as amended) to revise the MDP Map and MDP Text to allow the remaining development to occur on the property as either Commercial Retail and Commercial Office uses; revise the phasing schedule to a single 10- year phase; add Church and Large Places of Assembly as allowable uses; allow details of future buildings and associated development to be shown on Incremental MDP Maps; and eliminate the requirement to preserve the isolated wetland on site.The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on April 2, 2026. The Agency recommended approval with a vote of 7-0. During the hearing, there were discussions regarding the traffic impacts to International Golf Parkway and impacts to the remaining wetlands located onsite.”
They requested 5 updates:
221,032 sq ft of already approved Commercial Retail and Office uses to be located anywhere within the PUD.
Remove development acreage
Eliminate the requirement ot presereve the isolated wetland on site
Add Church and large Places of Assembly as allowable uses
Single 10 year Phase
After presentation and discussion at the Board, a motion was made to deny the request. That was approved 3-2, Whitehurst and Arnold voting no.
Regular Agenda Item 3 – Enclave at World Golf – “On August 5, 2025, the Board denied John Troy and Buffie Marie Hilberts’ request to rezone approximately 18.5 acres of land from Planned Unit Development (PUD) to Workforce Housing (WH). The property is located at 3740 Pacetti Road. The Hilberts filed a request for relief from the denial under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (“FLUEDRA”). FLUEDRA provides a means to potentially resolve disputes pre-suit through a special magistrate mediation and hearing process. The FLUEDRA special magistrate mediation occurred on October 29, 2025. During the mediation, the Hilberts presented a plan to reduce the number of units in their proposed development. The parties agreed that, contingent on Board approval, the Hilberts could proceed to a public hearing on their revised proposal. If the Board does not approve scheduling a new rezoning hearing, the parties will proceed to a public FLUEDRA special magistrate hearing regarding the August 2025 rezoning denial.”
The presentation and vote can be found here: Agenda Item 2
This was not a rezoning request but a consideration of whether to schedule it for a rezoning hearing or allow it to continue to a FLUEDRA hearing. No action was taken by the Board so it will continue to a public FLUEDRA hearing.
Regular Agenda Item 4 – Appointment the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) – Tom Turner was appointed to the AHAC with a unanimous vote
Commissioner’s Reports
Commissioner Arnold brought forth complaints being raised aboutstreet parking in Silverleaf and impacton school bus drop-offs. She requested and received consensus for staff to meet with SJSO and the School District to come up with solutions.
Commissioner Joseph recognized the loss of a long time employee at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Lodge, Sidey Austin. He was a part of the community and his loss is felt. She also brought up concerns about Home Rule. She referenced comments from Commissioner Whitehurst at a previous meeting and asked to form a task force to push back on home rule. As part of establishing the task force, she suggested firing the Lobbying firm, The Florida Group, because she felt they have not done enough to bring these type of bills to the attention of the Commissioners. She indicated that the lobbying group not providing information is probably a breach of contract. She also feels that there is a conflict of interest because the lobbying firm also represents clients who support items that the Commission is opposed to. After discussion, Administrator Andrews indicated that staff can and will look at the contract and advise if there are any items that would be considered a breach of contract.
Commissioner Taylor brought forward concerns about Data centers and the amount of water and electricity they can take. She asked that staff draft an ordinance to eliminate Data Centers from businesses that could qualify for economic incentives, tax exemptions or abatements. And additionally, she would like to have the LDC amended to limit zoning categories where these could be located. Commissioners Whitehurst and Murphy indicated they would like more information before such a vote. Commissioner Whitehurst asked for consensus for a presentation from staff on pros and cons of data centers. Consensus was achieved.
Commissioner Murphy had no report.
Administrator Report – Administrator Andrews shared information about the upcoming budget sessions beginning May 11. You can watch the Budget sessions on-line here: https://www.sjcfl.us/watch-govtv-live/
Attorney’s Report
Only item was to discuss who will be on the Canvassing Board this year. That will be Commissioners Murphy and Whitehurst.
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Just when you think it’s going to be a short, routine Board meeting, surprises happen!
Tuesday began with recognition of Graduation of the third St. Johns County 101 Citizens Academy Graduation. County Administrator Andrews shared there are 150 people on the wait list for the program; and 29 in the current graduating class.
Check out the County Announcement about the class, with a link to the program information, at this site: Citizens Academy Graduation
Regular Agenda Items
Agenda Item 1 – Sebastian Oaks
“Request to amend the conditions of REZ 2023-16 (Ordinance 2024-09) to eliminate the requirement to construct a roundabout at the southern intersection of Old Lewis Speedway and Lewis Speedway and replace it with a condition that the developer shall adhere to St. Johns County’s standard requirement for proportionate fair share transportation mitigation, as outlined within Part 11.09.00 of the Land Development Code. The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on November 6, 2025. The Agency made a motion to recommend approval, which failed with a vote of 3-3. Support of the approval motion was made by members Spiegel, Matovina, and Perkins. Dissenting votes were made by members Olson, Hilsenbeck, and Labanowski. Member Green was absent. Discussion from the Agency members and the public was centered on the history of the project and the proposed roundabout that was included with the approval of REZ 2023-16 on 3/5/2024.”
This project was approved in March of 2024. One of the key elements in the approval was to include a roundabout for traffic calming on Lewis Speedway. The applicant is now requesting to eliminate the roundabout and pay the proportionate fair share transportation mitigation fee.
During discussion at the Board there were many questions raised about the location of the roundabout and if it would be appropriate to remove the roundabout and change back to paying the mitigation fees. There was a bit of confusion as some public comments were urging to not approve the project. This was not about the project – it is approved. It is only about the change on the roundabout. A motion was made to defer the discussion to the December 17 meeting to allow time to gather answers to the questions. The motion was approved 4:1 (Joseph.)
Agenda Item 2 – Second Reading – Amendment to Impact Fee Ordinance
This is second and final reading of the Impact Fee Ordinance. Details are at this link: Impact Fee Ordinance Change
This was approved 5:0.
Agenda item 3 – Second Reading of Ordinance amending the St. Johns County Park Ordinance, adding definitions; adding prohibition of smoking and vaping in St. Johns County beaches and parks; amending to include cigarette butts and vaping paraphernalia as defined litter.
Key Slides from the presentation:
Commissioner Whitehurst clarified with Attorney Lex Taylor that the State of Florida has a carveout for cigars so this ordinance will NOT apply to smoking cigars on the beach.
During Commissioner’s Reports, discussions took an interesting turn.
Commissioner Murphy began with reading a prepared response to the accusations levied against him at the previous Commissioner’s Meeting. He ended his remarks with a motion to recall Commissioner Joseph as Board Chair and nominated himself for the position of Board Chair. Commissioner Whitehurst seconded the motion.
After Public Comment, Commissioner Joseph spoke in rebuttal to his comments and reiterated the concerns she raised in the previous meeting.
After more discussion at the Board, vote was cast 3:2 (Joseph, Taylor voting No) and Commissioner Murphy became the Board Chair for the coming year.
As usual, I do encourage you to watch the full discussion at this link rather than rely on soundbites and edited clips that may be out of context of the full discussion. Commissioner Murphy Comments and Discussion
After this surprising twist there was little else to be share by the Commissioners.
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Tuesday began with what is typically a straightforward agenda item — the annual re-organizational meeting of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners. In recent years, however, this meeting has become less predictable, with outcomes that depart from long-standing practice.
Traditionally, the Vice-Chair has been elevated to the role of Chair, with the Vice-Chair position often assigned to a newer Commissioner as preparation for future leadership. Since 2023, that tradition has shifted. Commissioner Joseph, elected in 2022, did not serve as Vice-Chair during the 2022–2023 or 2023–2024 terms. For the 2024–2025 term, she was elevated directly to Chair, and newly elected Commissioner Murphy was selected as Vice-Chair. Many observers assumed this year’s reorganization would follow past precedent, with Commissioner Murphy moving into the Chair role and Commissioner Taylor potentially stepping into Vice-Chair.
Following the Invocation and Pledge, County Attorney Kommando outlined the procedures for the re-organizational meeting. Commissioner Taylor nominated Commissioner Murphy for Chair, and Chair Joseph nominated Commissioner Whitehurst. Chair Joseph then asked Commissioner Murphy whether he would support Commissioner Taylor for Vice-Chair; he responded, “No.” Chair Joseph stated that she could not support Commissioner Murphy for Chair.
Commissioner Whitehurst thanked Chair Joseph for the nomination but expressed a desire to uphold the traditional progression of Vice-Chair to Chair. He withdrew his name from consideration and indicated support for Commissioner Murphy.
Chair Joseph then asked Commissioner Whitehurst about his certifications and training as a Commissioner, specifically referencing Ethics training. She expressed concern that Commissioner Murphy had not attended the required training and therefore could not support him for Chair. Commissioner Murphy responded that he had completed the Ethics training over the summer, leading to additional discussion about the training and about his reasons for not supporting Commissioner Taylor for Vice-Chair.
Commissioner Murphy countered that he HAD attended the ethics training over the summer.
What followed was some debate about whether Commissioner Murphy had attended the training and why he would not support Commissioner Taylor for Vice-Chair.
During Public Comment a suggestion was made to keep the current chair. After Public Comment, the first vote was called for Commissioner Murphy. That vote failed in a 3-2 vote with the No votes being Taylor, Joseph, and in a surprise move, Commissioner Murphy himself.
Because Commissioner Whitehurst had withdrawn from consideration, Commissioner Taylor followed up on recommendations from Public Comment and nominated Commissioner Joseph to be Chair. During a long pause, Commissioner Joseph asked Commissioner Whitehurst if he was sure he didn’t want to do it; his response was to indicate he supported her for Chair.
That vote passed 3-2 with Arnold and Murphy voting no.
I encourage you to watch the discussion, public comments and following vote at this link: Re-organizational Meeting
The special meeting was adjourned and followed by the Regular Board Meeting.
Key Highlights from the Regular Board Meeting were:
Agenda Item 1 – Request to split precinct 209 and add precinct 214; reequst to reconfigure precincts 501 and 502 and add precinct 512 to allow for efficient operations on Election Day. Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes presented the request and it was approved unanimously.
Agenda item 2 – Total Earned Unused and Undistributed Revenue – “In compliance with Florida Statute, 218.36, the St. Johns County Tax Collector, Jennifer Ravan, will present a report of unused earned revenue collected for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Please note that these unused revenues have already been estimated as part of the County budget process and therefore they do not necessarily represent additional County revenue.” This was approved unanimously.
Discussion on E-Bikes – Chair Joseph recognized Director Martin of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Department to address the Board about e-bikes. He shared they have made great progress with the educational piece. House Bill 243 (HB243) has been filed with our Representative Kim Kendall being a co-sponsor of the bill. Sheriff Hardwick is participating on a committee for the bill, sharing learnings from St. Johns County.
The Sheriff’s department has purchased e-bikes of their own so they can meet the riders where they are. The focus is to make contact with riders and educate them on safety rules when needed; holding accountable if necessary.
Agenda Item 3 – this was a very lengthy request to “appeal the Planning and Zoning Agency’s (PZA) denial of a Special Use Permit to Section 2.03.26 of the Land Development Code to allow for the construction of a 150-foot monopole communication tower and support facilities within Open Rural (OR) zoning, located specifically at 1152 Fort Peyton Drive, came before the Planning and Zoning Agency for public hearing on July 17, 2025. The Planning and Zoning Agency denied the application with a vote of 6-0, Member Green was absent.”
Motion to deny the appeal was approved unanimously.
Agenda Item 4 – Epic-cure Warehouse “Request to rezone approximately 0.90 acres of land from Open Rural (OR) to Commercial Warehouse (CW) with conditions to provide consistent zoning across the overall 2.82 acre property. This request was heard by the Planning and Zoning Agency at their regularly scheduled public hearing on Thursday, October 16, 2025, and was recommended for approval by a vote of 5-0.”
This was also approved unanimously.
Agenda Item 5 – Project Dark Horse – a request to rezone approximately 11.86 acres of land from Open Rural to Planned Unit development for a 21,000 sq. ft. health/fitness facility and a 12,250 sq. ft. covered turf field on the north side of Greenbriar Rd. approximately 1.25 miles west of Longleaf Pine Pkwy.
There has been some publicity about this project as local basketball star turned ESPN broadcaster, Steffi Sorenson, is the owner of the project.
The rezoning was approved unanimously. See coverage of the project here: Dark Horse News Coverage
We’ll now jump ahead to the Commissioner’s reports:
Commissioner Whitehurst offered Happy Thanksgiving greetings and shared his views that there are still many opportunities in this country for those who work hard to succeed.
Commissioner Murphy asked for consensus to extend December 26th as a Holiday for the staff in addition to Christmas Day. County Administrator Andrews added that she was going to ask if the County could follow the Governor’s new additional Holidays, November 26th, December 26th and January 2nd. This was granted by consensus.
Commissioner Taylor shared about the recent opportunity to meet Judy Benjamin, an 81 year old Alzheimer’s Survivor who completed her almost 3000 mile walk by touching the water in St. Augustine Beach. Read more about Ms. Benjamin and her journey on her website, Judy Walks Website
She also shared about the successful start to Nights of Lights and success from improvements made to this years event. Learn more here: Night Of Lights
County Administrator Report
Administrator Andrews had 3 updates for the Commissioners. The first was a response to a request from Commissioner Taylor about LAMP Funding. They are still reviewing opportunities for additional funding including identification of possible grants in collaboration with state and federal agencies. Second was an update on the $200,000 approved for the food pantries – $117,000 has been disbursed to the 10 agencies approved thus far.
The 3rd update was presented by Jamie Locklear and Christine Valliere. In relation to the World Golf Village properties, the new owners of the Renaissance Hotel have announced a $20 Million renovation project. This shifts the negotiating position of the county considerably as there is now private sector investment coming into play for the adjacent properties. A motion was made to reject the current bids for the WGV properties in order to continue negotiations.
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First, welcome to the many new readers and subscribers gained over the last 2 weeks! I’m grateful for your support and encouragement to continue reporting.
And second, we send good wishes to Commissioner Joseph who has returned to the dais after a recent health scare. You can read more about her experience here and her advocacy of early cancer screenings here: Article on Commissioner Joseph’s Health Scare
The October 7 BOCC meeting was one of the shorter ones in recent months. As the day started, Commissioner Whitehurst asked for a moment of silence recognizing the tragic death of Flagler County’s Deputy County Administrator and his wife, Jorge and Nancy Salinas, in an automobile accident last Saturday night.
Starting off the day was a Proclamation recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month and one that always makes me happy to see, a Proclamation recognizing National 4-H Week! 4-H was one of the great parts of my childhood. Our leaders were so influential on us as young people that at one time my career aspiration was to be an Extension Agent working with 4-H Clubs myself. I’m so happy to see it is still an important part of guiding young people in their development.
Following Proclamations there were no changes to the Consent Agenda.
Regular Agenda Items
Items 1 & 2 – Hyde Park PUD
“Request for a Major Modification to the Hyde Park PUD (Ord. 2009-42, as amended) to clarify allowed uses, add prohibited uses, increase building heights, allow fencing, clarify signage, correct typographical errors, update phasing, and update the Master Development Plan (MDP) Text to reflect all proposed changes. The site is located at US Highway 1 South and Faver Dykes Road. The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on August 21, 2025. The Agency recommended approval with the condition that the phasing paragraph in the MDP Text be revised to ensure compliance. The motion to approve received a vote of 4-3 in favor. Support was made by members Perkins, Matovina, Green, and Spiegel. Dissenting votes were cast by Hilsenbeck, Labanowski, and Olson. Discussion included topics such as phasing, central utility access, the current development trends in the area, the presence of gopher burrows, the proposed increase in building heights, temporary uses, prohibited uses, and compatibility. More information can be found within the staff report.”
This is a request for modification to a PUD that was approved in 2009.
The changes requested are:
To clarify/add allowed uses
Temporary seasonal sales
Temporary display and sales vendors
Other similar uses
To add prohibited uses
Adult Uses
Vape Shops (added based on PZA recommendation 8/21/25)
To increase non-residential building heights to 45 feet
To allow fencing within the Residential area
To clarify allowed signage
To allow road improvements (alleys, decorative roads, roundabouts, etc.)
To allow clearing, grading, and agricultural activities
Correct typographical errors throughout the text
Extend the phasing; the PUD is currently active (revision provided based on PZA 8/21/25)
Update the MDP Text for all proposed changes
Both requests were denied 4-1 (Whitehurst)
Agenda items 3 – 4 NEQ Townhomes
“Request to modify the St. Johns Development of Regional Impact (“DRI”) Development Order (Resolution No. 1991-130, as amended), revising the Land Use Exchange Table to accommodate for a proposed 295 townhome units by increasing the maximum number of allowed residential units via conversion of Industrial entitlements, revise maps, update prior unit conversions, revise transportation mitigation, and update phasing expiration dates based on recent Development Order extensions pursuant to Section 252.363, Florida Statutes. This is a companion application to MAJMOD 2025-02. Located at the Intersection of International Golf Parkway and Interstate 95. This request was heard by the Planning and Zoning Agency at their regularly scheduled public hearing on Thursday, September 4, 2025, and was unanimously recommended for approval by a vote of 6-0, Member Matovina was absent from this meeting. There was a discussion among PZA members, the applicant team, and local residents regarding the potential traffic impacts of the proposed development, as well as the effectiveness of buffering and screening measures.”
This was approved 3-2 (Joseph, Taylor)
Agenda Item 5 – 155 West Genung Street
“Request to rezone approximately 10.86 acres from Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Residential Single Family (RS-2) to Open Rural (OR), located at 155 West Genung Street. The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on September 4, 2025. The Agency recommended approval with a vote of 6-0. Support was made by members Perkins, Hilsenbeck, Green, Spiegel, Labanowski, and Olson. Member Matovina was absent. Discussion at the hearing was limited. Public comments expressed support for the project, including appreciation to the applicant for their decision not to develop 15 homes on the site. An Agency member highlighted the scenic qualities of the property and noted that the decision to recommend was straightforward.”
This was one of the easiest votes in awhile – a couple wishing to preserve their land and prevent commercial development in the area. Approved Unanimously.
Agenda Items 6 & 7 – Elam Family Legacy – a request for a Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment to change the Future Land Use Map designation of approximately 5.74 acres of land from Rural/Silviculture (R/S) to Residential-A (Res-A), with a site-specific Text Amendment limiting the number of residential uses allowed on the subject property to a maximum four (4) single-family residential dwelling units.
We’ve seen a request related to this property previously as noted in the application.
“This is a request to amend the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) designation from Rural/Silviculture (R/S) to Residential-A (RES-A) for property located on Pine Island Road. The property contains approximately 5.74 total acres. The applicant is providing a text amendment to limit the site to a maximum of four (4) dwelling units. The summary provided states the property will be divided into four lots, and each will be developed with a single-family home. The applicant’s full Summary is included in Attachment 2 – Supporting Documents. The subject property has been previously approved for a Non-Zoning Variance (NZVAR 2024-19) by the Board of County Commissioners to provide relief from fines and other penalties imposed due to violations of the Land Development Code Sections 4.01.05.E.3.a, b, f, and g regarding the removal of protected trees without a permit. The applicant is requesting another Non-Zoning Variance (NZVAR 2025-15) for relief from Subdivision, Platting, Roadway Improvements, Easement, and Stormwater Management requirements as stated LDC Sections 5.01.01.C.1, 6.04.07.M.1, 6.04.07.B.2.(a), and 6.02.09. That request is currently scheduled for the Tuesday, October 7th meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, and will be dependent upon the Board’s approval of this request.”
After much discussion Commissioner Murphy made a motion to approve the variance request. It was not seconded and therefore failed. Commissioner Whitehurst then motioned to continue the discussion to the October 21 meeting. That motion passed 4:1 (Murphy)
Direction was given to meet with the neighbors prior to the next meeting.
Agenda Item 8 – Confirmation of Christine Valliere as the Economic Development Director. Ms. Valliere is a returning St.Johns County employee having served in the Legal Counsel office for many years. This was approved unanimously.
Commissioners Reports
Commissioner Whitehurst – Provided a report out on the Florida Association of Counties 2025 Innovation and Policy Conference held in Alachua County. He was particularly impressed with an Indoor Athletic Facility that had been built and paid for by tourism dollars. He is going to be pursuing the possibility to do something similar in St. Johns County. He is also interested in pursuing an idea of making executive staff have information exempt from public record requests because of some of the rising vitriol and threats against public figures. He then asked Public Affairs to run a couple of film clips from the September 16 County Commissioner Meeting. He shared concerns about social media posting leading to increasing political violence across the country and shared a post advocating violence against our public officials. He wanted to reiterate that we should not be tolerating mis-statements or encouragement of violence against public officials.
Commissioner Arnold shared information about the new Children’s Resiliency Impact initiative for improving the lives of children in St. Johns County. You can learn more about this initiative here: Children’s Advocacy Group Announcement
Commissioner Taylor offered prayers for Commissioner Joseph and talked again about SB180 that is “handcuffing” our county and preventing home rule. She again asked fellow Commissioners to consider joining the lawsuit against enactment of SB 180. Commissioner Arnold asked if there had been outreach to our state legislators who had all voted for SB180. Commissioner Taylor indicated that when she reached out to Representative Kendall, she shared that she did not know about that last second addition to the bill before she voted on it. Commissioner Taylor stated that Representative Kendall “had no idea this was stripping away home rule.”
Commissioner Whitehurst indicted he did not want to join the lawsuit, primarily because by the time a lawsuit made it’s way through the judicial system, the law would be sunsetted. He also indicated that if Representative Kendall is opposed to the law, the county can ask the legislative delegation to repeal the law.
Commissioner Murphy has been contacting Representatives Sapp and Greco to talk about the repeal or change of SB180. He agreed with Commissioner Whitehurst that a lawsuit would be too drawn out and cuts the legs off for our Representatives. He wants to give our Legislators an opportunity to do something about this in the next session.
Commissioner Taylor also shared about a Nights of Lights informational meeting that was held to discuss the going forward plans to address traffic and parking for the next Nights of Lights event.
Commissioner Murphy shared about the Every Bottle Back program for recycling of plastic bottles from the Florida Beverage Association. He asked for and received consensus for County staff to explore this further. Learn more about the program here: Every Bottle Back
He also raised the topic of the septic to sewer issue in Treasure Beach. Consensus was granted for staff to look into this further.
Lastly he brought up the topic of the Leash Law and how it impacts training of dogs. He asked for future discussion of a possible change.
Commissioner Joseph brought up a request from the Ponte Vedra Condo Association about a pedestrian bridge they maintain. They would like to see changes to their agreement with the county prior to making these repairs. Consensus was given for staff to look at possible changes. And she added thanks for all the cards and prayers.
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Beth Tate 