Tuesday’s meeting has some important topics including new parks and updates on the Live Local Act
There are 3 Proclamations to be issued at Tuesday’s meeting;
Recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month
Recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Recognizing National Library Week
Consent Agenda
Two items of interest on the Consent Agenda are:
Consent Agenda Item 21 – Issuance of bonds by the Housing Finance Authority of St. Johns County to finance or refinance rehabilitation, construction and development of a multifamily housing project known as Summerset village and Summer Breeze Apartments.
These are existing apartments located in St. Augustine. Background materials are here: Consent Agenda Item 21
Consent Agenda item 22 is an event approval for 3 Triathalon events to take place at Vilano Beach. These events are sponsored by Game On Race Events. The event has been moved from Mickler’s Landing because of the current renourishment project.
Learn more here: Game On Triathlon
Link to Materials: Consent Agenda Item 22
Regular Agenda
Agenda Item 1 – Regional Park and Community Service Center Plan is a review of a plan for 4 full-service regional parks Parks Presentation
Agenda Item 2 – State Funded Florida Shared-Used Nonmotorized Trail Network Program Agreements. In a nutshell, the Florida Legislature allocated $26,277,505 I FDOT Sun Trail Grant funds for 5 segments of the SUN Trail network. As a condition of the funding, the county is required to maintain the project for it’s useful life. This item is for approval to execute the agreements. Details are here: Agenda Item 2
Agenda Item 3 – Capital Improvement Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2024. This is project to reduce the cost of deb servicing for the county. Agenda Item 3
Agenda Item 4 – 1st Reading of SJC Ordinance 2022-22, Purchasing Policy, including Local Preference.
In September 2023 there was a proposed change to the Local Preference section of the Purchasing Policy. Concerns were raised that these changes could have unintended negative consequences so the Board asked the Purchasing Director to meet with the Chamber of Commerce and bring back a recommendation. This is the updated ordinance.
Materials are here: Agenda Item 4
For transparency, as Chair of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee, I was part of the discussions with the County.
Agenda Item 5 – Public Hearing Bella Terra PUD – to rezone 37.73 acres of land from Open Rural, Commercial General, and Commercial Intensive with conditions to Planned Unit Development for a maximum of 155 homes. Bella Terra has come before the Board in the past with other proposed zoning. Planning and Zoning Agency approved this one 5-2 at the March 7 PZA hearing.
Some of the background on past hearings:
March 7, 2023 – request to rezone 26 acres of land from Open Rural and Commercial Intensive with Conditions to PUD for 174 multi-family residential dwelling units. This request was unanimously denied by the Board.
May 25, 2023 – request for a waiver to reapply for rezoning before the required 1 year wait period.
July 18, 2023 – the Board heard the appeal and approved the waiver of the 1 year waiting period with a 3:2 vote, Joseph and Whitehurst being the no votes.
Link to materials is here: Bella Terra PUD
Agenda Item 6 – Fidus Warehouse & RV/Boat Storage – Request to rezone 4.7 acres from Open Rural to Industrial Warehousing with conditions to waive any right to develop the property pursuant to the Live Local Act. This has become a hot button for development. This is located at SR 16, west of Race Track Road. This should not be confused with Race Track Road on the northern border of the county.
Materials are here: Agenda Item 6
Agenda Item 7 – ABC Fine Wine and Sprits – Appeal the PZA denial of a request to allow ABC Fine Wine and Sprits to be established within 1,000 feet of an existing church and school. Materials are here: Agenda Item 7
Agenda Item 10 – Petition to Establish the Orange Branch CDD. This CDD will serve the residential portions of The Landings at St. Johns and The Landings at Greenbriar Planned Unit Developments. Background materials are here: Agenda Item 10
The two PUDs will have a total of 1,349 single family residential units. The CDD is being established to fund improvements to the Infrastructure improvements. This means the future residents of these two communities will be responsible for the yearly CDD fees that will pay for these improvements. Improvements listed are:
- Offsite Roadway and Utility Improvements (Wetland Mitigation/Earthwork/Utilities/Pavement/Storm/Electric Relocation)
- Master Stormwater Drainage System (Earthwork and Stormwater Facilities)
- Roadway Infrastructure (Pavement/Storm)
- OnsiteLift Station/Master Utilities (WM/San/Reuse)
- Entry and Pod Hardscape (Signage and Mail Kiosks)
- Landscape and Irrigation Improvements
- Common Areas and Neighborhood Parks
- Common Amenity
- Traffic Circle Improvements
- Tree Mitigation for onsite impacts
- Electrical Conduits and Street Lights
- Wetland Mitigation for onsite impacts (40 Acres)
The establishment of the CDD will grant the CDD powers to finance, fund, plan, establish, acquire, construct, reconstruct, enlarge or extend, equip, operate and maintain systems and facilities for: (1) parks and facilities for indoor and outdoor recreational, cultural, and educational uses; (2) security, including but not limited to guardhouses, fences and gates, electronic intrusion-detection systems, and patrol cars, as authorized and described in Section 190.012(2), Florida Statutes.
Agenda Item 11 – Presentation of the 2024 Live Local Act Glitch Bill. Recent meetings have seen concerns raised about the preemptions allowed by the Live Local Act related to the construction of multi-family developments in commercial, industrial or mixed-use lands. In 2024, the Florida Legislature approved a “glitch bill” to address some of the concerns. At the March 5 meeting the Commissioners requested an update on the Glitch Bill. The two bills are Senate Bill 328 and House Bill 7073. They are currently awaiting the Governor’s signature.
Links to Bills:
Link to the Presentation is here: Live Local Glitch Bill Presentation
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Beth Tate 