ST. JOHNS, Fla. – If you drive down Fruit Cove Road in St. Johns County, you can’t help but notice the signs voicing opposition to a rezoning proposal. It would bring a townhome and apartment development to a predominantly rural neighborhood.
Fruit Cove is in the northwest portion of St. Johns County. Residents have contacted News4JAX to voice their concerns about this new construction, saying St. Johns County is struggling to keep up with exponential growth.
John and Magan Hartley live in what they say is their dream home.
“We have goats and chickens in the back, and our neighbors have horses, and all this would be at risk if this gets rezoned,” said John Hartley, who’s opposed to the rezoning.
They moved to rural St. Johns County to escape urban sprawl, saying RISE: A Real Estate Company’s proposal to build new townhouses and apartments puts it all at risk.
″In the plans that we’ve seen there are 3-4 story high-rises that actually butt up against our property line, just a stone throw, 30 feet away from our driveway.” Harley said.
The Hartleys join hundreds of families who are against the plan on 36 acres of land along Fruit Cove Road currently zoned for both rural and residential development.
According to RISE’s site plan, the company wants to build age-restricted apartments and a townhome community. Developers would need the county’s approval to rezone a portion of the land in order to build.
“Our group’s message is just plain and simple: No rezoning,” said Magan Hartley. “We’re not open to a conversation about anything else. This area should stay as open, rural, as it’s always been and has always intended to be.”
Jeremy McAllee is a firefighter and Fruit Cove resident.
″We’re losing the overall mystique of our Fruit Cove area,” McAllee said.
He worries construction would create excessive traffic, adding that St. Johns County schools are already bursting at the seams with students.
“I have a 10-year-old son who just got rezoned to Julington Creek Elementary. He spent three weeks in a portable classroom because they are already overcrowded,” McAllee said.
Residents have created a Facebook page called Save Fruit Cove Road, and they’ve started a Change.org org petition that, as of Monday, was nearing 2,000 signatures.
A request Monday for comment from RISE was not returned by publication of this article, but it’s important to note that its business offices were closed for Labor Day.
News4JAX spoke by phone with St. Johns County Commissioner Christian Whitehurst, who said the developers haven’t filed for an official application for rezoning nor had they submitted a comprehensive plan to the county.
Whitehurst invited the public to attend the first meeting to voice their opinions the evening of Sept. 14 at Fruit Cove Middle School. It’s from 5:30-6:30 p.m.