ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A St. Johns County developer will hold a community meeting Wednesday to discuss a new affordable housing development along State Road 16.
The meeting, which starts at 6 p.m., is at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort.
The development is part of a larger push to create more affordable housing in St. Johns County. It would be at the south end of Silverleaf Parkway near Wards Creek Elementary.
The Preserve at Wards Creek, which would have 288 units and 618 parking spaces for residents, would be built behind a U-Haul site that’s currently under construction in an area that’s mostly farmland.
Dominium, the developer of the affordable housing community, says the project will help essential workers and St. Johns County families who are feeling priced out of the area, which is one of the wealthiest and fastest-growing counties in Florida.
The average price of a home in St. Johns County is about $500,000, according to Redfin.com, and county leaders are working to make housing more affordable.
“What we see in St. Johns County now is that many of our essential workforce -- teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, people starting their career out, young professionals, people working in the hospitality and leisure industries -- are just priced out of the market,” said Sarah Shambrook, government relations manager for Dominium. “They don’t have the ability to purchase a home. Even if they could make the mortgage, they likely don’t have the ability to save up for a down payment. They are extremely cost-burdened by the current rental market.”
Dominium will be leading the meeting on Wednesday and will be there to answer any questions or concerns from the community.
Some neighbors told News4JAX they are worried the area doesn’t have the infrastructure to support more people.
“I’m opposed to the project and most of the people in the community are, and it’s more so not because of the affordable housing aspect of it. It’s because the infrastructure isn’t in place,” Scott Craij said. “The roadways, the school district. We have a fifth grader at Millcreek Academy. The school is completely overcrowded.”
Earlier this year, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners approved an affordable housing grant worth nearly half a million dollars. The commission also passed an ordinance last year that defers some fees for affordable housing developments.
But some neighbors tell News4JAX they don’t want the complex in their neighborhood.
“I think that a lot of people are afraid it’s going to depreciate their home values,” resident Joe Keating said. “Other than that, it’ll be good for St. Johns County.”