The boundaries of a proposed 200-acre development near the busy intersection of Interstate 95 and State Road 16 in St. Johns County | St. Johns County
Published on October 21, 2026 at 2:28 pm
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Development is coming to nearly 250 acres of farmland in St. Johns County thanks to approvals by the Board of County Commissioners.
Elected officials approved two applications that came by way of a new state law that makes it easier for developers to build on agricultural land. Doing so requires that land be certified as an agricultural enclave — land zoned for agricultural uses surrounded by land already zoned for denser uses like residential housing.
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As applications to build on farmland have poured into the county, St. Johns’ leaders have committed to fighting the law. Still, two projects received approvals this week.
The first came from a company connected to West Palm Beach developer Atlantic Land Cos. That proposal is expected to bring some 260 homes to the end of Carter Road, southeast of the busy Interstate 95/State Road 16 interchange.
County Commissioners previously denied an application to build almost 400 homes in the same area.
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The County Commission approved the developer’s request by a 4-1 vote, with County Commissioner Ann Taylor dissenting. She expressed misgivings about the hard line the county had taken on a number of other agricultural enclave requests and her own concerns about whether the land met the requirements set by the state law
Before county commissioners OK’d the project, a number of nearby residents expressed concern that the development will upset the quiet way of life they enjoy.
“I just can’t imagine people living in 300 homes at the end of Carter Road coming in and out and in and out and in and out,” one speaker said. “It just blows my mind that this is even considered.”
Attorney Brad Wester noted that the future neighborhood at the end of Carter Road would have fewer homes per acre than a neighboring community to its east.
More development to come
The St. Johns County Commission approved a second agricultural enclave development Tuesday — a 40.5-acre proposal near the Six Mile Creek community near World Golf Village.
That property, owned by members of the local Chapman family, has previously been used for cattle operation and equestrian boarding and breeding.
To secure support from the County Commission, representatives for the landowner agreed to bring the allowable five units per acre down to just two.
The approval on that neighborhood, which is tentatively called Pacetti Oaks, came by a 3-2 vote.
More enclaves to come
The County Commission opted not to make a final decision about a third enclave project, called Star IV, southeast of World Golf Village. That project was previously withdrawn and resubmitted, but county commissioners delayed voting until the board’s Nov. 3 meeting, citing procedural concerns.
A fourth enclave proposal, a 600-acre project east of the Trailmark community, was withdrawn from the county’s agenda before it could be discussed.
Legal challenges are underway, too, over another project filed using the agricultural enclave law.
St. Johns County denied a more-than-4,000-acre proposal near Nocatee, but the PARC Group, the developer behind it and Nocatee itself, has sued St. Johns County over the decision.
In a statement, PARC Group President Chris Pilinko said the application met state requirements.
“Certification is only the first step,” he said. “Any future proposals will be subject to comprehensive review and permitting through St. Johns County and state agencies and must be planned with careful attention to infrastructure and conservation.”
