St. Johns Commissioners Approve Land Use Changes for The Landings

An area that was once used by the U.S. Navy as a bombing range is set to become part of St. Johns County’s population boom.

St. Johns County commissioners approved six items clearing the way for development of The Landings at Greenbrier and The Landings at St. Johns by Pulte Homes south of Greenbrier Road and west of Longleaf Pine Parkway on the county’s west side. The area was used by the U.S. Navy from 1940-1961 as Switzerland Air Field.

For The Landings at Greenbrier, the commission approved a zoning change from open to rural to planned unit development on approximately 382 acres of land for the construction of a maximum of 588 single-family homes. The land use change for The Landings at St. Johns was from open rural to residential single family on approximately 581 acres for the construction of a maximum of 761 single-family homes. In addition, The Landings at St. Johns is designed to be an age-restricted community for residents 55 and over.

Ellen Avery Smith, attorney with Rogers Towers representing the developer, said the company also plans to pay for additional road improvements beyond those required by the state’s concurrency regulations.

“You’re getting a lot of transportation construction in that area both from the county and from private construction,” she said.

Smith said project engineering and permitting is expected to be completed in 2024 with the closing on the first homes anticipated in 2026. She said the road improvements will be completed before the first closing date.

Commissioner Krista Joseph said she has some concerns about the project and ultimately voted against approval of the land use and zoning changes.

“I was driving around and this looks like it’s going to be a lot denser,” she said.

Resident Christine Mullis, speaking for several homeowners among the current subdivisions in the area, echoed Joseph’s concern about lot sizes and density.

“This is out of character with every other subdivision,” she said. “Since the very first community meeting we have been asking Pulte to do their own research of existing lot sizes and they have ignored us. We are not anti-development and we would support this development if they increased the lot sizes.”

Public sentiment on the proposal was fairly evenly split, with several residents expressing support for the project.

“I am a resident and I am in support of this project,” said Stan Bates when he got his turn to speak. “I support smart growth in the area. I believe the county should continue to grow and not close the door on growth.”

Commissioner Henry Dean said he bases his decisions on land-use changes on two issues: compatibility and infrastructure.

“To me, that is the two-pronged test I apply,” he said. “One of the reasons these lots are smaller is this applicant is setting aside roughly 50% of the property in open space. That’s a lot of open space.”

Commission Chair Christian Whitehurst said growth in the area has been happening for a while and is likely to continue.

“We are in a 50-year trend of rapid growth,” he said. “I don’t think it’s realistic for us to think we’re going to hit the brakes and it’s going to come to a screeching halt.”