Agricultural enclaves in St. Johns County: What got approved, what got denied, what’s heading to court
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
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Agricultural enclaves in St. Johns County have been a hot-button issue for months — so News4JAX went through the records to find out exactly what’s been approved, what’s been denied and what’s coming next.So far, three agricultural enclave applications have been approved, totaling more than 550 acres. Two more applications are set to be heard next week, and a legal challenge is already underway over one of the county’s denials.What is an agricultural enclave?Agricultural enclaves fall under a state law that opponents argue gives developers a streamlined path to convert agricultural land into residential development.Residents have been vocal in their opposition.“It is not a suitable thing,” one resident said during a public meeting. “We don’t have the infrastructure in place to handle any more homes and families and traffic in that area.”Others have raised concerns about the intent behind the law itself.“There’s no principled reason for this project to exist other than somebody wrote a