PGA Tour vs St Johns County Land Development Codes

A trial in the court of public opinion will commence Tuesday morning when the special interests of the well-heeled Ponte Vedra Beach based PGA Tour seeks to ignore the county’s Land Development Codes in a major modification request to the St Johns Board of County Commissioners.

About 185 acres of a development of regional impact that was approved 39-years ago, the planned unit development in question received nine Land Development Code waivers by the St Johns County Planning and Zoning agency in August — despite the fact that all of the PZA members had expressed concern that the precedent setting modifications were going to cause problems for the county if approved. And, yet, despite the concerns discussed, the PZA moved to approve the waivers unanimously.

Although the commissioners will vote to confirm the waivers during their regular agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, it is the citizens, who are the taxpayers burdened with the economic and environmental costs, that will be the judges of the commissioners decision.

Ponte Vedra Beach development interests; and specifically the PGA Tour who contributed thousands of dollars to the $113,210.31 war chest of District 4 County Commissioner John “Jay” Morris, own a piece of the chairman’s seat. It will be interesting to see if he recuses himself from the discussion and vote.

Once again the big money insiders will flex their collective muscles. The jury won’t be out long.

Historic City News will be watching as the votes are tabulated — both at the commission table Tuesday morning, and again at the elections office Tuesday night.