Land Development Code amendment workshop announced

Before a number of proposed Land Development Code Amendments are enacted in St. Johns County, Historic City News readers are invited to comment during a public workshop at 3:00 p.m. on July 7th.

The discussion will cover subject matter regarding the following proposed amendments to Article II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, IX, X, and XII of the Land Development Code.

St. Johns County will hold a public workshop regarding the amendments in the first floor conference room of the Permit Center, located at 4040 Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine.

• Rural Industry: This amendment would allow, via Special Use Permit Rural Industry, uses such as, but not limited to lawn maintenance and landscaping businesses where the business requires employees who do not live onsite, and generally involve equipment, materials, tools or supplies storage, on lots five acres and larger within the Open Rural (OR) zoning designation.
• Access: This amendment would require that residential developments of more than two-hundred dwelling units to provide a secondary access, and for residential developments of more than six-hundred dwelling units provide a tertiary access in an effort to provide more efficient access points for fire rescue/emergency medical services access, evacuation (site design – street layout), traffic congestion and hazard, and public safety.
• Special Events: This amendment would create a Special Use process for special event businesses such as, but not limited to private parties, weddings, and other gatherings within Open Rural (OR) and residentially zoned areas, and provide supplemental provisions for the mitigation of these types of uses on neighboring properties.
• Fence Height Measurement: This amendment would clarify language for the measurement of fences when placed upon berms or retention walls.

Various additional amendments have been prepared at the request of the Board of County Commissioners and Administration, or at the suggestion of staff, and mostly address and revise the Land Development Code for clarity and flexibility.

Some examples include increased financial penalties for un-permitted tree removal and clarifying the standard for review of zoning variances.

Staff anticipates that this working draft will be amended upon community feedback, and a draft version of the proposed ordinance will be available a week after the workshop. One or more St. Johns County Commissioners may attend and participate.