“Agrihood” has risen from the municipal grave.
A special magistrate applied a legal defibrillator to Robinson Improvement Co.’s plan to build up to 3,332 homes on 2,673 acres between County Road 208 and County Road 214, south of the St. Augustine Outlets.
Former Circuit Court Judge J. Michael Traynor said last week the St. Johns County Commission trampled on the applicant’s property rights when it unanimously rejected a rezoning bid last November, in a ruling issued under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act.
Why the Ruling Matters
Traynor opined that the landowner — whose family has owned the tract for more than a century — reasonably expected that it would eventually be rezoned for housing.
That assumption arose from a 2019 amendment to the county’s comprehensive plan, which gave the tract a Residential-B designation — a land-use category intended for low-to-moderate density homes.
The amendment specifically noted that a formal rezoning request was anticipated by 2026.
By denying Robinson’s rezoning in 2024, Traynor wrote, the county unfairly impinged on the company’s property rights and ignored its own long-term growth plans.
What Traynor Recommends
While siding with Robinson in his ruling, Traynor did not call for the bulldozers to start rolling.
Instead, he recommended a phased approval process, with conditions designed to address community concerns:
- County Road 2209 must be built before homes are occupied.
- No more than 350 units could be built by 2031, with phased stages after that.
- Large-lot buffers would protect neighboring rural properties.
- Land would be set aside for a fire station, school, and commercial uses.
While Traynor’s recommendations are nonbinding, they carry significant influence.
If the county ignores them, Robinson could opt to take the county to court and use Traynor’s findings against it.
A Project Resurrected
The county commission’s denial last fall, following a unanimous recommendation against the project from its planning and zoning board, had led many to believe the Agrihood was done.
A parade of residents opposed it on grounds of traffic, disruption of the area’s rural profile and infringement on wildlife habitats.
“I just don’t think this proposal is ready for prime time,” Board Commissioner Sarah Arnold said before voting against the proposal during the November meeting. “It’s not that there won’t be a day when it’s appropriate, but I do not think that time is now.”
The “Agrihood” model touts developments that incorporate agricultural accents like event barns and working farms that create a “Farm to Table Lifestyle.”
Developer Freehold Communities — the firms behind Shearwater — asserted that the concept had been proven successful elsewhere.
Robinson Improvement Company was founded more than a century ago by early St. Johns landowner John Robinson.
His great-great grandson, Len Carter, represented the company at a prior meeting touting the project.
“Because of their Agrihood concept and their other excellent developments in Florida, we think it’s a wonderful fit for the property, the area and John Robinson’s legacy,” Carter said.
