Is $500,000 for land enough?

An advisory board will meet in April to discuss ways to preserve environmentally sensitive and recreational land in St. Johns County. Preserving some natural open spaces while allowing “smart” development is essential as Florida continues to grow, said Wayne Flowers, vice chair of the Land Acquisition and Management Program Conservation Board. “The crush of people … Read more

Sold: More than 30,000 acres of timberland worth $94,122,535

In April 2020, the St. Augustine Record reported that a New York investment group had bought more than 35,500 acres of timberland in St. Johns County. I dug into St. Johns County property records to see if I could identify the exact parcels that the Sequoia Fund purchased. The Record said the fund bought the … Read more

Resident: “You went bonkers with development”

St. Johns County officials asked the state of Florida to fast-track a major change – adding 5,600 dwelling units and 2,394 acres to a huge residential development called SilverLeaf. State officials rejected the proposal, saying it exceeded both state and county guidelines. “…the County should resubmit the amendment package under the state coordinated review process … Read more

Growth management workshop draws big crowd

St. Johns County has grown by nearly 44% over the past decade, 2020 Census figures show. It’s the second-fastest growing county in Florida. On Jan. 25, county officials hosted a meeting about growth management. Dozens of residents showed up and most spoke out against overdevelopment. See transcript of meeting. Download video. See data on planned … Read more