Commission denies Gulf Way Center PUD modification after residents, ecologists raise wetland concerns

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday denied a requested major modification to the Gulf Way Center PUD after residents and environmental reviewers raised concerns about impacts to an isolated wetland and nearby neighborhoods.

Applicant counsel Catherine Whittington and traffic engineer Bill Schilling told the board the request would not add square footage to the approved PUD but would remove acreage and eliminate a central isolated wetland (3.7 acres was cited in engineering testimony) to improve visibility for an anchor tenant and allow greater flexibility in how previously approved commercial square footage is allocated. The applicantontended the wetland is degraded, not habitat for listed species, and that purchased mitigation credits would offset impacts.

"This wetland has been degraded by previous ditching and stormwater systems," said certified wetland scientist Byron Peacock, who testified the siteunctions at a reduced level and that mitigation in a regional bank can provide greater long-term ecological value than the on-site fragment.

Opponents urged denial. Neighborhood leaders and residents cited groundwater and stormwater concerns, wildlife sightings and traffic impacts on surrounding roads and at a nearby middle-school crossing. "We're in a crisis right now," one resident said, describing falling water tables and arguing that removing wetlands could worsen local water-management issues.

Commission debate focused on environmental functions and local impacts. Commissioners who voted to deny the modification cited staff findings of fact and the importance of preserving remaining wetland function in an increasingly developed quadrant; the motion to deny passed 3–2.

The board also asked whether the applicant would be allowed to return with altered plans; the applicant sought a waiver to bring a new proposal within a year, but the commission did not reach consensus on that waiver.

Next steps: denial of the major modification means the PUD remains subject to its existing MDP map and acreage allocations. The applicant may revise and resubmit changes consistent with code or pursue other procedural options; staff indicated mitigation protocols and water-management district reviews would apply to any future effort to impact wetlands.