Putnam County OKs rezoning for 443-acre motorsports planned unit development, subject to state review

Putnam County commissioners voted Oct. 14 to approve a zoning map amendment that would rezone roughly 443 acres at the intersection of State Road 100 and County Road 309 from agriculture to planned unit development (PUD) to allow a motorsports complex that the applicant says will include educational facilities, driver‑training, lodging, retail, commercial and some industrial uses.

Zachary Baker of Putnam County Planning and Development, presenting staff’s recommendation, told the board the parcel abuts K Larkin Airport, a St. Johns River Water Management District facility and the Putnam County Business Park. Baker said staff is recommending approval with a development agreement included as Attachment 2.6 (page 217 of the agenda) and noted that the ordinance’s effective date would not occur until the state completes an expedited review of the companion future‑land‑use map amendment.

The development is proposed as a motorsports complex that, according to staff presentation, will include driver training and race‑type activities along with lodging and other commercial support. Baker said the site contains sporadic jurisdictional wetlands and a special flood hazard area on its southern portion; the applicant will need a wetland delineation and any required mitigation, and later state permits for water management and environmental compliance.

Commissioners disclosed ex parte contacts with the applicant before the second reading; the board then called for the applicant to address specific concerns raised by nearby residents, primarily noise. Patrick Kennedy, speaking for the applicant, said the development agreement includes options to achieve a specified decibel level before sound reaches the property boundary, and that the applicant will use a combination of berms, fences and vegetation as noise‑abatement measures.

Baker told the board that, under the county’s procedures, the zoning amendment would not be effective until the Florida Department handling the expedited review accepts the future‑land‑use amendment; staff expected a response on the state review process by Oct. 25, 2025. If the state approves, the project will proceed through the county’s development‑review committee (preliminary and final site‑plan submittals) and then require the usual state permits for sewer, water and other environmental approvals.

There was no public comment submitted on the record during the hearing. A motion to adopt the ordinance and development agreement carried; the transcript records the board voting “All in favor, say aye,” and the chair saying “Motion carries.” The record does not include a roll‑call tally in the transcript.

Next steps: the PUD ordinance will not take effect until the county receives the state’s acceptance of the companion future‑land‑use amendment; if that occurs the board will schedule a public hearing to consider adoption, including the option to adopt with conditions or deny the request.

Why this matters: the project would change an agricultural parcel adjacent to existing county infrastructure and an airport to a mixed‑use motorsports and training facility. The development will require additional technical studies (wetland delineation, floodplain and stormwater design) and separate state permitting before vertical construction can begin.