Jacksonville rezoning proposals for Yellow Bluff draw broad concern over lot sizes, drainage and services

Councilman Mike Gay opened a community notice meeting on ordinances 20250493 and 20250494 concerning proposed rezoning near Yellow Bluff Road and Jake Road in north Jacksonville. Brian Small, representing developer BirdDog, and engineer Bill Shafer answered technical questions while dozens of residents raised concerns about flooding, tree loss, traffic and public services.

The two related ordinances would amend land-use designations on adjacent parcels. Brian Small said ordinance 20250493 applies to a roughly 6-acre parcel at the front of the site and would change that area from a rural residential designation to low-density residential; ordinance 20250494 would convert other parcels from RLD-100 (100-foot lots) to RLD-50 (50-foot lots) in order to match a recently approved subdivision to the north. Small said the southern parcel’s plan includes a stormwater pond and that the owner, Randy Donaldson, is relocating tenants and offering relocation assistance for mobile-home residents.

Why it matters: residents said the combined proposals could add roughly another several dozen to more than 100 lots behind an already-approved 189-home project and would change the character of an area many neighbors described as largely half-acre and one-acre lots. Neighbors pressed whether the city and developers can prevent increased flooding, ensure long-term pond maintenance, and verify school and traffic capacity.

Project and infrastructure details - Developer representative: Brian Small of BirdDog. Small said the project will extend sewer service from JEA “from the South all the way up to Ed Johnson Road,” which he described as a public benefit that will cost on the order of "1 to $2,000,000." He said tying into sewer would be optional for existing private properties rather than mandatory. - Approved/previous phases: Small said an earlier phase to the north was approved in 2024 for about 189 homes. For the current amendment he estimated a theoretical maximum of about 60 additional lots if no pond were required, but that a realistic post-design yield would likely be in the 30–40 lot range depending on stormwater and site-balancing needs. - Parcels and acreage: Small said 20250493 covers about 6 acres and that approximately 2 acres would remain as existing half-acre front lots while a roughly 4-acre pond would be located behind them. - Stormwater design: Bill Shafer, president of Dominion Engineering, described the stormwater approach: the project will route runoff into detention/retention ponds, with an outfall control structure containing a weir and a small orifice (Shafer said an orifice on the order of 4 inches for a project of this size) that would bleed water down over roughly 72 hours. Shafer said designs must meet St. Johns River Water Management District and city requirements and treat stormwater before discharge. - Groundwater and grading: Multiple residents raised concerns that raising fill and regrading could change groundwater vectors and increase flooding on neighboring properties. Shafer said the project’s geotechnical work will evaluate post-development groundwater levels; he stated his firm requests post-fill groundwater analysis to understand the post-developed groundwater table. - Maintenance and oversight: Shafer said state legislation and current water-management-district rules require an annual operation and maintenance cost estimate from developers, and that the district is requiring inspections (he said roughly every other year) and reporting to confirm ponds and outlet structures are being maintained.

Community concerns raised Residents pressed several recurring points: that existing drainage and roadside ditches already flood after rain events; that removing trees will reduce on-site absorption and likely increase runoff; that past projects on Yellow Bluff had promised drainage fixes that residents say did not perform as expected; that the area’s existing lot pattern is largely larger lots (half-acre to one acre) and the introduction of many 50-foot lots would be out of scale; and that schools, traffic and public-transportation capacity may be insufficient.

On schools and traffic: Brian Small said Duval County Public Schools’ concurrency review found capacity for this project, and he suggested the earliest homes would deliver in 2027–2028 if construction proceeds. On traffic, Small said the site plan includes northbound and southbound turn lanes to move turning vehicles off Yellow Bluff; he said a traffic engineer determined both a northbound right-in and a southbound left turn lane were required and are in the plans.

On tree canopy and environment: Residents asked about retaining mature trees versus planting small saplings. Small said required street trees and additional canopy trees are included in landscape plans and noted a potential funding source (he referenced a city tree fund and applications) to plant additional trees in the right-of-way. Environmental commenters warned that increased nutrient-laden runoff could aggravate algae blooms in nearby waterways.

On sewer and costs: Small said bringing sewer to the area is a developer/public benefit estimated at roughly $1–2 million. Several residents warned that when sewer is extended, property owners are often later required to tie in at their own expense.

Voices and attribution Quotes below come from speakers who addressed the meeting and are quoted using their meeting identifications. - "Good evening, and welcome to the community notice meeting in regards to bill 20 25 0 4 9 3 and 20 25 0 4 9 4," Councilman Mike Gay said at the start of the gathering. - "My name is Brian Small. My company is BirdDog," Small said when introducing himself. - Bill Shafer described design and regulatory obligations: "we have to come through with a detailed cost estimate" for pond maintenance and said the water-management district requires inspections and reporting.

Formal actions and next steps No formal votes were taken at this community notice meeting. Councilman Gay told attendees that the planning and land-use (LUZ) process and subsequent hearings remain the venues for formal action. He noted a city council public hearing on a related bill (referred to in the meeting as "590") would be held the following night and described that as the last city-hall public-hearing opportunity before council for that item; he encouraged residents to attend planning commission, LUZ, and city-council hearings and to file speaker cards.

Ending Councilman Gay closed by thanking attendees and encouraging continued participation in upcoming LUZ and city council hearings so the broader council can hear community concerns.

[Votes: none recorded at this meeting; the two ordinances remain pending before planning/land-use channels and city council.]