Nassau County panel advises replat, utility review for McSwain Grove lot split

The Nassau County Development Review Committee on July 15 advised an applicant seeking to divide a 0.6-acre lot in the McSwain Grove area into two lots that the proposal will require a replat and additional approvals before moving forward.

At the meeting, an applicant representative said the property owner, identified in materials as Nicole Simone of IMUA Property Investments, wants to split the 0.6-acre lot directly in half to create two roughly 0.3-acre parcels, each about 84.6 feet wide by 150 feet long. The applicant said the survey by Exacta Surveyors had not been delivered as of the night before the meeting.

County staff said the lot lies in a platted subdivision and therefore cannot be split by survey alone; it must be processed as a replat under Nassau County Code chapter 29-14. Caleb Hurst, development services director, told the applicant the county will require a preliminary plat review followed by a final plat and the submission of a mylar for recording. Hurst also said the county would consider the project de minimis for traffic and likely would not require a traffic study.

Constance Lake, deputy floodplain administrator in the building department, said that “per our FEMA FIRM 239G, this is an X flood hazard zone,” and offered to answer questions from the surveyor. Hurst said the county will need proof of St. Johns River Water Management District approval or an exemption before plat acceptance; staff indicated they expect an exemption is likely for adding a single lot but that formal documentation is required.

Planning staff noted existing improvements on the parcel. “Per our code, if the shed is on the same parcel as the house, that’s fine. But if that lot line splits the shed so it’s by itself, it’s unfortunately going to have to be demolished,” Stephanie Kaiser, planning, said. Staff advised the applicant to provide a survey showing all existing structures so setbacks and lot coverage can be confirmed.

Ronnie Nestor of the health department said the county’s on-site sewage and potable water rules will also affect the feasibility of the split. Nestor said on-site well and septic service generally requires an average lot width of 100 feet, and the health department “really require[s] to have a half-acre usable lot” in many circumstances; with parcels of about 0.3 acres, Nestor said the owner would likely need to connect to public water and sewer or seek a variance. He said a variance is possible but “time consuming” and advised that the variance committee meets monthly.

Staff also told the applicant the county requires 6-foot sidewalks along the frontage under section 11-7-1 of the land development code. Hurst said there is a fee-in-lieu option for sidewalk construction in some cases and staff would review whether that option applies. He told the applicant the county will provide the plat application and sidewalk/fee-in-lieu details after the meeting.

County staff recommended the applicant follow up with a completed survey and submit a preliminary plat application; staff will provide written comments and the required application materials. The committee did not take a formal vote; members provided technical comments and direction for next steps.

Next steps described at the meeting: the applicant’s surveyor should prepare a replat showing all existing improvements and setbacks, obtain any required St. Johns River Water Management District documentation, determine whether public water and sewer are available or pursue a variance, and submit a preliminary plat application to Development Services.