The Clay County Board of County Commissioners voted on Nov. 10 to approve two separate PUD-related land-use items after hours of presentations and public comment focused on drainage, traffic and housing alternatives.

Item 37: COMP 25-0012 and PUD 25-0005
Jenny Breil, zoning chief, summarized a small-scale comprehensive plan amendment and companion rezoning for a 16.34-acre site at the intersection of County Road 218 and State Road 21, changing the future land use from rural residential to urban fringe and allowing a planned unit development. Developer Frank Miller said the proposal has been scaled down through community advisory meetings to 59 single-family lots with larger lots adjacent to existing neighborhoods.

Neighbors raised flooding and drainage concerns, noting long-standing water problems in nearby backyards; county engineer Richard Smith said staff had received preliminary plans but would require a state permit and review and that drainage must be carried to the same outfall and not increase post-development runoff. Commissioners discussed the Live Local Act and the tradeoff of approving 59 single-family lots instead of potentially higher-density multi-family development if the board denied the amendment.

After discussion, the board approved the comprehensive-plan amendment and rezoning on a 3-2 vote. Supporters said the proposal was the best outcome for this location after multiple rounds of negotiation with the community and staff; opponents pointed to unresolved drainage and the effect of cumulative development.

Item 38: PUD amendment (Lake Asbury commercial parcel)
A separate PUD amendment for a commercial parcel in Lake Asbury was presented that would modify allowed commercial uses, building sizes and access to include a small county-owned triangle parcel. The Community Advisory Council and Planning Commission recommended approval; commissioners negotiated limits on uses (deleting an auto-parts use and restricting stand-alone car washes) and approved the sale/incorporation of the county parcel and the rezoning unanimously 5-0.

Votes and next steps
The COMP/PUD package for the 16.34-acre infill site was approved 3-2 after the board weighed constituent concerns against state statutory constraints and the risk that denial could produce a denser outcome under state law. The Lake Asbury commercial PUD passed with conditions 5-0 after staff and the applicant agreed to remove or limit certain uses and to address access and buffering in site plans.

Commissioners asked staff to continue close review of drainage plans and to ensure St. Johns River Water Management District permits and as-built verification are completed before issuing development permits.

What it means: The approvals clear the path for the developer to proceed with final engineering and permitting; residents objecting to drainage and traffic impacts indicated they will continue to press staff and the board for mitigation.