Putnam County planning panel backs rezoning of 356‑acre Hawthorne parcel to agriculture estate

The Putnam County Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the Board of County Commissioners rezone roughly 356 acres at CR 28 in Hawthorne from Planned Unit Development (PUD) to Agriculture Estate (AE).

Michael Graves of Planning and Development Services told the commission that the property contains jurisdictional wetlands and lies in both FEMA Flood Zone X and Flood Zone A, and that the existing PUD time limits have expired. ‘‘Should the applicant's request be approved, the applicant will then be eligible…for permits compatible with the AE zoning district,’’ Graves said during the presentation.

Clay Swagger, a land planner with EDA Consultants representing the owners, said the intent is ‘‘to use it for agricultural purposes, pasture land, livestock’’ and to limit activities to non‑intensive agriculture. ‘‘The benefit to that is that it does not allow the intensive agricultural uses…which are identified in your plan as those that can have adverse impacts of noise and odor to neighbors,’’ Swagger told the commission.

During public comment, Jenna Dellet, who said she moved to Putnam County to preserve its rural character, said she welcomed the proposed rezoning: ‘‘I love how rural it is…so I want to preserve that.’’

Neighbor Randy Pardue, who lives directly across the road, said he was not opposed to limited agricultural use but warned of potential water impacts if many wells were dug on the property. ‘‘If he taps into our aquifer, Little Lake McMinkin could go down,’’ Pardue said, adding concern about recent tree clearing near the site.

Staff responded that converting the property to AE would greatly reduce potential residential density from the hundreds of homes that the expired PUD would have allowed: ‘‘At maximum right now, they could have 3 homes, 1 on each of these 100‑plus‑acre lots,’’ Graves said, and noted that any work near wetlands would require mitigation approved by the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and possibly the Army Corps of Engineers.

Commission members pressed staff on density and how prior approvals and the comprehensive plan interact with zoning. Several members said reverting the land to lower density was a positive outcome. The commission voted unanimously to recommend the rezoning; the matter will go to the Board of County Commissioners for final action on Jan. 27.

Next steps: if the BOCC approves the rezoning, the owner would be eligible to apply for building permits consistent with AE standards, including buffers from wetlands and other setbacks.