Proposed St. Johns County industrial park for KeHE rejected in Elkton
A plan to bring an "industrial park" to State Road 207 and County Road 305 failed to move forward after lengthy public comment, including concerns about how it might change the character of a rural piece of St. Johns County.
Developer Chris Shee sought a Comprehensive Plan change for about 92 acres from Agricultural-Intensive to Industrial. The project proposed to bring "up to 1.25 million square feet of light industrial and warehouse uses," according to county documents.
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The project would include the "opportunity to grow food vertically indoors (spec warehouse) and packaging and distribution opportunities for local farmers," according to Shee's presentation.
County commissioners recently voted 4-1 against sending the request to state agencies for a review. Commission Chair Henry Dean voiced support for the project and voted against the motion to deny the transmittal.
"I find this facility pretty much totally compatible with farming, and ... it's my opinion that this facility, if it's approved and built, will actually discourage residential rooftops," Dean said.
Shee said KeHE, a food distributor with a location in St. Johns County, planned to move its regional headquarters to the site. But that and other touted benefits weren't enough to convince commissioners to vote for the project.
Commissioner Paul Waldron made the motion to deny the transmittal of the project.
"I do have concerns that it's far out on 207 with no other infrastructure coming that way for many years," he said.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: St. Johns County rejects KeHE's industrial park in Elkton
