St. Johns County commissioners will vote Tuesday, Sept. 1, on a proposed 199-foot Verizon cell tower in the Colee Cove area along scenic County Road 13 North.

The project already has one strike against it. The Planning and Zoning Agency voted 5–2 in July to recommend denial after neighbors raised concerns about visibility, property values, wetlands, fire protection and the loss of trees, the St. Johns Citizen reported.

Four homes sit within 1,000 feet of the proposed site, according to a county report. The tower would rise on a wooded, 22.6-acre parcel east of CR 13 North, about 0.6 miles south of Joe Ashton Road.

The commission unanimously denied a separate 170-foot tower in St. Augustine Shores in April, upholding a PZA rejection based on evidence of property-value harm presented by real estate professionals. That precedent looms over the Colee Cove application.

Gulfstream Towers LLC filed the permit request (SUPMAJ 2026-09). Attorney Alison M. Yurko represented the company at the July 23 PZA hearing, and senior planner Saleena Randolph presented the county staff report, according to the PZA agenda.

The applicant argues the monopole would fill a gap in Verizon Wireless coverage, noting the nearest Verizon tower is roughly two miles northeast. Gulfstream also contends the heavily wooded property would screen the structure from surrounding homes and that the design would create less visual impact than alternative tower types.

The structure would stand 195 feet tall, topped by a four-foot lightning rod. Its 50-foot fall radius would remain entirely within the parcel, according to the application. An environmental assessment submitted with the permit found no significant adverse effects on sensitive areas.

Verizon Wireless would be the first tenant, with capacity for three additional carriers. Gulfstream says the multi-carrier design could reduce the need for future towers nearby.

The parcel lies in a county-designated Special Tower Zone, which requires hearings before both the PZA and the full commission under the Land Development Code.

The Sept. 1 hearing is open to public comment. Residents can attend the commission meeting or submit written comments through the county clerk's office.