Circuit Judge Howard O. McGillin Jr. ruled Wednesday, Aug. 26, that St. Johns County commissioners acted within their authority when they unanimously rejected a proposed 3,332-home development on 2,673 acres west of Interstate 95.
The ruling hands Robinson Improvement Co. and Boston-based developer Freehold Communities a significant legal setback. But a separate federal lawsuit and a possible state appeal mean the fight over the land between County Roads 208 and 214 is not over.
The project, sometimes called an "agrihood" for its planned integration of agricultural land, would have placed 2,077 single-family homes, 340 townhomes and 915 age-restricted houses on a tract county planners describe as rural.
Robinson had challenged the Board of County Commissioners' November 2024 denial on three grounds: that commissioners treated the company unfairly, misapplied Florida law and lacked sufficient evidence to reject the project. McGillin rejected all three arguments, the St. Johns Citizen reported.
The judge found Robinson had adequate opportunity to present its case before both the Planning and Zoning Agency and the full commission.
At the heart of the dispute was a 2019 county decision that designated the property for possible residential development and set a cap of 3,332 homes. Robinson argued that figure amounted to a promise. McGillin disagreed, ruling the cap was a maximum, not a guarantee, and that commissioners retained authority to evaluate whether a specific plan fit the area.
A staff report cited in the ruling stated that building more than 3,000 homes on the tract would drastically alter the area's rural character. Residents who testified before the commission raised concerns about density, small lots, traffic and infrastructure demands. McGillin found the county could reasonably maintain the property's existing Open Rural zoning.
The ruling also addressed a 2025 recommendation from Special Magistrate J. Michael Traynor, who had found the denial unfairly burdened Robinson's property rights. Traynor recommended modifications including fewer homes, larger lots and land set aside for a school, fire station and commercial uses. McGillin turned that finding against Robinson, writing that Traynor's recommendations demonstrated why the original proposal did not fit the surrounding area.
"As there is still ongoing litigation in federal court on this matter, I cannot comment at this time," Robinson attorney Zachary Miller told the St. Johns Citizen on Wednesday.
St. Johns County and Freehold Communities did not comment publicly on the ruling.
Robinson has a separate federal case pending against St. Johns County. The company alleges the county violated its constitutional property rights and reneged on development rights promised in exchange for land needed to build County Road 2209. That case is in mediation, according to court records cited in the Citizen's report.
The two cases challenge the same rezoning denial but on different legal grounds. The state case tested whether the county followed proper procedure and had evidence for its decision. The federal case alleges a constitutional violation. Wednesday's ruling does not resolve the federal matter.
Robinson can also appeal McGillin's decision to a state appellate court. No filing deadline or next hearing date has been publicly announced for either proceeding.
