Comprehensive Plan Update and New Strategic Plan Public Meetings

• 6 February 2024
• Category: Comprehensive Plan SJC News Strategic Plan
• Tags: 2024

Editor’s Note: St. Johns County will hold three more public meetings as part of the Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan public outreach in March.

March 26, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at W.E. Harris Community Center, 400 E. Harris St., Hastings

March 27, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at The Waterworks Building, 184 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine

March 28, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Creekside High School, 100 Knights Lane, St. Johns

As St. Johns County embarks on an aggressive public engagement effort for community participation in an update of its Comprehensive Plan and a new Strategic Plan, meeting dates have been announced, as well as other opportunities to participate. Community meetings will be held from Feb. 20 to Feb. 22, with additional meetings in different parts of the county to be scheduled in March.

Upcoming meetings will be:

• Feb. 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Pacetti Bay Middle School Auditorium, 245 Meadowlark Lane
• Feb. 21, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Southeast Branch Library, 6670 US 1 South
• Feb. 22, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A North

The specific dates and locations for March meetings are being finalized and will be publicly announced later.

The Comprehensive Plan is a state-required document that is required to be evaluated for updates at least every 7 years and is designed to guide the future actions of a jurisdiction. For St. Johns County it will present a long-range vision for a community’s future with long-range goals, objectives, and policies.

The Strategic Plan is St. Johns County’s attempt to engage the public to develop strategic priorities and guide the allocation of resources in the future.

St. Johns County is excited that the Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan consultants have teamed up to create unique opportunities to capture public feedback on these two important initiatives. Although the plans are different, both are designed to help us plan for the short-term and long-term future of the community. These community meetings will create a collaborative environment for information sharing. BerryDunn is leading the Strategic Plan efforts, and Inspire Placemaking Collective is spearheading the Comprehensive Plan update.

In addition to the in-person meetings, St. Johns County has announced the availability of public kiosks throughout the community with printed copies of the Comprehensive Plan survey. Those locations are:

• Anastasia Island Branch Library, 124 Sea Grove Main St.
• Bartram Trail Branch Library, 60 Davis Pond Blvd.
• Hastings Branch Library, 6195 S. Main St.
• Main Branch Library, 1960 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd.
• Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd.
• Southeast Branch Library, 6670 US 1 South
• St. Johns County Utility Department, 1205 State Road 16
• St. Johns County Permit Center, 4040 Lewis Speedway
• St. Johns County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View

The public can also access the Comprehensive Plan at www.SJCPlanUpdate.com to provide feedback through an online survey and interactive idea wall, as well as download and electronically share the printed version of the survey.

Michael Roberson, Director of Growth Management, said, “Offering these opportunities for the public to get a paper survey to submit is critical. They can share the survey with their neighbors and encourage them to get involved. The kiosks are helping us bridge the digital divide with those who may not be able to access the survey electronically.”

The Comprehensive Plan update public engagement efforts were presented to the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 21. The plans help residents identify their vision for the future of the community, coordinates local decision making, and provides guidance to landowners and developers. The Comprehensive Plan is broken down into chapters, referred to as elements, which each cover a different topic area. The Elements included within the current St. Johns County Comprehensive Plan are: Land Use Element, Transportation Element, Housing Element, Infrastructure Element, Coastal Conservation Element, Recreation Open Space Element, Intergovernmental Coordination Element, Capital Improvements Element, and Property Rights Element.