County begins process to remove land use maps from Comprehensive plan

County commissioners took the first steps Tuesday to remove two more Future land use maps from its comprehensive plan. The land use maps were created in 2005 setting forth areas east of Carrabelle where the St. Joe Company hoped to build some substantial developments. The two land use maps removed Tuesday are called Marina Village Center and Carrabelle East; they designate areas where the St. Joe Company had planned to build about 3400 houses. The commission removed two other land use maps from its comp plan in May which would have allowed about 1000 additional homes. The future land use maps removed in May were never officially adopted into the county’s comprehensive plan because of a legal action taken by Don and Pamela Ashley who live on St. James Island, but the two land use maps the county is working to repeal now were approved by the county and the state and were officially added to the county’s comprehensive plan. If Tuesday’s action gets final approval from the state, all of the property will return to agricultural zoning. At the time the future land use maps were approved in 2005, the US was going through a construction boom, and commissioners felt St. Joe would develop the land relatively quickly. The US economy has changed substantially since that time and now the commission feels repealing the future land use maps is necessary to protect Franklin County from a glut of buildable lots in the future. State estimates are that Franklin County’s population will be around 13,700 people by 2020 and there are more than enough lots in Franklin County ready for construction already without adding St. Joe land to the mix. The St. Joe Company says the action could cost the county a lot of money. The company issued a letter saying they spent substantial sums planning the future of St. James Island and it feels the county will be liable for compensating the company for any losses. Commission chairman Smokey Parrish said he does concerns about what this action will cost to defend and pointed out it will fall to local taxpayers to pay for it. The county commission is moving ahead with the transmittal which basically sends the issue to the State Department of Community Affairs for its opinion – it could take months for that opinion to be returned. Once DCA has issued its opinion, the county will have to hold a public hearing on removing the Future land use maps before the action is final.