ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – New workforce housing could be approved next Tuesday in St. Johns County near Interstate 95.
An orange sign marks the spot at 3165 County Road 208, where more than 11 acres of thick green bush sit across from Silver Hawk Drive and the Whisper Ridge community.
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“They can have up to 66 units, but they haven’t pinpointed exactly how many units they intend to have,” Mike Roberson, Growth Management Director of St. Johns County, said.
However, the proposal did not come with a recommendation from the planning and zoning agency.
The agency voted 6-0 to deny it, citing concerns about protecting trees, pricing, and the proposed density, among other reasons.
“I think the idea that there is kind of a rural area there, traffic is always an issue, right? If you’re putting more traffic on the roads, that always comes up,” Roberson said.
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If approved, 30 percent of the units would be designated as workforce housing.
According to the 2025 report from the St. Johns Chamber of Commerce Attainable Housing Coalition, attainable homes in St. Johns County would have a maximum initial sales price of about $275,000, which is just over half the median household price in the county.
Bill Lazar of the St. Johns Housing Partnership explained the challenges.
“When you’re talking about buying a piece of land, paying for all the infrastructure, the roads, water, sewer, and then still keeping something affordable. That’s why, when you look at this workforce housing zoning district overlay, I think it’s really critical to acknowledge it’s not easy to develop anything,” he said.
Data shows the county’s housing needs: out of 3,976 single-family homes and townhomes available for purchase, only 125 are priced under $260,000.
Workforce challenges are significant in St. Johns County. There are about 151,000 residential workers, with nearly half working outside the county and 45,000 commuting in.
Lazar highlighted the impact on essential workers.
“The hospitality industry, the medical industry, you know, the nurses, CNAs, those sort of folks. Those are the folks that are struggling to even find any kind of an affordable place to rent here,” he said.
The St. Johns County commissioners are scheduled to vote on the latest proposal Tuesday.
This is a full look at the proposal on the agenda for the July 22 county commission meeting.
