{"id":9289,"date":"2022-10-03T14:20:49","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T18:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=9289"},"modified":"2022-10-03T14:20:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T18:20:51","slug":"community-comes-together-to-save-fruit-cove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/creekline-st-johns\/community-comes-together-to-save-fruit-cove\/","title":{"rendered":"Community comes together to Save Fruit Cove"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Martie Thompson
editor@floridanewsline.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

News spread quickly the first week of September in the NW St. Johns County area of Fruit Cove about RISE Development\u2019s proposal to build a multi-level apartment complex on Fruit Cove Road. Currently zoned OR (Open Rural), a rezoning would have to be granted by the county for this development to take place \u2014 but neighbors are clear in their desire for no rezoning to occur. A Facebook group (Save Fruit Cove), a website (www.savefruitcove.com), a petition at Change.org, as well as a planning meeting to organize and assign duties were accomplished within a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A preliminary community meeting was announced by the developer for Sept. 14, but later postponed, apparently due to capacity issues at the proposed meeting venue. As of press date, the meeting has not been rescheduled, but a Save Fruit Cove resident planning meeting held that same night was attended by approximately 300 homeowners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt Marshall, vice president of development with RISE said, \u201cWe\u2019re evaluating next steps and will communicate with the community when appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to St. Johns County Commissioner for District 1 Christian Whitehurst, this proposed development is so early that any official processes haven\u2019t even started yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRISE is yet to even file an application,\u201d Whitehurst said. \u201cIt\u2019s important for people to understand that by law, I\u2019m not allowed to comment on whether I\u2019m in favor or opposed to any development, including this one. But I would never vote to approve anything I thought would be detrimental to a community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whitehurst pointed out that he\u2019s been a part of this community for 23 years and is well aware of the special character of Fruit Cove Road. He\u2019s been impressed by the organization and professionalism of the community in their opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magan Hartley and her husband John are among three homeowners who haven\u2019t sold their land and she has been instrumental in getting the word out about the proposed development. She said her family had just moved into their \u201cdream home\u201d on Fruit Cove Road in December 2020 and the first she became aware of the proposed development was when a third party broker walked through her gate in March 2021 and found her in her backyard. He asked if she would entertain an offer to sell, since \u201call of her neighbors\u201d had sold. She was shocked, but said to send an offer and she\u2019d talk it over with her husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSix very stressful weeks later, we came home to an envelope shoved in our front door which contained an offer that wasn\u2019t nearly enough to even make us whole or to find another place to live,\u201d Magan Hartley said. \u201cWe responded \u2018no.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hartley said it was a full year later, in April 2022, that she saw the surveyors out around the area. She then posted on NextDoor that a company had secured the land around them and planned a development. She advised neighbors to keep an eye out for a community meeting, all the while dealing with stress and sadness over the uncertainty as to the future of their home and their investment. It wasn\u2019t until the very end of August, when the community meeting signs were posted, that the situation really gained traction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomebody, I\u2019m not sure who, posted the Community Meeting signs on Facebook and it just exploded,\u201d Hartley said. \u201cAll of a sudden 100 neighbors who had 100 friends were rallying. I\u2019ve always loved Fruit Cove, but I had no idea how much everyone here loves what they have. It\u2019s truly a special place and we are ready to fight to keep it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Al Abbatiello, a well known local advocate for maintaining the historical nature of the area and chairman of the William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway Management Group, Fruit Cove is the gateway to St. Johns County, the Bartram Trail Scenic Highway and the historic St. Johns River, an American Heritage River \u2014 a place where older homes blend comfortably with newer homes, wildlife and the 100-year-old trees still dotting the area.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur way of life includes small farms and gardens; some residents have goats, chickens, dogs, and horses,\u201d Abbatiello said. \u201cEvery residential development in this area, including Julington Creek Plantation, was designed to keep the area beautiful while growing as a thriving community.  Much of this is due to the original Northwest Sector Plan where residents and the Scenic Highway organization worked with county government to preserve this area from unnecessary development while keeping it as scenic as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hartley wants everyone in NW St. Johns County to know that this proposed project, incompatible to the area, could set a precedent for years to come and she advises everyone to pay attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you have just put down roots here, it should be just as important to you as the people who have lived here a long time,\u201d Hartley said. \u201cIt\u2019s really been encouraging to see the support we\u2019ve received so far, but this is just the beginning. Please pay attention \u2014 check websites, show up to county meetings \u2014 and not just for this project, but for all of them. We need to fight for what we have left of what Fruit Cove used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit www.savefruitcove.com or Save Fruit Cove on Facebook for the latest information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Editor\u2019s Note: This is not the only issue facing Fruit Cove. There is presently a proposal for rezoning for a rowing club at the base of the Julington Creek Bridge to include a proposed 35-foot tall structure for storage of crew rowing boats.]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Martie Thompson
Magan Hartley outside her home on Fruit Cove Road.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Martie Thompsoneditor@floridanewsline.com News spread quickly the first week of September in the NW St. Johns County area of Fruit Cove about RISE Development\u2019s proposal to build a multi-level apartment complex on Fruit Cove Road. 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