Neighbors in Fruit Cove packed the St. Johns County auditorium on Thursday, many dressed in red and urging planners to turn down a proposed Daily’s gas station and car wash beside Fruit Cove Estates. After nearly an hour of public comment, the county planning body voted unanimously to block the application.
Planning Board Denies Rezoning
According to News4JAX, the Planning and Zoning Agency voted unanimously to deny the request. The outlet reported that the applicant did not submit a complete traffic study and noted that plans projected nearly 5,500 daily trips into and out of the site. First Coast Energy, the company behind the Daily’s proposal, did not provide a public statement after the vote.
Where the Project Would Sit
St. Johns Citizen reported that the developer sought to reclassify roughly 7.7 acres at 600 State Road 13 N from residential to community commercial. The requested rezoning included a cap of about 20,000 square feet of commercial uses and called for buffers along State Road 13. The change would have cleared the way for a convenience store, fuel pumps and a car wash at the corner of State Road 13 and Otoe’s Place.
Neighbors Warn Traffic and Safety Would Worsen
Residents of Fruit Cove Estates, who say the small subdivision contains 44 homes, pressed the board on safety. They argued that additional traffic, delivery trucks and bright lighting would put a nearby school bus stop at risk and chip away at the quiet character of the neighborhood.
After an earlier community meeting, Jacksonville Today reported that Fruit Cove Estates HOA president Michael Dunlop urged the developer to “do the right thing” and suggested donating the parcel for parkland instead of building a gas station.
Missing Traffic Study Weighed Heavily
Board members and residents alike pointed to the missing full traffic analysis, saying it left key questions unresolved about how vehicles would enter from State Road 13 and whether drivers might cut through Fruit Cove Estates to avoid congestion.
As outlined by St. Johns County’s Planning and Zoning Agency, the PZA issues advisory recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners, which can take final action on land-use changes.
What Comes Next
St. Johns Citizen noted that Thursday’s decision is the latest setback in First Coast Energy’s long-running effort at the site. The company bought the parcel in 2016, and a similar Daily’s proposal was rejected by the county commission in 2019.
Developers still have options. They can revise the plans, submit more detailed traffic and safety studies, or petition the commission directly. The neighborhood’s unified opposition, however, suggests that any future attempt to build a gas station there will face close scrutiny.
