More details emerge about Mariposa’s coming 3,000-unit development

PALATKA — While the 3,000-home development in East Putnam known as Mariposa is still years from completion, more details about its design were discussed at a meeting between the developers and numerous government officials Friday morning.

Mariposa is a recently-proposed residential and commercial neighborhood that will sit on the St. Johns County line in East Palatka, between Cracker Swamp and Yelvington roads. Approximately 35 representatives of Putnam and St. Johns counties, Hastings, Palatka, numerous other governmental agencies and different planners for the development team met Friday at the St. Johns Water Management District office to discuss the plan.

Among the new information members of the Delray Beach-based Ascot Development and Real Estate development team shared:

n While current plans call for the construction of an elementary school within the development and middle and high schools just outside it, Planner Anthony Robbins of Prosser Hallock (the Jacksonville-based planning firm) said that the development’s boundaries could be expanded to include all the schools.

n It will likely be 2007 before any construction begins. Edward Lehmon, director of planning and development at the Northeast Florida Regional Council, said

it generally takes 12 to 15 months from the first meeting until the signing of the development order.

“This is not a quick process; it’s a long journey,” Robbins said.

n The details of utilities such as water and sewer service were still being worked out, but Patrick Kennedy, director of planning for Putnam County, told developers he would like to see the opportunity to expand the utilities outside the boundaries of the development, into East Putnam and possibly all the way to San Mateo.

n Developers said they hope to target all age groups, from recent college graduates to active adults, to Mariposa homes by offering a variety of housing styles.

n When planners determine what roads will need to be improved, the developers will be required to pay toward them. Those roads will likely be in both Putnam and St. Johns counties, but Putnam officials will enforce whatever agreement is made.

n Most of the community and its commercial areas will be open to the public, not a gated community.

“The point is to build the community around some schools, around some jobs, around some fun things to do in Putnam County, not St. Augustine or Jacksonville,” Robbins said.

n More than half of its 2,100 acres will remain undeveloped.

“Any development in East Putnam needs to be consistent with the rural issues in the area,” said George McClure, attorney for the developers. “We don’t want to do anything that would result in the premature conversion of crop lands to urban uses.”

n The developers may ask the county to create a new land use category, which will govern the density and use of the land, called “Rural Village.”

The county is preparing to develop a special area plan that will outline the way residents would like to see the development of East Putnam (including Mariposa) from Federal Point to Dunns Creek, Kennedy said, through a series of workshops that will begin in December. McClure said that there will be no public hearings on Mariposa until after the special area plan is complete.

“My staff is not interested in processing a large-scale comprehensive plan amendment until after we get through this process,” Kennedy said, referring to the workshops.

rmorris@palatkadailynews.com