Nocatee's Town Center Revealed

[collard]

It's funny that everyone has such a negative opinion of Nocatee, obviously none of these people have investing in actually living here. The developer has painstakingly worked at making this are so beautiful, what once was a tree farm with a gazillion pines all in a row, now there are massive palms and gorgeous crepe myrtles and magnolias.

The town center will be no more ridiculous than that of Bartram or World Golf. People are moving to Jacksonville for a reason. Nocatee unlilke Palencia, World Golf, St JOhns Forest is atleast amazingly well planned and quite pleasant.

Everyone is now trying to sell their homes elsewhere to move to Nocatee............so, unless you actually have bought something in Nocatee, don't comment.

[second_pancake]

It's funny that everyone has such a negative opinion of Nocatee, obviously none of these people have investing in actually living here. The developer has painstakingly worked at making this are so beautiful, what once was a tree farm with a gazillion pines all in a row, now there are massive palms and gorgeous crepe myrtles and magnolias.

The town center will be no more ridiculous than that of Bartram or World Golf. People are moving to Jacksonville for a reason. Nocatee unlilke Palencia, World Golf, St JOhns Forest is atleast amazingly well planned and quite pleasant.

Everyone is now trying to sell their homes elsewhere to move to Nocatee............so, unless you actually have bought something in Nocatee, don't comment.

You're right about that one...we have no investment in Nocatee or those other places, and speaking for myself of course, I don't want one.  All the developments you named are the reasons that people like me become increasingly agitated.  It's unnecessary development.  It's cookie-cutter housing built on the cheap with the facade of a community.  If that's how you enjoy living, great.  But, what happens in 20 years when Nocatee is no longer the big thing?  You move on to the next big thing, another cookie-cutter development in another former natural landscape, utilizing more non-renewable resources when there is plenty of existing housing available to meet your needs.  Not to mention, you still have to drive at least 20 miles to work each day becasue you can't afford your $400k house on a Starbuck's barista income (meaning, the only job you could get within walking distance from your house is a national retail job with minimum wage), thus causing more traffic issues and unnecessary pollution.

Incidentally, anyone trying to sell their home now is not doing so to "move to Nocatee", that's a subject in a different thread altogether.

[lindab]

I think we all have an investment in the things that Nocatee either enhances or destroys. The folks who bought homes in Palm Valley or nearby parts of St. Johns Co. expecting to live in a rural neighborhood plus the taxpayers who foot the tax bill for county infrastructure to support large developments all have the right to have a say. Nocatee's impacts on St Johns Co are significant. They were well documented before the first spade of dirt was turned, the pine trees were cut and the hundreds of wetlands were filled. The water supply problems, destruction of Florida black bear corridors, traffic jam ups on adjacent roads, need for more schools, fire stations, police, and rural sprawl were dismissed by then county commissioners as the cost of having Nocatee. The county would just have to pay up today because someday Nocatee's property taxes would be an asset.

Folks on this forum have been critical of the town center. It looks attractive but the town center was sold to the commissioners  as a way for high paying jobs to move to Nocatee and provide live-work in the same place. So far that has not happened. The developers are having financial troubles. This move to add 540 acres to Nocatee will allow mega homes on the ICW which should help bring in the bucks. There will be a community and environmental cost to that too.

Many of us have paid a price for Nocatee far beyond buying a new home there. 

[collard]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions regarding urban sprawl, preserving nature, etc. But I have to say that reading the comments in this forum are actually scary. Some of the commentary is just downright nasty. It's as if you all have nothing better to do. Spend time trying to improve your own towns and communities rather than bash others!

[RiversideGator]

Are you a realtor selling homes at Nocatee, collard? 

[Jason]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions regarding urban sprawl, preserving nature, etc. But I have to say that reading the comments in this forum are actually scary. Some of the commentary is just downright nasty. It's as if you all have nothing better to do. Spend time trying to improve your own towns and communities rather than bash others!

Many members of this site are doing just that, participating in city and county preceedings and are actively promoting smarter growth in this area.

I am a St. Johns county resident and strongly oppose the Nocatee development as well as many others.  There are too many missed opportunities in this region for smart (not necessarily dense) growth that promotes walkability, prevents traffic congestion, and spares millions of acres of farmland and forest.  If St. Johns County spent more time trying to promote corporate and residential growth within its own urbanized area versus feeding off of Duval by allowing low density sprawl to consume pristene wilderness, we'd all be better off.  Suburban growth is not a bad thing when done properly (ie. Riverside, Springfield, Murray hill, San Marco, etc..), however, suburban growth in the middle of nowhere along a 2 lane country road lined with single entry gated communities is bad.

[gchasse]

Looking at the layout, it looks like not that much.  I live in World Golf Village and am waiting to see how The Esplanada is going to work out, but in looking at the layout of that, I am more impressed.  Ben Carter did a poor job at St. John's Town Center, but they have said that they learned from their mistakes, and looking at how they want to lay out The Esplanade, it looks much better for not having to drive to go from one place to another.

I have not been to Nocatee yet, but was initially interested until I realized that the commute to my business in Eagle Harbor was not feasible.  I have also come to realize that in the long run, World Golf is likely going to be one of the best places to live in the area.  Between the Esplanade and Lion's Gate, the retail aspect will be pretty much covered, and getting on and off the highway is convenient, the best of both worlds.

[donisarockiesfan]

Man, some of these posts are just too much. How many guys living in their parents basements can there  be out there?( ok there are no basements in Florida-you get the point) Copperhead saying that "they can just enjoy living there and be excited about going to Publix and ...Chile's" is just so damn funny -that is if I were about 15 and hanging out in an independent coffee shop contemplating complex issues like "should I get my nose or my tongue pierced? " First of all , most people buying in Nocatee are actually from out of the state-many from the west where there are cities that actually have a personality. Unlike Jacksonville which if it has a personality , it is that of a white trash , dixie flag waving buffoon. I mean if there was a there there in downtown Jacksonville there might be some( albeit very little) validity to the point of actually living downtown, as opposed to trying to create a new "downtown feel". However, given the fact that the only feel that downtown Jacksonville has is that of a bullet zipping through ones back, I think it might not be such a bad idea to create an area that has a town feel, is close to the ocean, and where you don't have to wear a flack jacket to go out for dinner. Nocatee is a very needed project for this area, and as a proud new Coastal Oaks homeowner I would love to invite you to the nearest Chile's and have some cheese fries- maybe then we can zip over to Target and sit down at the in-store Starbucks and have a cup of corporate coffee.

[JaxNative68]

another faux town center . . . g . . . r . . . e . . . a . . . t !

[JaxNative68]

just what Jacksonville needs to have more people and business move away from downtown.

[sheclown]

Of Course Jacksonville has a personality.  So, it's not urbane, but it is unique.  It may not be trendy, but it is gritty.  It may not be intellectual, but it is emotional.

What more do you want???

At least, it is REAL.

[tufsu1]

just what Jacksonville needs to have more people and business move away from downtown.

um...most of the people attracted to Nocatee aren't exactly urban dwellers anyway...in fact, many of the residnts will likely be newcomerts to the area...if the market grows, there's room enough for both Nocatee and the core to flourish.

[floridaforester]

welcome donisarockies fan.  sounds like you truly have much to bring to the table.  in my definition, a town center should have some semblance of culture to offer.  since culture, to most of the lemmings that would move to Nocatee , is the new Alvin & the Chipmunks movie, let me clarify.   Most educated individuals would consider the symphony, art museums, live music and the like to be legitimate examples of culture.  Sorry, but you're not going to find that in Nocatee.

Best of luck trying to sell your Coastal Oaks home in a few years when the developer offers a brand new product right down the street for $30k less.

[north miami]

The fact is Nocatee came in to being only by hammering through a revision to the citizens county comp plan- a plan that had just undergone normal review and revision.Nocatee push came as a 'surprise'- it was an attempt to stick a big toe in the water so to speak,and to gain development credits while the 'gettin could be got.Enter Thousand Friends of Florida endorsement- not so curious the more you know of the group- and a legal challenge by Florida Wildlife Federation & Sierra-FWF compromised by Sierra invlvement.(I was FWF board member at the time) Enter opponent Rufus Pennington-his roar a great diversion-the offer by the developers to reserve certain key waterway lands a brilliant ploy.(I personally believe the reserve lands could not be developed anyway due to previous land use/sludge dump-just a hunch....MJ and company should research!)
Nocatee opened the floodgate to ten years of other DRI and other provocative development vesting, including continued Nocatee action... impacts yet unseen.
MJ would do well to follow recent former St.Johns County Planning Commission member David Wiles profile of the Nocatee process and DRI flood.

[tufsu1]

DCA challenged the DRI and comp. plan...but they reached agreement