St. Johns County neighbors share concerns over ‘affordable’ apartments proposal

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — More apartments labeled as low-cost could be coming to St. Johns County. The developer wants to bring 180 new, multifamily apartments to 23 acres of untouched land on County Road 208, across from Cabbage Hammock Road.

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It wouldn’t be a welcome change for neighbors like Charles Labanowski, who lives about 10 minutes from the property.

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“[St. Johns County] is growing too fast, the infrastructure just can’t handle it,” Labanowski says.

Labanowski’s concerns with the proposal are the same as most local homeowners for housing projects in the county – centered around traffic.

The site for the apartments, not yet named, is within minutes of I-95. In the proposal documents, the county writes:

“Staff’s review found that there is inadequate capacity to accommodate project impacts on the following roadway segments, which are currently projected to be adversely impacted based on total committed traffic: SR 16 from West Mall Entrance to I-95, SR 16 from I-95 to Inman Rd, SR 16 from Inman Rd to Four Mile Rd.”

Labanowski, living near I-95, worries added traffic from the people living at the new apartments will clog area roads.

RELATED: Affordable St. Johns County apartment complex proposal draws concerns from nearby neighbors

“Traffic is the biggest issue right now in St. Johns County,” says Labanowski, “our whole area just gets jammed if something happens on I-95.”

The apartments are now moving closer to getting the green light, with the county’s planning and zoning agency recommending approval of the complex during its meeting last week. Part of the reason is because 40% of the apartments (77 units) would be designated as workforce housing.

Those apartments, from the proposal, would be offered to those making, at maximum, 120% of the area’s median income (AMI). Here’s a breakdown what that means for the income limits for the number of people in an apartment, using numbers from the Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program:

• 1-person apartment: $74,400 per year income limit
• 2-person apartment: $84,960 per year income limit
• 3-person apartment: $95,640 per year income limit
• 4-person apartment: $106,200 per year income limit
• 5-person apartment: $114,720 per year income limit

Depending on the number of bedrooms per apartment, the same numbers show rent limits in a range between $1,860 - $3,400 per month. Local leaders say it’s not an affordable price range for some essential workers in St. Johns County.

“If you take one person, a single person, they can’t afford it at that price,” says Isabelle Renault, president and CEO of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce.

RELATED: Housing proposal points to affordable living struggle, St. Johns County leaders say

Last fall, the chamber released a report showing research into the limits local essential workers face when trying to find affordable or attainable housing.

The report says county teachers, sheriff’s office employees and hospitality workers can only afford rents between $700-$1,500 per month, depending on their exact position and pay.

The report says only 3% of all apartments in St. Johns County are affordable or attainable for these workers.

“So the inventory is not there, even when they can afford it,” Renault says.

For Labanowski, building more apartments in the county is less about the price, but the place. He believes the apartments would be a good development in a part of the county he thinks is closer to where workers need to be.

RELATED: New, affordable apartment complex breaks ground in West Augustine

“Affordable housing is needed,” says Labanowski, “but we’ve got to benefit the people who are out there, trying to find a place to live.”

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The proposal still needs to go to the board of county commissioners for a final vote to decide whether the apartments are approved, which will happen during the board’s meeting on April 16th. If approved, the developer expects them to be built by 2030.

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