JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville City Council member has issued a public apology following backlash over comments he made about residents opposing a high-density housing development in Northeast Jacksonville.
Councilman Raul Arias apologized during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, addressing remarks he made a week earlier during a Land Use and Zoning Committee discussion.
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“I misspoke and I am a human being, and I said something that I should not have said the way I said it,” Arias said.
The controversy began when Arias, who represents District 11 on Jacksonville’s Southside, expressed frustration with community opposition to a rezoning proposal and said residents who oppose density should “go somewhere else.”
The comments were tied to a proposal to rezone about 11 acres of land for a 47-home development along Cedar Bay Road, between Main Street North and Cedar Branch Road, in the San Mateo area.
The remarks drew sharp criticism from District 2 Councilman Mike Gay, whose constituents would be directly affected by the development.
“My community does not deserve that type of treatment where they are told to be quiet, sit down, shut up or get out,” Gay said. “No, that’s not going to happen.”
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Arias has argued that his district has carried a disproportionate share of Jacksonville’s housing growth, while other areas have resisted new development.
According to 2024 data from the Duval County Property Appraiser’s Office, District 11 recorded 806 housing starts, the third highest in the city, compared to 164 in District 2, which ranked among the lowest.
“My frustration is that we need more houses in Jacksonville,” Arias said as he doubled down. “A lot of people are building houses on the Southside and in other parts of town.”
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Despite Gay’s opposition to the development, the City Council approved the rezoning measure by a 13–4 vote.
Some residents initially opposed to the Cedar Bay Road development have since softened their stance after the developer agreed to contribute $45,000 each to the Cedar Bay neighborhood for a new playground and to Bay Harbor for dock improvements.
The proposal previously passed the Land Use and Zoning Committee unanimously, 6–0
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