The Jacksonville Planning Commission has taken a significant step toward the development of an RV park in west Duval County. On December 5, the commission approved recommendations for rezoning (Ordinance 2023-0326) and a small-scale future land use map amendment (Ordinance 2023-0325). The site is located on Brandy Branch Road, north of Interstate 10 and west of the I-10-U.S. 301 interchange.
According to an article published by Jacksonville Daily Record, the commission approved the rezoning without attaching conditions recommended by staff. These recommendations included requiring a traffic study and installing a sidewalk along the Brandy Branch Road frontage.
The property owner, listed in a staff report as James M. Coleman of JMC Duval County Properties LLC, is based in Callahan. The proposed RV park would occupy a 33.95-acre parcel, providing up to 418 parking sites. Originally zoned as a Planned Unit Development in 2007 for a residential subdivision that was never built, the land remains undeveloped.
The rezoning would reclassify the property to accommodate the RV park, with the land use designation changing from low-density residential to agricultural.
Paul Harden, the land use attorney representing the property owner, argued against both conditions during the meeting. Harden described the sidewalk requirement as unnecessary due to the surrounding undeveloped land.
“It would be a sidewalk from 10,000 acres of open space to another 10,000 acres of open space,” he said. He also asserted that the remote location rendered a traffic study irrelevant.
The approval of the rezoning for the proposed RV park in West Duval County highlights the importance of understanding zoning laws. By facilitating the transition of underutilized land from residential zoning to agricultural and recreational use, campground owners and developers can ensure their proposals align with local expectations and regulatory requirements.
