Protect Nocatee Wetlands and Stop Cell Tower

We are looking to our community to assist in funding for technical experts to protect our homes, our property values, a local church and preschool, and the natural areas (wetlands) that are in danger of being significantly impacted by the construction of the proposed tower. The developer has a team of experienced attorneys to help ensure their project gets approved and we, the citizens, need the same representation to defend our interests. The developer has other options, but we do not! This is our community. These are our homes. These are our natural areas. This is the “Nocatee Lifestyle” that we were promised. Please help us to defend it!

A proposed 170- foot Track III cell phone tower is planned for construction along the powerline easement that runs adjacent to St. John Paul II Church and Early Learning Center, 240 feet from Kelly Pointe, 555 feet from The Palms and within 1,000 feet of Artisan Lakes.

Although the cell tower developer, is more than a year into the planning process, the community was only recently made aware of the proposed project when a land use zoning change was requested through the City of Jacksonville (COJ) and an orange sign was placed in front of the site.

The project requires a zoning change request because the proposed site fails to comply with the setback requirements of the COJ Zoning Code for transportation view corridors, residential dwellings, and wetlands. The current COJ setback requirement for cell towers from residential dwellings is 340 feet, yet the proposed setback for this tower is only 240 feet. The current COJ setback requirement for cell towers from a transportation view corridor (i.e. Vally Ridge Blvd) is 170 feet and the proposed setback for this tower is only 100 feet. The current COJ setback requirement for cell towers from wetlands is 340 feet but the proposed setback for this tower is only 54 feet. The purpose of the rezoning request by the applicant is to “seek relief from the setback requirements for single-family dwellings, right of ways and wetlands and remove the requirement that a Track III tower be outside the urban boundary.” Because of the deviation from the COJ setback requirements, this proposed tower requires a vote from the COJ Planning Commission (a total of 6 individuals) and, ultimately City Council. The recommendation of the Planning and Development Department staff was to deny the application for rezoning. However, the Planning Commission meeting on 6/20 resulted in a 3-3 split. With the help of Councilman Raul Arias and the voices of our community, the Commission vote has now been deferred to the next Planning Commission Public Hearing on September 19th at 1 PM -3 PM (214 N. Hogan Street - Ed Ball Building, 1st Floor Hearing Room 1002).

Together, we can stop this project and protect our health, environment, and community. If it does not fit, DO NOT PERMIT!

Thank you for your time and support,

Concerned Residents of Nocatee