Martin County is reviewing its first agricultural enclave proposal under Senate Bill 686, a new state law that took effect July 1 and allows landowners to build homes and businesses on land designated as agricultural enclaves. To qualify, a property must be surrounded on at least 75 percent of its boundaries by existing development and must have been in continuous use for bona fide agriculture purposes for five years prior to the date of an application, said Martin County senior planner Jenna Knobbe.
On the same day the bill became law, the county received its first application for a 396-acre property known as Waterside. The site consists of three parcels located just west of Kanner Highway and south of Southwest 96th Street. Up to 1,200 homes were initially planned on the property.
County staff recommended the enclave designation be denied. Knobbe said the county reviewed the property tax records for the three parcels in the application and found that not all of the property was classified for agricultural purposes from the property appraiser's office. The Waterside proposal was expected to be discussed at a Martin County Commission meeting Tuesday, but the applicant asked for the item to be pulled from the agenda.
How much pushback local governments can mount against the law remains unclear. Johns County commissioners agreed last week to have the county attorney examine whether there are legal grounds to challenge the new law, which expires Jan. 1, 2028.