St. Johns County Experiencing Rapid Growth, Aircraft Help Officials Keep Up

St. Johns County in northeast Florida is one of the state's, and the country's most rapidly-growing regions. In an effort to keep up with appraisals of new construction in the county and ensure compliance by existing property owners, the Property Appraiser has turned to drones to help in its assessment of value.

The St. Augustine Record reports that the aircraft are deployed for multiple reasons, including compliance with building permits and tracking lots that may soon be added to the tax rolls. In 2018, St. Johns County added 4,300 new residential properties to its tax base.

Two years ago, the St. Johns County Property Appraiser's office purchased a DJI Mavic Pro for about $1,000. Property Appraiser Eddie Creamer said that more recently, an eBee fixed-wing drone was acquired to scan much larger areas, such as agricultural parcels.

The four employees who operate the aircraft are referred to as "The Drone Squad". They schedule flights two or three times a week.

The aircraft capture video which is analyzed for changes in residential and commercial properties. If a homeowner has added a pool or a deck, for instance, it can affect the value of the property, It also allows Creamer's office to check actual structures against plans filed with the county.

St. Johns is one of two counties in Florida to use drones for property appraisals. The other is Santa Rosa County in the far west Panhandle region, which includes Pensacola.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report