Some many months ago, a group of men in Ponte Vedra began meeting to solve the traffic problems on Ponte Vedra Lakes Boulevard. They met with and found out from the MPO there was nothing much they could do. However, months later we find out this group and the MPO have come up with a larger traffic study for Ponte Vedra.
Lo and behold, didn’t the MPO resurrect a 20-year-old study they tried to sell to Jacksonville, Neptune, Atlantic and Ponte Vedra Beach. We all said “NO” rather strongly; we did not want six lanes on A1A through our communities. Reminds me of the billboard people who didn’t understand no, either.
This traffic study group will be meeting with the Ponte Vedra community on April 25. What they came up with was to be a secret, I guess, but someone must have told their wife, so it’s out. Their gift to us is six lanes and 10 lanes at the intersections, all down A1A. To fully picture this, I would like you to get a lawn chair and go sit by the intersection of St. Johns Bluff and Beach Boulevard. Since it is an intersection, it has 10 lanes. Sit there a few minutes to get the feel of it. We have several of these on A1A in Ponte Vedra.
In the 1980s, the MSD extended their control of zoning to about 300 feet west of A1A. They wanted to be sure to keep some control of how A1A would look in terms of color and buildings, etc. We now have an overlay district down A1A past Mickler’s, Palm Valley Road, Roscoe, 2010 out to US1. We all cared how we wanted to look.
Now some questions.
How dare they destroy the ambience of A1A just to get home 10 or 15 minutes sooner? We used to say, once you’re over the ditch, slow down, you’re home.
How dare they destroy the property values of those home on A1A? By at least 24 to 30 percent. Speaking of homes across the street, how about those off Solano, or in the Atrium, or the apartments, who walk across the street to Publix or off Corona, who walk across the street to the school? What about them?
How they dare to even think of creating an “ugly” right in the heart of Ponte Vedra?
To top it off, the men on this task force (it was all men, please note) all live as far from A1A as they could – in Marsh Landing, Old Ponte Vedra, Sawgrass, Players Club, Neck Road, Roscoe Boulevard – all hidden well away from A1A. No sense of community.
What a shame, paving over a lovely place like Ponte Vedra. What a shame!!
Mary Kohnke
Ponte Vedra Beach
