The Ponte Vedra Municipal Service District held its final meeting of 2023, and one of the major discussions dealt with the best way to approach a pair of lots that stretch from State Road A1A to Sunset Drive.
One of the lots has been kept up with over the years by a resident but the other has not and it has reached the point where it has gotten out of hand and questions have been raised about it by neighbors.
The lots were brought to attention by trustee Kitty Switkes at a previous meeting and put on the agenda for discussion at the Dec. 11 meeting.
The county owns the lots, but it is believed that years ago an agreement was made between the county and the MSD stating that the county would take ownership of them, but the MSD would be in charge of maintenance.
However, it was also stated that it could have been a verbal agreement. None of the trustees were on the board when the agreement was initially discussed and made.
MSD attorney Wayne Flowers said that he recalls an agreement being talked about and made but said he would have to look back in his records and find the actual wording that accompanies it.
The MSD agreed to postpone a decision until the Jan. 8 meeting in order to have all the facts and wording.
According to Switkes, a Bush Hog would be needed to cut the property that has not been tended in years, and there is also a large pine tree in the middle of the property that she would like to have taken down.
“There’s about 8,000 square feet to take care of,” Switkes said.
In other news from the meeting, Beaches Energy will begin replacing all streetlights that go out with LED lights moving forward.
Trustee Brad Wester informed the board that he is working with St. Johns County deputies to help deter people parking their vehicles and blocking the entrance of the public beach access point located near the Jacksonville Beach line at San Juan Drive and Ponte Vedra Boulevard.
According to Wester, placing permanent concrete safety bollards at the entrance is a possible way in which to go about deterring further parking. In the area.
“We’re working on it,” Wester said.
Adding “no parking” signs on San Juan Drive from Solana Road to North Pablo Road was also discussed and is under consideration by the MSD.
Several trustees believed that if “no parking” signs are approved a similar approach should be taken as they did along Ponte Vedra Boulevard where signs stating “no parking” along the route are placed at the beginning and end of the road, in an attempt to eliminate the need for “no parking” signs throughout the roadway.
The topic of “no parking” signs on San Juan Drive will also be discussed further at the January meeting.
Flowers stated that there is an bill being proposed to the state legislature that if passed would require a referendum to take place in 2025, where the residents would vote to decide whether Ponte Vedra Beach would remain a special district.
