Persistence has paid off for the Palm Valley Community Association in its quest to get a more cohesive sidewalk plan in place.
Jayne Evans, Director of the Palm Valley Community Association, was one of the guest speakers during the Ponte Vedra Beaches Coalition meeting Oct. 10.
She updated those in attendance regarding the Palm Valley sidewalk plans and where they are in the process.
According to Evans, the path for a much-needed sidewalk project down Palm Valley Road has been a minding one and has been something residents have been pushing for a decade.
However, now is the closest they have ever been to seeing a sidewalk project be implemented for the area.
“The objective of the sidewalk from the very beginning has been to improve road safety for everyone involved,” Evans said. “The plan is to build a ‘continuous’ sidewalk on the westside of Palm Valley Road.
According to Evans, the word “continuous” is key and has been used as a sticking point throughout the St. Johns County Commission’s discussion process.
As the plan, will look to connect where existing sidewalks end with the new sidewalk project, so that a continuous sidewalk will stretch once completed.
“This is how modern communities are built,” Evans said. “We know how hard it can be to retro fit older communities, but it is something that needs to be done.”
The additional sidewalks will not only benefit those who walk along them, but it will also make the roadways safer for vehicle drivers as well.
In April, the project got a big boost after awarded $800,000 in state funding thanks to the help of rep. Cyndi Stevenson’s representation in the state legislature.
“That money was what eventually secured the project,” Evans said.
The county has agreed to offer up $1.35 million, and Evans expects them to begin putting out proposals for bids on the project later this month.
The sidewalk section between Landrum Lane and Canal Street had a head start in the past, but phase 2 will include Canal Street all the way north where the PGA Tour sidewalk ends.
Evans hopes that by fall 2023 there will be shovels in the ground and construction of the project will be fully underway.
The plan for the project is constantly changing, especially when it comes to finding better ways to upgrade the safety aspect of things.
That includes, not just building a sidewalk, but also considering all of the other safety concerns that remain even by helping eliminate some of them with the sidewalk.
“We are still looking into safe ways to cross from the west and eastsides of the street, because there are some portions of sidewalks on the other side as well,” Evans said.
