The Intracoastal Waterway is more than a boating highway, it’s a vein pumping prosperity to the communities along its banks. Charleston, Savannah, Norfolk and hundreds of other towns are thriving thanks to their embrace of the Intracoastal.
On Dec. 17, Palm Valley will have the opportunity to tap into this extraordinary natural resource as well. On that date, the St. John’s County Board of Commissioners can approve the development of a community marina, with additional boat storage, along the Intracoastal. The marina would be located underneath the Palm Valley Bridge at the local boat ramp.
The long-term benefits of this project to the community far outweigh local concerns about increased traffic on the waterway.
Opponents of the project claim that the Intracoastal is too narrow in this area to support heavy boat traffic, saying that it could become a safety hazard. But this area has safely handled heavy traffic previously with no issues. Last spring, Freedom Boat Club navigated 32 vessels from St. Augustine to Jacksonville Beach on the Intracoastal, cruising directly through Palm Valley. The fleet of vessels even assembled for a group photo under the bridge. There was ample space for safe passage.
In fact, the Intracoastal Waterway was designed to support heavy boat traffic. This course was created as an alternate route for large ships to avoid the dangerous Atlantic coast. It is properly marked and customized for efficient navigation. It was, literally, built for safety.
Some marine experts believe that a marina would actually increase safety. A professional deckhand, loading boats into the water with a lift, would have safety advantages over inexperienced boaters trying to get vessels down the ramp.
Other opposition to the plan comes from homeowners on the Intracoastal who prefer less traffic near their homes. While this is understandable, it is also shortsighted. Choosing to live on the nation’s largest boating highway means you are choosing to be a part of a community supported by boaters.
You wouldn’t purchase a home that backs up to I-95 and complain about the cars.
The Intracoastal Waterway delivers a desirable demographic to Palm Valley’s doorstep by the boatload. Increased boat storage would channel revenue from this wealthy waterway.
On Dec. 17, St. Johns County will decide if it wants to seize the opportunity flowing up
and down the Intracoastal or continue to wave as it passes by, denying the lifeblood that is fueling numerous other communities.
Lisa Almeida, owner of Freedom Boat Club Jacksonville
