Officials with St. Johns County presented a plan for overflow parking at the Mickler’s Landing beach access point along Ponte Vedra Boulevard during the July 11 Ponte Vedra Beach Municipal Service District meeting.
The plan features adding 14 spots across from the current parking lot on the boulevard. The spaces are expected to serve as overflow when the main parking lot fills up.
However, it brought about several concerns raised by multiple residents in attendance at the meeting.
Their primary concerns included the increased traffic and safety issues it may create as a result and the impact the project could have on the designated wetlands on that side of the road.
“We are keeping environmental impacts to a minimum,” said Brian Kelsay, environmental engineer with the county.
Not only did residents fear increased traffic on an already hectic stretch of road, but they also raised safety concerns with the new spots being on a curve of Ponte Vedra Boulevard, which already poses limited visibility for drivers along the route.
Trustee Kitty Switkes asked if there would be crosswalks added, but Greg Caldwell, St. Johns County director of public works, informed her that the current crosswalk in place was all that had been discussed in the initial plan.
According to Kelsay, the site has been staked out but is still just vegetation at this point.
The permit for the project has yet to be signed off on, as the county first wanted to present it to the MSD and its residents.
The project plan will be presented to the Ponte Vedra Zoning and Adjustment Board during its August 1 meeting at 3 p.m. at the county auditorium located at 500 San Sebastian View in St. Augustine.
Although the resounding sentiment was against the project, Caldwell thanked the residents for coming out and stating their viewpoints, because it gives the county important things to think about surrounding the project moving forward.
MSD trustees stated that they are all for improving the parking situation but agreed that there are better ways to go about doing so by using the parking areas and resources already existing.
Trustee Brad Wester said that even restriping the current parking lot can create additional spaces just by adjusting the size of the spots.
In other news from the meeting, the board approved continuing to use off-duty MSD officers for additional patrol in lieu of taking steps to create their own police force.
The idea of creating an MSD police department was first proposed several months ago by treasurer Gary Jurenovich.
After weeks of discussion, chairman Al Hollon motioned that the use of off-duty Sheriff’s Office deputies continues for the next fiscal year at a rate of $55 per hour per officer for 17 hours a day, which equates to $345,000 that includes certain administrative costs.
Hollon’s motion passed with a 5-2 vote, where Jurenovich and trustee John Cellucci voted against as they were in favor of the police department formation.
Budget talks for the 2022-2023 fiscal year began as the MSD approved a tentative millage rate of 0.375 following a 6-1 vote with Jurenovich opposing after suggesting a rate of 0.1 as a starting point.
He stated that he opposed it because he could not approve a rate of 0.375 in good conscience as the treasurer.
