Concerned Friends of Fernandina |
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Archives for Yulee Sprawl
A citizens view: The expansion of A1A from I-95 to Scott Road to six lanes seems as unstoppable as a steam-roller. The state has no funding yet, but the full-court press is moving to get this project up and running. Florida Dept. of Transportation staff pushed the long cafeteria tables together to lay out aerial views of the project at the Yulee meeting March 25. Proposed new stop lights, turn lanes, and the widening to six lanes were all there for the public to view. After the video presentation, the procedure for taking public comment was not clarified, and only a handful of people got a chance to speak. Of those, most spoke against the widening. The project manager for the A1A proposal showed little interest in what they had to say. According to DOT officials, there will be no other public hearings. The public has been given only until April 19 to send written comments to the DOT in Lake City. The reality is that adding more traffic lights and making six lanes will not solve the growing traffic concerns, as one highway engineer admitted after the meeting. Other remarks afterward indicated that at least four state legislators are pushing hard for this project. After all, as we know, the Nassau County DRI (Development of Regional Impact) is the largest single development ever to be undertaken at one time in the state of Florida. The development dollars to be generated from a project of this scope are huge. Meanwhile, local residents have little to say regarding how their quality of life will be affected by traffic congestion, crass commercialism, or other forms of increasing development. Certainly we'll all be saying goodbye to the pine trees and the silvaculture our area is known for. The FDOT gave these projections of A1A traffic. Today there are 31,000 vehicles a day traveling from I-95 to the Amelia River Bridge; by 2030 there will be 74,000 daily. DOT statistics say there are 43 accidents annually between Yulee and Chester Road. Anyone who has experience driving in stop-and-go traffic understands its frustrations. Chances are that motorists will be racing to make it through the growing numbers of traffic lights that will continue to spring up at additional intersections. Accidents will increase. Our elected officials need to be responsible and avoid the mistakes other communities have made.. We have a chance to do some creative traffic design before this situation worsens. There are other choices besides creating a monster 6-lane highway – that will actually be slower to travel, thanks to the extra lights. A one-lane access road in each direction for local business traffic would allow A1A to remain open without stop-and-go traffic. Few of us would like to bring Blanding Boulevard into our community – and yet, unless we choose better options, we are creating. Blanding Boulevard nightmares for our future . Marion B. Williams, Fernandina Beach ___________________**__________________
The delegates to the East Nassau Homeowners’ Council are unanimous in their opposition to the widening of Route A1A. We believe it is an unimaginative, knee-jerk reaction by the Florida Department of Transportation to the impending crisis that will result from some 10,000 homes being built along the A1A corridor in the next 10 to 15 years. The standard reaction to increasing traffic on a major roadway is to widen it. But this isn’t always the best way and here in eastern Nassau County here is a better solution. There are several reasons why the widening of A1A is not a good one. I’ll mention three: First, we do not think a six-lane A1A will be able to handle the 20,000 or so additional cars that will be brought into the area by the 10,000 homes already approved for this part of the county. The Nassau County Board of Commissioners is in the process of giving a contract for a comprehensive traffic study that will evaluate the future impact of new homes and businesses. We believe that any decision made to widen A1A before the results of this study are in is premature. Recently a representative of the DOT spoke at a County Commission meeting concerning traffic on the big curve in A1A that starts just east of Route 107, Nassauville Road, and passes the Otter Run subdivision. When asked he admitted that computer modeling of the future impact of new development on traffic around this curve had not been done. He didn’t know what the situation will be 10 years from now. We urge the DOT to wait for this study so decisions made will be based on solid information. Second, the six-laning of A1A will have a detrimental impact on County plans to make Yulee an integrated, self-sustaining small city. County planners have taken a number of steps to define Yulee this way. An industrial/commercial development that will attract jobs is planned for the area between I95 and US17 north of A1A so that Yulee residents won’t be dependent on jobs in Jacksonville. A “development of regional impact” (DRI) is planned for the area north of A1A between US17 and Chester Road that will be a commercial/residential/recreation blend and include an extension of Rte. 108 to Blackrock Road. An education complex is being created on Miner Road with one school already open and a high school planned. The new courthouse could become the focus of a future municipal center. If Yulee is split by a six-lane highway with overpasses and high-speed lanes, Yulee will never become a defined small city. Instead of being Yulee’s Main Street A1A will just be the service road for Fernandina Beach. Third, the widening of A1A does not take into consideration evacuation needs. If A1A continues to be the only route away from the coast, then we could have an unmitigated disaster. When Hurricane Floyd came up the coast a few years back, I am told that A1A was a parking lot; that some people took six hours to get to Waycross and most of that time was spent on the seven miles from the Shave Bridge to Rte 17. Some people turned back before getting to I95. With 10,000 homes to be built between the Bridge and I95 in the next 10-15 years, and A1A the only route west, what chance will the people on Amelia Island have of getting to safety? Robert M. Weintraub, President East Nassau Homeowners' Council |
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"cfof" are residents of Fernandina Beach, Florida.
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