Ponte Vedra Resident Want Sidewalks and Are Willing to Pay

Some residents want the walk that would start at Ponte Vedra Boulevard.

By CHRISTINA ABEL, Shorelines

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - A residents' movement to build sidewalks on Ponte Vedra Boulevard has gained even more traction and now a group of homeowners wants to extend the sidewalk to Mickler's Landing.

In a Municipal Service District meeting Monday, Jim Staman said he's trying to get his neighbors together to pay for a 4,500-foot sidewalk on the west side of the boulevard that would run from 1008 Ponte Vedra Blvd. south to Mickler's. That stretch of concrete is expected to cost about $73,000.

In the past, the sidewalks were funded by a combination of sources: The district typically paid about 20 percent, the county covered another 20 percent and the residents picked up the rest.

This time, since the project calls for a longer, more expensive sidewalk, Staman has asked the district to fund 25 to 30 percent of the costs.

Of the 44 homeowners who live in that stretch of the boulevard, about 30 percent of them have contributed, Staman said.

"I do have funds coming in, but I'm short," he said. "I think it's a great project, for the safety of the neighborhood, for the communal neighborhood values."

The trustees couldn't vote on the sidewalk funding because there wasn't a quorum, so they plan to discuss the issue at their next meeting in July.

Another Ponte Vedra Beach resident wants to add sidewalks on Florida A1A. Charles Nelson, who lives on A1A between Solana and Corona roads, said he has trouble walking on A1A because there are no sidewalks on the east side of the road. There's also no place to cross A1A to get to the west side where there are sidewalks, unless he walks south to Solana Road or north to Corona Road.

"Between Solana and Corona there is no sidewalk, but there also is no crosswalk," Nelson said. "We have to go down A1A without a sidewalk or a crosswalk, which sometimes gets to be a little bit harrowing."

Because A1A is a state road, the trustees said they will have to look into the issue of how to get sidewalks or crosswalks approved.

Christina Abel can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6319.