It was a packed house at the St. Johns County Commission meeting Tuesday as St. Augustine residents for and against a 3-mile biking and walking trail came out to speak their minds — the vast majority of them against the project. 

After nearly two hours of public comment and more than 40 speakers, the commission approved a roughly $1.8 million bid to construct the 8-foot-wide trail connecting two boat ramps on Shore Drive along the Matanzas River.

The approval met some backlash from a fired-up crowd.

Prior to voting, chants of “Sidewalk!” and “Postpone!” could be heard from the audience. “That’s trash!” one person yelled after the vote was completed. 

Of the 46 speakers during the public comment period for the trail, 35 opposed it. Several brought petitions with as many as 500 signatures opposing the trail, and one asked for a show of audience hands to conduct an informal vote on the Shore Drive Trail. Most of the raised hands in the chamber opposed it. 

But, as large as the anti-trail contingent was that day, County Commissioner Christian Whitehurst said he had received many emails from people who support the project. 

Paramount for Whitehurst and other members of the County Commission was implementing a safer way to enjoy the riverfront walk than in the two-lane street without sidewalks.

“This boils down to a public safety issue for me,” he said, amid groans and grumbles from the audience.

That’s one thing many of the speakers agreed on – something needs to be done to make Shore Drive safer for people of all ages to enjoy. 

Many homes front the riverfront road, and it’s a common sight to see trucks carrying boats and other water gear to the ramps along the Matanzas. But Shore Drive doesn’t have a sidewalk, so residents out for a stroll or a bike ride have to walk in the two-lane street. 

“It’s a real hazard,” Matt Jeffs said.

Jeffs lives on Shore Drive, and he likes to take his bicycle out for rides. His lawn also proudly displays a “Pro Trail” sign. 

On the same day Jeffs spoke with Jacksonville Today about his support for the trail, he said he had been nearly run off the road by a motor vehicle. 

He said many supporters were unable to attend county meetings held during the workday.

Trail opponents worry about contending with motor vehicles, too. That’s why County Commissioner Krista Joseph voted against funding the trail’s construction. One concern of hers was that people riding motorized e-bikes will speed down the trail, endangering pedestrians. 

To trail or not to trail

The leadup to the contentious vote began in 2021 when the County Commission approved the trail as part of a grant-funded program. Some residents had qualms, but the frustration from a number of locals reached a fever pitch Tuesday when the final vote to approve a construction bid was up for debate.

“If you put that 8-foot trail in, shame on you,” one resident said.

The 3-mile trail will connect the Doug Crane and the Moultrie boat ramps on St. Augustine’s south side along the west bank of the Matanzas River. The paved multi-use trail will be mostly 8-feet-wide, per Florida Department of Transportations recommendations, with some areas more narrow to account for trees.

But a number of residents aren’t convinced the trail will improve their way of life.

Some say the trail will disrupt local flora and fauna, some believe it will entice individuals experiencing homelessness to come hang around the neighborhood — but more than anything, a vocal contingent of residents, some wearing badges stating their anti-trail allegiance, said they just don’t want it.

“Please don’t pave paradise,” one said.

Warren Clark, a retired pastor, argued for a solution that could satisfy both proponents and opponents of the trail: adding a sidewalk.

“It took me three weeks to process where I am on this issue to try to figure through what may be the compromise that would work, that would help us as a community, as a neighborhood, come together on it,” he said.

But at the end of the day, the County Commission prioritize getting a fix sooner rather than later. The trail could be funded by grant money, St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Kane told the commission, but a sidewalk wouldn’t be as easy to fund without using more money from the county’s coffers.

With approval from the County Commission, Jacksonville-based CGC Inc. is expected to begin construction on the trail in the next two months. Once it begins, county staff said, construction is expected to take around six months.