Media Release
Nassau County
Contact: Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010 [email protected]
Nassau County, Florida, January 31, 2022 – We are excited to report that the Board of County Commissioners has earned a 2021 Regional Award of Excellence from the Northeast Florida Regional Council for the State Road 200/A1A Corridor Plan. This plan was the result of a two-year planning initiative which consisted of online citizen surveys, interviews and community meetings in which stakeholders were asked to share their thoughts about the State Road 200/A1A Corridor.
This process revealed that county residents, young and old, share a desire for a safe, comfortable, and attractive corridor that connects them to the places they are seeking access to. They also desire more trees, sidewalk/bicycle paths, and social spaces such as parks and public markets.
Nassau County recognizes that the current pattern of development along the SR200/A1A Corridor is not fiscally sustainable, nor does it represent the interests of the community. With the recent widening of SR200 to six lanes, its wide vehicle travel ways, unshaded sidewalks, and unprotected bike lanes, automobile transportation is prioritized.
Nassau County’s goal is to establish nodes of compact, walkable areas along the corridor, linked by safe routes for bicycling and future transit, while creating a sense of place and historic identity. Five planning priorities identified include:
- Nurture Nature: Maintain, enhance, and extend the natural environment by creating opportunities for residents to access and enjoy Florida’s unique natural areas.
- Grow Sustainably: Help stage vibrant shopping center and neighborhood growth through development that creates places for people, supports local businesses, and generates additional jobs, encourage active lifestyles, and comprises a mix of housing options.
- Connect Communities: Improve linkages between neighborhoods, shopping centers, and amenities through a network of slow, safe and livable primary and secondary streets, trails, bike paths, and pedestrian infrastructure.
- Catalyze Culture: Build on heritage while establishing new cultural assets that celebrate community creativity and identity in the public realm.
- Future Proof: Prepare for a future by looking ahead to build a resilient community in the face of growing climate concern and technological advancement.
At the Board of County Commissioner’s meeting held on December 13, 2021, the Board adopted a Resolution approving the SR200/A1A Corridor Master Plan which will serve as the blueprint for plan implementation through upcoming comprehensive plan policies and land development code standards.
At the meeting, Blake Drury, Director of Urban Planning & Design for GAI Consultants, stated, “This is an important time in the life of this community. This master plan sets the vision for how this community wants to grow. There’s an opportunity to put parks and public spaces in the forefront and this master plan will create an avenue to change the trajectory of development along the corridor”.
County Manager, Taco Pope, added, “The population in Nassau County is going to increase. There’s nothing we can do legally to stop people from coming here. We have two options…. we can take a laissez-fair approach and do nothing and just see what happens. Or we can take the reins and craft a community we want. Adopting the State Road 200/A1A Master Plan is the first step in doing that. This plan promotes quality of life, invests in our community and makes Nassau County a better place to live”.
The Master Plan can be located at https://www.nassaucountyfl.com/951/SR200A1A-Corridor-Master- Plan-Draft
One would hope included in any “plan” and contractual work, the contract includes a clause for date of completion and penalties for not meeting completion date. Plus a bonus for early completion. After the last A1A “experience, this should have been a lesson to all those responsible and representing the citizens of Nassau County. Besides A1A, the future MUST include another route of the east/west direction or a connection with St. Mary’s, Ga. via a bridge. In the 1990’s, I recall the evacuation from the Island to I-95 took two hours! Imagine how long such an evacuation would take now! At numerous times of the day, A1A traffic is absolutely horrible. Sitting thru red lights multiple times, taking 12 minutes to travel three miles. We need another route alternative.