The Florida Times-Union: St. Johns to seek moratorium on northwest growth

The Florida Times-Union

November 5, 2007
St. Johns to seek moratorium on northwest growth


By PETER GUINTA,
St. Augustine Record


The St. Johns County Commission has told its legal staff to write an ordinance that would impose a growth moratorium on County Road 210 near Interstate 95.
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District 1 Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson said Friday that frequent and dangerous traffic backups at Interstate 95 and County Road 210 had become "insane" and that it was time to do something.

"That intersection has reached a critical point," Stevenson said. "(But) we still have projects coming. I would like to freeze things in place until we get a fix on the problem. This is a health, safety and welfare issue."

A moratorium would not affect projects already approved.

But it might delay the start dates of some projects, stop approval of new plans, prevent changes in land use amendments and prohibit major rezonings. It also might be possible to redirect local impact fees away from smaller roads and toward that intersection, Stevenson said.

County Administrator Michael Wanchick said, "(The wording of the ordinance) would depend at what stage in the development process we choose to act. That's part of the analysis we need to do."

Wanchick said he'd like to reach out and involve all "interested parties. We don't want to harm anybody, but we can't allow this condition to continue. It's a proactive, positive step if handled correctly."

The commission has often said the County Road 210 and I-95 intersection is the most dangerous in the county.

Stevenson said improvements are not just to speed commutes to work but to increase public safety.

In addition, repairs would also smooth hurricane evacuation and emergency services.

On weekday mornings, long lines of traffic stretches west from the intersection for 2 miles. Drivers wait up to 45 minutes to get onto I-95. In the evening, they return from Jacksonville and try to exit I-95 at 210.

But a long, slow queue forms, backing up into I-95, risking collisions.

Federal and state governments have provided little money to help, Stevenson said. Last year, U.S. Rep. John Mica, Republican Winter Park, found $3 million to lengthen the off-ramp, but there are still backups onto the interstate.

Commission Chairman Ben Rich said the county must reduce traffic pressure there,

"When does it get so dangerous that a worst-case disaster happens on I-95?" he said.

"Moratoriums are a tool that government uses when things aren't right. We can't keep adding to the problem," she said.

Vice Chairman Tom Manuel said the county's legal staff will first have to do a great deal of research on how this can be accomplished.

Public hearings will also have to be held before any measure is passed. "This is a very big legal issue," Manuel said.

County Attorney Patrick McCormack said a moratorium can't just be imposed and then forgotten.

"The county has to be actively working on solutions to the problem," he said.

Wanchick said it is a significant but necessary step. "It holds development in place for a period of time. It's not in anyone's interest for the situation to continue."

Already 60,000 homes are approved for construction in north St. Johns County, Stevenson said.

Some traffic relief may be on the way. Bartram Parkway's opening in February will give drivers a new route from Race Track Road to Old St. Augustine Road.

Also, the Department of Transportation is actively acquiring right of way for the new $1.8 million river crossing bridge, which will have a clover- leaf at I-95.

"Right now, 40 percent of the traffic on State Road 16, International Golf Parkway and C.R. 210 comes from Clay County," Stevenson said.

On the down side, though, the Twin Creeks project is stalled. The developer of Twin Creeks has a multi-million-dollar road-building agreement with the county on County Road 210's eastern leg.

If that does not happen, the county may have to pay for that connector.

"What I don't want is for this (moratorium) to have a chilling effect (on development) in the Northern Development Area," Stevenson said. "There is plenty of vested land with concurrency that is approved."




This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/110507/met_215050130.shtml.