ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Dozens of people filled the IMAX Theater at the World Golf Village to learn more about the future of St. Johns County.
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The World Golf Village was a hot topic on Wednesday, especially since the county recently purchased the Hall of Fame site and the surrounding properties for $5.5 million. People were curious about what’s next.
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But people also had concerns about the traffic and development challenges the county faces.
“I was thrilled that so many people decided to attend and get the information,” St. Johns County Commissioner Christian Whitehurst said.
Whitehurst and County Administrator Joy Andrews talked about the State of the County and answered questions from the audience.
Leaders said the county’s more than $117 billion budget will include adding new roadways and expanding existing ones.
However, one of the major projects that has faced setbacks is the widening of County Road 210.
“We are holding those developers accountable,” Whitehurst said. “They made promises to the residents there, and the current residents of our county, and we expect them to fulfill those commitments.”
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Some people expressed concerns about overdevelopment and lack of roadways.
“The development in St. Johns County is just going through the roof, and people who have been here for a while are just really getting fed up with it,” St Johns County resident George Latanzio said.
Whitehurst says he understands the concerns and says commissioners are doing what they can to balance growth in the county.
“We vote no on a lot of development because the area is just not ready for that kind of development,” Whitehurst said.
With the recent purchase, one area that will see changes is the World Golf Village.
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“By us acquiring the property, now we can control our own destiny with what we would like to see here based on input from our community,” St Johns County Public Affairs Director Wayne Larson said.
Larson said the county received nearly 5,000 survey results. And many people said they want to see more entertainment, and restaurants.
“I would like to see a couple of restaurants, but what I would really love to see facilities that cater to the people, like libraries, like a medical facility, like a research lab – that type of environment,” Latanzio said.
Whitehurst says no plans have been set yet.
“Even if it means us measuring twice, cutting once to ensure that we get the right use for the area, I think our board is willing to be patient in finding the right use for this beautiful community,” Whitehurst said.
The county also discussed new regional parks, new fire stations, new library hubs and a new mobile app - all coming to St John’s County.
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