WOKV: NASSAU COUNTY LEADERS SEEKING INPUT FOR GROWTH ALONG A1A STATE ROAD 200 CORRIDOR

Link to article: https://www.wokv.com/news/local/nassau-county-leaders-seeking-input-for-growth-along-a1a-state-road-200-corridor/fD8wjfLiNiTLhvTfKzRPoM/

Nassau County leaders are working to deal with the county's current growth while planning for more in the future.

Nassau County is working on a design study for the Timber to Tides Trail project, which will reshape the A1A State Road 200 Corridor.

Tasharra Costa lives in Nassau County and attends the cardiovascular technologist program at Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Each morning, she drives past all the construction down SR 200.

“The commute here can be difficult and hectic,” said Costa.

Nassau County leaders want to transform 13 miles of road that will support rapid growth and add new features for bicyclists, pedestrians and recreation, and attract investments in private businesses.

Officials in the county’s planning department tells Action News Jax they’re hoping that stretch of road will help create new development in the area, making it a place where people will want to live and work.

The planning department will host several different information sessions where people can come out and pick up a flyer, fill out a survey, take a look at a map of the project are or ask questions.

“Any important part of a community-based plan is really figuring out what the residents want and finding a way to draft policy which implements the overall community vision,” said Kailey Saver with the senior planner with the Nassau County Department of Planning and Economic Opportunity.

Nassau County has seen immense growth over the recent years.

In 2017 the county had nearly 80,500 people compared with 57,000 in 2000.

It’s growth that Costa says she’s noticed, too, and she tells us she can’t wait see how this project would bring more development sprouting up along the corridor.

“Being you don’t have to go to Jacksonville or Duval County, you know, to do a whole lot, so you’d be able to get more done in Nassau County, so that’s a good thing," she said.

The planning process for the Timber to Tides Trail is expected to be finished by the end of 2019.

The next meeting will be an open house on the FSCJ Nassau campus on Wednesday.