ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A proposal to build a three-mile plus trail near the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Augustine is creating controversy among neighbors and raising questions about impacts on property values, the environment and who even owns the land in question.
St. Augustine South is where the county is considering paving a path for recreation.
The proposed trail would start at the Doug Crane Boat Ramp. The project is called the Shore Drive Trail because it follows Shore Drive along the Intracoastal Waterway where there are some beautiful views.
Some residents like David Stover are all for it.
“I think it’s a great thing for the neighborhood,” Stover said.
Others, like Frances Lundberg are opposed and want to keep the space green.
The proposal calls for a paved path eight feet wide between the existing road and the water that would be wheelchair accessible.
Lundberg lives on Shore Drive. She said she’s collected to close 500 signatures for a petition against the trail.
“I would say that all of us are against it because we moved here and this is what we saw. And we love the green space,” she said.
Some residents hired arborist Danny Lippi to assess how a paved path would affect the trees in the area. He’s certified by the American Society of Consulting Arborists and the International Society of Arboriculture and provides guidance and analysis.
He said a paved path built too close to trees could damage their root systems and lead to cracked or uneven pavement and weakened trees.
“You’re going to induce decay that then starts to spread into the tree and 20 years from now the tree can be hollow, or and then break and fall over. Or you immediately kill the roots that are holding the tree up,” Lippi said.
He said there are ways around it like by building the path around existing root structures or above them, like a boardwalk bridge.
The proposed trail would end a little before a boat ramp at Moultrie Creek.
According to a spokesperson with Parks and Rec, the St. Johns County Commission is set to vote on whether or not to approve construction of the trail next Tuesday.