St. Johns County drops Shore Drive Trail, redirects funds to San Sebastian River park renamed for Waldron family

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners voted to discontinue plans for the Shore Drive Trail and redirect the project funds to the San Sebastian River Park and Boat Ramp project, which the board unanimously renamed the Waldron Family Park.

"At the end of the day, the board decided to discontinue with plans for this trail," said Wayne Larson, director of public affairs for St. Johns County, summarizing the decision and its immediate budgetary redirection. Larson said the reallocated funds will support improvements at the 31-acre San Sebastian River site, including a boat ramp and passive-recreation amenities.

Larson told the radio program that the Shore Drive Trail proposal had been scaled and altered during review — from an original 8-foot width to proposed 5-foot options and hybrid plans — and that persistent community input and debate led commissioners to end the trail effort. "There had been a lot of modifications to the trail...but at the end of the day, the board decided to discontinue the project, and rededicate the funds allocated for that project to the San Sebastian River Park And Boat Ramp," he said.

The board also advanced the county's annual LAMP (Land Acquisition Management Program) priority rankings so staff can begin outreach to willing property owners about potential conservation or park purchases. Larson said the current LAMP funding balance is "about 5,500,000.0" as stated in the county recap and that the board added an additional 1.5 from the TreeBank Fund (the transcript did not specify the exact monetary unit for the 1.5 figure).

Separately, the county's coastal-management staff presented options for coastal restoration and resiliency in the Summerhaven area; the board decided to move ahead with engineering and design work to evaluate next steps. Larson said various funding sources will be explored as the county proceeds with design and potential construction.

What happens next: county staff will open negotiations with property owners identified in the LAMP priorities and return proposals to the board for potential purchase or further action. The Waldron Family Park renaming and the fund reallocation were recorded as board decisions at the meeting; Larson said the board acted unanimously on the naming motion.

The radio program noted residents can view meeting video on demand or follow agenda items via the county's SJC Connect app and GovTV.