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Residents, businesses urge county to pause Sun Trail routing along A1A Beach Boulevard
Summary
Dozens of St. Augustine Beach residents and business owners told the St. Johns County commission the proposed Sun Trail alignment along A1A (Beach Boulevard) would harm downtown businesses, raise safety concerns and that many were not notified; commissioners agreed to place the issue on a future agenda for a full review.
Dozens of residents and business owners told the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners on March 24 that a proposed section of the state-backed Sun Trail routed down A1A (Beach Boulevard) would harm safety and local commerce and that the community had not been properly notified.
The most sustained public comment of the meeting focused on the Sun Trail, a statewide shared-use path program. Linda, a St. Augustine Beach resident, said she and other residents first learned about the routing when crews placed pink flags along Beach Boulevard and that restaurant and hotel owners had not been given advance notice. “Putting down a 12‑foot asphalt path going both directions will not only disrupt traffic and business access but will totally change the face of Beach Road,” she said, urging the county to “put a pause” and find an alternative alignment.
Others raised safety and operational concerns. Mary Grace cited Florida Department of Transportation guidance that emphasizes safety, saying the east side of Beach Boulevard has “over 50 access points” and at least 14 cross‑streets that would create frequent conflict points between cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. Richard O’Brien, a former city commissioner, asked the board to invite FDOT and the trail’s design team to a formal county agenda item with a question‑and‑answer session.
Business owners said the project could harm commerce if construction occurs during the summer season. Gloria, who owns a restaurant on Beach Boulevard, said she was not notified by designers and warned that a major construction project adjacent to busy corner properties would be “devastating” during peak months.
County staff told the board the design phase is currently funded by the state and that the county has accepted approximately $730,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation for design work only; construction funding is not in hand. Chair Commissioner Clay Murphy said he had no objection to adding the Sun Trail routing to a future agenda so the board can review the full history of funding, the authority that governs the project and to hear from all stakeholders.
The board did not take a policy vote on the routing during the meeting; staff said the design effort is ongoing and that construction dollars would likely appear in later FDOT work programs. Commissioners directed staff to return with a full presentation, including funding history and the roles of FDOT, the county and the city of St. Augustine Beach.
If the county schedules the item, officials said they will invite FDOT representatives and the project designers so commissioners and the public can ask detailed questions about alignment choices, safety mitigations and construction phasing.
