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Residents urge keeping Pine Brook two lanes and warn against allowing golf carts on sidewalks
Summary
During the workshop's public‑comment period, residents from the Pine Brook/Wellfield Park area and nearby subdivisions urged commissioners not to widen Pine Brook Road and opposed a proposal to allow golf carts on sidewalks, citing safety, tree loss and enforcement concerns.
Residents who spoke during the meeting's open‑to‑the‑public session asked the county to preserve neighborhood character and public‑safety protections rather than widening Pine Brook Road and to reject policies that would expand golf‑cart use on sidewalks.
"Specifically, the one I'm referring to is changing Pine Brook Road from two lanes to four lanes. Our request is to leave Pine Brook Road two lanes and implement what we're calling traffic mitigation measures," Steve Carr, chair of the Central Venice Coalition, told the commission. Carr listed mitigation options including crosswalks, mixed‑use recreational trails (MERTs), lower speed limits, park signage, restrictions on large trucks and right‑turn lanes into parks to improve safety while preserving park access.
Several other speakers raised related concerns. Barb Mabry asked directly, "Do you really think that golf carts on the sidewalks and being able to cross a state road is in any way a good idea?" She warned about enforcement gaps, potential lawsuits and costs falling on taxpayers. Kelly Bauman described tree loss and the effects of large sidewalks and MERTs in residential areas, calling expanded sidewalks for golf carts a waste of money for longstanding residents.
Transportation staff acknowledged the community concerns and noted Pine Brook appears as an unprogrammed segment within the county's thoroughfare plan materials. "This is a piece from Venice Avenue to Edmondson... Pine Brook Road... is another one of our unprogrammable roadway segments," Spencer Anderson said during the presentation, adding the corridor will be evaluated in the consultant's thoroughfare‑plan review.
No formal decision was made at the workshop; commissioners directed staff to continue outreach and the consultant‑led evaluation of the comprehensive thoroughfare plan. Residents who asked for changes will have additional opportunities for input during the neighborhood outreach tied to any plan amendment process.
