Council approves enhanced Jones Fish Camp Road in public‑private deal after heated public comment

The Edgewater City Council voted June 4 to approve a public‑private partnership under which a developer will build an upgraded Jones Fish Camp Road and the city will reimburse roughly half the estimated $3.78 million cost using multimodal impact fees.

Council and staff described the project as an enhanced rebuild that adds traffic calming roundabouts, a dedicated bike lane, underground utilities and a developer‑provided stormwater pond to address chronic drainage problems. Ryan Solis, planning staff, told the council the agreement requires the developer to complete construction within five years and includes cost controls, performance bonds and plan‑review checkpoints to protect public funds.

The decision followed nearly two hours of public comment. Jim Lovegren, who lives on Jones Fish Camp Road, told the council he and many neighbors oppose moving forward unless a second access point is guaranteed. “If there’s a hurricane… Where are they going? We gonna jump in the river?” he asked, warning the single‑access road poses a public‑safety risk.

Others who live in the area said they supported the improvements. Vince Boscovich, a Riverfront Way homeowner, said the neighborhood had been promised road upgrades and called the proposed work a community benefit: “I think this project should go forward,” he said, adding that the developer’s commitments would raise property values and provide safer multimodal travel.

The applicant’s counsel, Mark Watts, outlined protections the agreement would place on city oversight: submitted costs must be documented and are subject to a 30‑day city review, the developer carries cost‑overrun risk and warranties and performance bonds are required before final payment.

Council members acknowledged the tension between residents’ fears of construction impacts and the city’s obligation to improve a substandard roadway that was previously accepted at county standards. Mayor DePue said the project responds to infrastructure needs the city did not plan for earlier: “We are where we are,” he said, urging the council to secure the best design and stormwater outcome for residents.

After discussion about safeguards and community meetings, the council approved the agreement in a roll call vote. Council members said they expect the city and developer to continue resident outreach and inspect implementation closely to limit dust, traffic disruption and safety risks during construction.

The agreement requires the developer to construct the enhanced roadway to the standards negotiated and to provide long‑term maintenance for certain landscaping and roundabouts; the city will only release payments after documentation and inspections. The council’s approval authorizes the city manager to execute the public‑private roadway agreement as presented in the staff report.

Next steps: staff will finalize the contract documents and the developer will enter the design and construction phases subject to the contract’s checkpoints and the city’s review process.