New northwest roads not just numbers anymore

By MARK PETTUS
mark.pettus@mystjohnssun.com

A black cow, a red goat and two developers were disappointed this week when the St. Johns County Commission voted not to name three new roads in the northwest after them.

Instead, the new roads will be known as St. Johns Parkway, Veterans Parkway and Longleaf Pine Parkway North and South.

County Road 2209, which will become a major north/south connector extending from Race Track Road south to County Road 208, will be known as St. Johns Parkway.

County Road 244 will extend west and south from Race Track Road to Greenbriar Road as Longleaf Pine Parkway North. From there until it intersects County Road 210 and Florida 16, it will be known as Longleaf Pine Parkway South.

County Road 223, which will extend from the intersection of 210 and Greenbriar Road north to Race Track Road and which passes by Veterans Park, will become Veterans Parkway.

Roger Van Ghent, who served on the ad hoc committee that recommended the names to the commission, said he suggested the name Longleaf Pine Parkway. Ghent is a member of the Audubon Society and said it was important at least one of thenames reflected the area’s natural history.

“There was a time when longleaf pines grew extensively all over north Florida, “ Ghent said. “I thought it might be nice to memorialize that we did have so many.” Ghent says the native longleaf pines produced less underbrush and thus less fire danger than the trees planted by timber companies.

Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson said the only resident currently along 2209, whom she described as a man with a black cow and a red goat, wanted the road named after him, but she said naming the road after the county, the community and the river was more appropriate.

“St. Johns Parkway is likely to be the biggest road ever built by the county,” Stevenson said.
Developers had asked the county to name two of the roads RiverTown Parkway and Aberdeen Parkway. Another road, Nocatee Parkway, is already named after the huge development through which it passes. The county refused.

Ghent said he opposed naming roads after developers.

“They’ve built too much, too fast, and I don’t think we should do anything to recognize them,” Ghent said.

NAME GAME

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