PALM VALLEY, Fla. – Palm Valley residents learned about the latest improvements and developments coming to St. Johns County during a Monday Town Hall meeting.
The county plans to build four new parks and fire stations over the next six years to decrease response times and improve insurance rates.
The first fire station in the Flagler Estates is expected to be completed at the end of 2025. The last station in the Longleaf Pines Region is expected to be completed by the end of 2030.
President of the Palm Valley Community Association Greg Leonard said the new developments are desperately needed.
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“When you think about three of those parks are in the northwestern part of the county, which 20 years ago had virtually no population, all of that has changed,” Leonard said. “Now those services are starting to be put in place, the additional fire stations, emergency management services, all those things that are critical, and also those things that help reduce the cost of insurance for our homes and businesses.”
Joy Andrews explained how the new additions would benefit the community.
“The regional parks, the capacity expansion possibility is enormous. And also the creative innovative concept of co-locating all the parks with the libraries. It creates a unique opportunity for also the library lovers and the parents who have children and like to go to library and take advantage of these programs,” Andrews said.
Andrews said having these conversations with the community and receiving feedback is important because the government “needs to be humanized.”
“That’s why I want to have a face of this government that is vulnerable, that is eager to improve. And I want the community to see that and behind me is 1400 employees [who] feel the same way. And I want the community to see that we’re there to serve them,” she said.
The next meeting is on May 9 at 6 p.m. at the River House Amenity Center.
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