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Miccosukee Greenway supporters slam Leon County Commission ‘compromise’

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Supporters of the Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway, who are working to minimize the impact of roadwork in the wooded linear park, were not pleased with the Leon County Council on Tuesday night.

The county commissioners rejected calls from Friends of the Miccosukee Greenway and other park activists to create a new protective layer for the greenway and to create a new working group that would give them more input into the process.

Instead, commissioners approved a pair of safety-related changes to the planned extension of Dempsey Mayo Road, which runs along one of four long-term easements through the greenway. Construction on the road extension, which includes a roundabout at Miccosukee Road, could begin later this year.

The changes include reducing the width of the two 11-foot lanes to 10 feet each, lowering the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph, and installing push buttons for equestrians and pedestrians to stop traffic at intersections with a red light. The buttons would be similar to those on North Meridian Road near Forestmeadows Park.

“We lost the… Greenway tonight”

Commissioner Brian Welch, who introduced the motion, called it a “fair balance” between the needs of greenway users and other concerns, including state highway standards. Commissioners approved it 6-1, with Commissioner Bill Proctor the lone dissenting vote.

“We have three other roads that we know need to be built in the future,” Welch said. “This kind of sets a precedent for the expectation of what we want there.”

Most of Welch’s colleagues applauded his proposal, calling it a fair compromise. But longtime users of the Greenway were strident.

“We lost the Miccosukee Road Greenway tonight,” said Ruth Chase, a retired restaurateur and gardener who lives near the park. “The commission was congratulating itself.”

Greenway extends along Miccosukee Road

The greenway, one of the county’s most cherished parks, stretches for more than six miles along Miccosukee Road, itself a protected canopy road. A mix of dense forests and open meadows, it features a multi-use trail system that is widely used by hikers, bikers, horseback riders and nature lovers.

But concerns about its future have grown with the construction of Canopy at Welaunee and the arrival of other major developments in the area. Residents have voiced concerns about a dramatic thinning of the vegetative buffer around the greenway and persistent flooding in places like Pedrick Road.

“This is a clear cause and effect of overdevelopment,” said Dana Stetson, a marathon runner who regularly uses the Greenway.

Citizens ask province to go back to the drawing board

More than a dozen concerned citizens, some carrying “Save Our Greenway” signs, attended the meeting. Many spoke out during a status report on the Greenway and the Dempsey Mayo Road project.

The greenway, which is owned by the state and maintained by the county, contains four easements in the deed that allow entrances and exits at Dempsey Mayo, Arendell Way, Edenfield Road and the Shamrock South extension. The easements predate the construction of the greenway, said Artie White, director of city/county planning, during a lengthy presentation.

The county has said that, aside from Dempsey Mayo, there are no current plans to build roads along the other easements. But city and county officials acknowledge that they will eventually come.

“Those four easements are rights,” Commissioner Rick Minor said. “We can’t get around that. This great community treasure that we’ve enjoyed, that my family has enjoyed, of just one linear greenway with no interruption, is not going to stay that way.”

Eric Draper, a former director of the Florida Park Service and a member of Capital City Cyclists, told commissioners that the road was too wide and the speed limit was too high — concerns that Welch incorporated into his motion. He also questioned the county’s conclusion that the park should be crisscrossed by major collector roads.

“You have to think about that … because there’s nothing in those easements that says it has to be a major collector road,” said Draper, who also serves on the county citizens committee that’s drafting a new greenway management plan. “You could have built a farm road through it and kept the easement.”

“There’s nothing we can do”

Sue Noyes of the Southern Trailriders Association told commissioners that the road extensions run through state wilderness areas and need attention.

“To honor the Treetop Walkway and this protected area set aside for people and wildlife, other road designs or alternatives are needed instead of the procedures used for regular road expansions,” said Noyes, who also serves on the citizen commission.

Several commissioners vocally supported Welch’s proposal, including Commissioner Nick Maddox, who called it “masterful,” and Commissioner David O’Keefe.

“I would love nothing more than to prevent these four road pavements from going through,” O’Keefe said. “No matter how deep I’ve looked, they’re solid. They’re rock solid … there’s nothing we can do.”

Greenway supporters were not convinced. Ann Bidlingmaier, an environmental activist who also serves on the citizens’ committee, said the county’s move “does not reflect the concerns of the community.”

Rob Lombardo, president of the Friends group, also criticized the move, saying it was a major setback. But he hoped advocates could still make progress in their efforts to influence the design of the roads and protect the character of the area.

“We need to spend more time engaging staff,” he said. “If they’re willing to do that, we have the opportunity to discuss things that they might find acceptable.”

Contact Jeff Burlew at [email protected] or 850-599-2180.

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