Committee approves closure of portion of Beachway Road, speaker urges more public waterway access

The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee voted to approve a closure and abandonment of an open, improved portion of Beachway Road and Woodcock Drive in Council District 5 at the request of the listed property owner, with the action recorded during the committee's Jan. 7 meeting.

During the public hearing on Bill 20240942, John Philanthropic Resiliency Nooney, a public commenter who identified himself as a Jacksonville resident, said the closure is intended to enable redevelopment into multifamily structures and voiced support for the measure while urging city officials to prioritize public access to waterways.

"Closure is requested to redevelop the area into multifamily structures," Nooney said during his two-minute public comment. "There's nothing wrong with that. ... But at the same time, you should be cognizant of any opportunity anywhere to increase public access on our waterways. ... Only 10% is public access."

Committee members approved an amendment to the bill on the floor, and the measure passed on a recorded vote of 6 yeas and 0 nays. The committee chair noted there was separate land-use (LUZ) legislation related to the property and that the closure bill addressed only the roadway abandonment.

No detailed redevelopment plans, conditions of approval, or specific reservation language for public access were read into the captured transcript. The transcript identifies the request as made on behalf of "Chris Barefoot, owner of Middles Town Center Office LLC, subject to reservation" in the bill text read during the hearing; the committee chair also referenced Miss Hunter, who was in attendance and said LUZ legislation addresses land-use specifics.

Ending: The committee closed the public hearing, approved the amended bill, and moved on to other agenda items.