Grant award funds Bartram Scenic Highway

Historic City Media was notified today that the William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway is taking a significant step toward preserving its beauty and protecting its intrinsic resources in an announcement from Karen Pan in the St. Johns County Office of Public Affairs.

In April of this year, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners authorized negotiations to enter into a contract with Glatting Jackson, the highest ranked of nine firms following a request for bids, to develop a Master Plan for the William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway.

The $600,000 funding for the Master Plan development was awarded through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHA) National Scenic Byway Program.

As outlined in the grant, the Master Plan for the William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway will include several key components: a Visual Survey, Wayfinding Interpretation Plan, Corridor Master Plan, design for an Interpretative Center and the creation of a website, electronic newsletter, new membership brochure and preservation brochure.

Additionally, this project will fund the preparation of paperwork to establish the William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway Corridor Group as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, as well as document oral histories and create a county overlay ordinance to further protect this scenic corridor.

The William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway was designated as a Florida Scenic Highway in 2005 and was one of numerous projects in 45 states to receive a National Scenic Byway grant in 2006. These grant awards, which totaled $25.6 million in 2006, are part of the FHA’s National Scenic Byways Program that recognizes designated Scenic Highways, Byways and All American roads that preserve, protect and enhance intrinsic resources.

These intrinsic resources include scenic, archaeological, historic, cultural, natural (environmental) and recreational characteristics.

The William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway designation boundary lies along State Road 13 from Julington Creek to Wards Creek in the Northwest Planning District of St. Johns County.

Negotiations on the Master Plan contract are expected to conclude this month and work on the Master Plan is anticipated to commence this summer.

For more information about the William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway, the development of the Master Plan or the Corridor Group, please contact St. Johns County Principal Planner Vickie Renna at 904-209-0615.