Letter: The Future of our County

Dear Neighbors,

You are invited to a special Regional Town Hall Meeting to discuss the future of the seven-county Northeast Florida region. I hope that you will plan to attend.

The St. Johns County meeting will be held on Monday, February 28, 2011, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center located at 3125 Agricultural Center Drive in St. Augustine.

The meeting is sponsored by the Regional Community Institute of Northeast Florida and has in past meetings identified these guiding principles:

1) Protect and conserve open spaces, agriculture and natural resources.
2) Promote compact mixed used development.
3) Provide mobility choices.
4) Promote economic vitality and competitiveness of our region.
5) Promote infill development
6) Capitalize on regional assets and promote community identities.

The Regional Community Institute of Northeast Florida, Inc. is a not-for-profit with the mission of creating a vision for growth and development in the First Coast region for the next 50 years.

They were asked to create the vision in a timeframe that would allow it to be considered by the Northeast Florida Regional Council Board as it updates the plan for the region, the Strategic Regional Policy Plan. First Coast Vision is planned to be complete by September 2011. The SRPP becomes binding policies to direct the growth for our region.

Six committees of the Regional Community Institute have been working on a draft of goals and objectives for First Coast Vision.

The committees are made up of experts from the region in the following areas:

* Affordable Housing * Economic Development * Emergency Preparedness * Health and Human Services * Natural Resources * Transportation

Now that experts in the region have given their recommendations, it is time for the public to let us know what they think.

The Regional Community Institute is interested in getting input into First Coast Vision from all residents of the region. All are invited to learn about First Coast Vision at any one of the meetings being held in each of the seven counties.

Residents will have the opportunity to chose the growth pattern they prefer for the region, to talk with neighbors and planners about the draft goals and objectives being contemplated for inclusion in First Coast Vision, and to give planners their input.

The Regional Community Institute is also looking for opportunities to make presentations to your service clubs, youth and other groups.

For more information visit their website: http://www.firstcoastvision.com

I hope to see you at this important meeting to discuss our county and our region’s future.

Cyndi Stevenson
St. Johns County Commissioner
District 1