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County seeking grants to restore Historic Courthouse, develop bike and walkway path connectivity study

Jesse Hollett
Posted 6/21/17

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – When it was built in 1889 the Historic Courthouse in Green Cove Springs served as the county’s home for the mighty third branch of government.

It’s long since been …

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County seeking grants to restore Historic Courthouse, develop bike and walkway path connectivity study


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – When it was built in 1889 the Historic Courthouse in Green Cove Springs served as the county’s home for the mighty third branch of government.

It’s long since been retired to serve as an event center and tourist destination. Although its weathered halls aren’t as stressed from constant footsteps as they once were, the building is in need of repair.

The Clay County Board of County Commissioners gave staff the go ahead at their June 13 meeting to apply for a $300,000 grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources to repair the courthouse’s aging roof, windows and stucco.

The county must provide $75,000 in matching funds for the grant, but has already budgeted $50,000 towards the repairs.

Staff submitted the application on June 15. If awarded, the county will see the funds next July. The grant comes with a two-year window to use the funds.

“This is one building in the county we cannot afford to lose, no matter the cost,” said Commissioner Gayward Hendry.

The 11,000 square foot courthouse is now mainly used for ceremonies and programs such as Clay County Teen Court. Teen Court gives juvenile law-offenders the chance to clear their records in a jury of their peers in exchange for alternative punishments.

If the county receives the grant, they expect to finish the repairs to the building by February 2019.

In another agenda item, the county gave approval for staff to submit a separate grant request to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to develop a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.

The plan would predominately occupy itself on connecting the various fragmented and scattered bike and walk paths throughout the county, and researching safe walkways to and from school.

Community Planning and Technical Assistance Grants aid local governments in meeting statutory requirements in community planning, and because the county’s disjointed bike and walk paths have long been an issue among residents and are included as a major priority in the county’s master plan, staff thinks they meet the requirements for the grant.

“I think this fits perfectly into our new branding process, and I would honored [to approve this],” said Commissioner Gayward Hendry.

Typical funding requests for grants such as these range from $25,000 to $40,000. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan process would include community engagement through workshops and online, and also focus on connecting bike trails to neighboring counties and municipalities.

If the county secures the grant, then they would have a competitive edge in securing more related grants in the future to actually implement the proposed master plan.

“The County’s Comprehensive Plan contains objectives and policies in support of an interconnected network of sidewalks and bicycle trails and paths,” said Economic and Development Services Director Holly Coyle. “Since most funding for pedestrian and bicycle facilities comes from state and federal grants, having a master plan that identifies priorities based on significant community input will give the County a strategic advantage in future competitive grant applications.”

Staff has until June 23 to submit the grant. The grant will last for one fiscal year if awarded.

“This certainly gives us a step up,” said Commissioner Mike Cella.