ORANGE PARK – Portions of Wells Road are abandoned, dilapidated and dangerous, and it hardly affords the kind of welcome the county wants.

The Gateway to Clay was created to change all that.

The initiative not only wants to put a fresh coat of paint on the northern part of Clay County, but it also wants to rebuild forgotten neighborhoods and revitalize businesses along one of the most critical corridors leading into the county.

“We all have a vested interest in the brand, the beauty and the business of Clay County,” said county manager Howard Wanamaker. “It is critical for us all to do our part and work in unison and have a positive impact, not only here along Wells Road, but throughout all of Clay County. Simply put: our common vision and goals make Clay County the best place to live, work and play. We want everyone to know they are in Clay County when they come through this Gateway to Clay.”

County officials already are compiling information to the needs of the Wells Road and Blanding Boulevard areas since it’s where most visitors enter the county. They will use federal and state funds to clean up and drive crime out of the area, county commissioner Jim Renninger said.

Wanamaker and Renninger joined Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, Orange Park Mayor Randy Anderson, Florida Rep. Jim Garrison (R-Fleming Island) and business owners in the corridor to announce the ambitious plan at the Orange Park Mall last week to bring new life to the rundown area.

The First Coast Expressway has brought a dramatic increase in growth to the west and south portions of the county. Garrison said it’s important to not forget the north side.

“Growth is exciting. Growth is really fun,” Garrison said. “We see all the growth happening in Clay County, especially with the outer beltway in parts of the county. A lot of change. But with growth, some other areas of the county can be neglected or left behind. Gateway to Clay is our community’s commitment to the people on the north end of Clay County that you matter to us. Your neighborhoods matter to us. Your businesses matter to us.

“In addition to the growth we’re seeing in the rest of the county, as a county, we’re going to be reinvesting, refocusing on our existing neighborhoods, our existing businesses that built Clay County into what it is today. We want to show we appreciate them and the future is bright.”

Crime figures have declined in the county, but Wells Road remains an area of concern. Just two months ago, shots were fired as part of a large disturbance during a carnival in the mall parking lot. A man from Jacksonville was arrested and the carnival closed a day ahead of schedule.

Cook said crime is moving from Jacksonville to the northern part of the county. She said Gateway to Clay is designed to protect the local neighborhoods and businesses.

“We are absolutely committed to making the Gateway to Clay work and the Wells Road corridor a safe and inviting environment so people will come to visit us and feel safe here,” Cook said. “Here’s some good news: crime in Clay County is down. Crime in this area is down. But I will tell you what I’m seeing with 30 years of law enforcement: I am seeing a deterioration of the neighborhoods. When there’s a deterioration of the neighborhood, criminals feel like it’s OK, people don’t care so they come in and commit crimes. In order to stop that with this Gateway to Clay initiative, we know that a revitalized neighborhood that looks safe, that feels safe, will stay safe. The broken windows theory has shown us that when areas are physically in decline, those areas have an increase in crime. Crime is down and we are not going to let it creep back up.

“For the past month, we’ve been involved in a door-to-door assessment and review of the area, understanding where our call for services are and meeting with business owners and residents to talk to them about their concerns. We’re going to be addressing quality of life and nuisance crimes. We’re going to be engaging in deliberate education and enforcement of not only traffic but also pedestrian laws.”

Gateway to Clay is a long-term initiative that’s designed to work ahead of demands, Garrison said.

“Sheriff Cook asks ‘where are we going to be in 10 years? What’s the end result?’ especially in older parts of the county where we have seen infrastructure aging, businesses who’ve had some hard times recently,” he said. “That 10-year vision, if we’re not careful, can be more scary than exciting. This vision for this part of the county is vibrant; it’s optimistic; it’s hopeful. If we don’t do anything as a community to make sure we’re reinvesting in these neighborhoods and these businesses, without that vision, eventually they will perish.

“The goal of this initiative is to push forward a task division for the north end of the county for the next 10, 20, 30 years to make sure all of Clay County is included in the exciting things we have ahead.”

County and Town officials will host several community forums to ask residents along the Well Road corridor what is needed. The first is Thursday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites at 620 Wells Road.