PENNEY FARMS – Even with tractor-trailers rolling along State Road 16 just a few yards away, there is a calming serenity throughout Penney Farms, and Cathie Parrott is committed to keeping it that way.
Even without a state designation, the “corridor” through the sleepy town is one of the most picturesque in North Florida. Moss-draped oaks paint a regal canopy and a soulful reminder that life doesn’t have to be lived in the fast lane.
“There’s not even a coffee shop here for people to stop,” Parrott said. “We enjoy this kind of rural setting. We want to keep it a little town.”
No matter how much the town’s people want to live off the radar, officials with the Florida Department of Transportation were so impressed they surprised Parrott with the Garry Balogh Inspiring Excellence Award. The honor has only been given six times, and it recognizes leadership, innovation, stewardship and achievements which have impacted highways in the Florida Scenic Highways program.
For Parrott, it meant keeping things simple and authentic.
“We’re the smallest scenic highway in the state,” she said, “and we’re one of the prettiest. Penney Farms is one of the last open spaces left in Clay County. We know there will some major building is going to get here eventually. The town does need some business, but we don’t want to lose our small-town feel.”
It took four years to move through the state’s scenic highway process. It finally earned the designation in 2010.
The current designation only includes a three-mile stretch of S.R. 16 through Penney Farms, but there have been some plans to extend the scenic proclamation from Camp Blanding across the Shands Bridge and to the Bartram Trail area of St. Johns County. But for now, Penney Farms is content with its own laid-back success.
That means keeping things quiet and slow. The speed limit through town is 45 mph. Larger trucks are prohibited from jake and engine braking. In fact, the biggest threat to the town’s tranquility is the sound of leaf-blowers and lawnmowers.
The town got money from the Board of County Commissioners to refurbish Town Hall. Part of the project includes turning the old volunteer fire station into a museum. “Our goal here is to preserve, protect and enhance the city’s historical aspect,” Parrott said. One peaceful step at a time.
