ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — "It doesn’t make any sense."
That's what Scott Robinson had to say about the latest idea to make a St. Augustine intersection safer.
The spot where A1A (Anastasia Boulevard) hits Red Cox Drive has had a history of crashes, some of them deadly. It's by the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and just a couple of blocks from the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
The Florida Department of Transportation has paid for traffic studies in the area.
The studies propose plans to reconfigure the intersection. One option is loosely called the "peanut" and another option was nicknamed the "dog bone." And the option the City of St. Augustine and the state are considering the most seems to be a third option, a roundabout.
However, it means the St. Augustine fire station at that intersection would have to relocate. The latest idea being floated is to build a new fire station in a wooded area immediately across from the St. Augustine Amphitheater. It’s just a half mile away.
The proposed fire station would be a block or two away from Robinson’s home. He said that stand of trees shelters the neighborhood from road noise.
"They’re talking about putting a traffic circle by where the existing firehouse is," Robinson said. "But if you really want to slow traffic, just put in a stoplight. It costs a lot less money, and it’s unnecessary to knock down a barrier for this residential community that’s been here for over 40 years."
Some other people, who do not live in the area, support the idea of renovating the Red Cox Drive intersection.
Eric Mincy of St. Augustine said, "My brother was in a crash at that intersection."
He said if safety means moving a fire station, "I say go for it. Anything to make is safer for your citizens."
A flyer about the plan from the City of St. Augustine states the current fire station was built in 1995 and "is painfully undersized and underequipped at 2,700 square feet."
To schedule a meeting or provide input, email CityFire@CityStAug.com.