It’s Purple Ribbons Around Old Palm Trees Opponents of Wal-Mart’s Plan to Take Out Trees Are Speaking Out Forcefully.
By DREW DIXON
ATLANTIC BEACH – Momentum is building in opposition to a proposal by Wal-Mart to alter a median and take out several palm trees on Atlantic Boulevard near its planned Supercenter site.
At the Atlantic Beach City Commission Monday night, several residents spoke out against any designs to remove any of the eight palm trees on the roadway right in front of the planned Wal-Mart site in the 600 block of Atlantic Boulevard. Andrea Wiley has started a citizen’s campaign to save the trees and has already wrapped a purple ribbon around each tree to signify the spirt of the beaches in the school colors of Fletcher High School.
“I’d like to ask our [commission] to be proactive in saving Atlantic Beach from what I believe is the beginning of something we as residents don’t want,” Wiley said during the citizen’s comment portion of the meeting. “We paid a large amount of taxpayer dollars – that was a lot – to get these palm trees and we’re very proud of them.”
That stretch of Atlantic Boulevard borders both Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach and both cities have spent about two decades trying to beautify the median area in what many consider the gateway into the coastal communities.
Atlantic Beach Mayor Don Wolfson became alarmed last week when an engineer for Wal-Mart indicated the retailer wanted to modify the median area from what was originally agreed to when the Neptune Beach City Council approved the Supercenter. That approval came in March only after mediation between the city and retailer and a massive public backlash to the proposed Wal-Mart.
“Our plan is to relocate four of the palm [trees] within the median, if possible, to accommodate an extension of the westbound left turn lane at the Seminole Road signal,” stated Wade Olszewski, an engineer with CPH Engineering of Jacksonville, the firm hired by Wal-Mart.
Wolfson said as soon as he found out about the plan, he intended to lobby the Florida Department of Transportation to reject any changes to the traffic patterns on Atlantic Boulevard near the planned Wal-Mart, which is scheduled to be built next year.
Wolfson and the City Commission were still discussing the median and Wal-Mart issue late into their meeting Monday night. But they’ve already been joined in their opposition by at least one Neptune Beach City Council member.
Neptune Beach Councilwoman and Vice Mayor Harriet Pruette sent a memo Monday to Atlantic Beach City Hall detailing her plans to help the opposition to removing any of the palms on Atlantic Boulevard.
“As one member on the Neptune Beach City Council, I would like to go on record with your commission that I am strongly opposed to any tinkering with those beautiful trees and the medians along Atlantic Boulevard,” Pruette stated in her memo.drew.dixon@jacksonville.com, (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313
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