The ongoing march of big box retail juggernauts into rapidly expanding St. Johns County has traffic concerns spiraling.
As first reported by The Citizen this week, a Walmart Supercenter is expected to sprout at 3405 International Golf Parkway near Tocoi Creek High School.
That’s just a few miles from an existing Buc-ees, Home Depot, Costco, and a newly opened Bass Pro Shops.
While many residents welcome the sudden burst in retail options in the area, others bemoan worsening traffic and infrastructure strains.
The Citizen’s Walmart story drew dozens of comments from readers concerned about clogged highways and vehicle snarls in the years and decades ahead.
Several residents summarized those sentiments at a meeting of the Board of Zoning and Planning Agency this week.
“We need to start looking at what is going on in that whole entire area,” said Chuck Labanowski.
Citing company issued statistics, Labanowksi said the big box cluster — including the Walmart — will draw more than 20,000 daily visitors — a figure that will likely stress local roadways.
“The whole area is going to be inundated with traffic,” he said. “Please slow down the building a little bit in that whole entire area.”
