It’s only a 5 mph difference. But, as Palm Beach Post Opinion columnist Sally Swartz writes, in the long fight between Martin County officials and neighbors of the Green River Parkway, which runs through the Pinecrest Lakes development in Jensen Beach, the difference is a symbol of the county engineering department’s determination to win a battle with residents.

Sally Swartz

Lowering the speed limit to 35 could help scrub jays, gopher tortoises and other wildlife survive traffic on a parkway that cuts through conservation lands.

For years, residents have been at odds with the county over Parkway details. The route, the location of a protective wall between the road and neighbors’ backyards, and the speed limit have been issues.

The Martin engineering department repeatedly ignored issues until residents brought them before the county commission in public meetings.

In the last go-round, commissioners told engineers to investigate residents’ concerns and make recommendations. The engineers came back with the same old same old: Keep the 40 mph limit, despite concerns of federal wildlife officials and residents who report seeing gopher tortoises wandering near the road and frequent wildlife roadkill victims.

Imagine the good will the department could create by giving in, Sally says. Not just for endangered scrub jays and gopher tortoises, but also for the lowly armadillos, raccoons, opossums and other wildlife that dies on local roads.

You can read Sally’s full column here.

Post columnist Sally Swartz writes that Keith Kopp and his neighbors have been fighting with Martin County officials over problems with the Green River Parkway for a decade. They’ve chalked up an impressive list of victories, she notes,to make the road less harmful to the environment.

Sally Swartz

They badgered officials to keep promises to follow original plans to erect a wall that is an effective visual and sound barrier, to build it without gaps that pets or toddlers could crawl under and to keep it a reasonable distance from property lines.

Now, Sally continues, Mr. Kopp wants the county to abide by the 35 mph speed limit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ordered in its permit and Martin County commissioners approved.

But the county staff set the speed limit at 40 mph, which Mr. Kopp says is bad for animals trying to cross the road. Sally notes that he sent Martin County commissioners a photo of a dead raccoon, an example of the wildlife roadkill victims he often sees along the parkway.

You can read Sally’s full column here.

MARTIN COUNTY — The county stands to save a bundle on construction of the Green River Parkway’s southern segment as competitive bids for the project came in several million dollars below what was anticipated.

Guettler Brothers Construction LLC of Fort Pierce submitted the low bid of $4.966 million to construct the parkway’s southern segment that will run from Jensen Beach Boulevard south to a round-a-bout at Baker Road and tie into Northwest Dixie Highway (State Road 707). (more…)