To the St. Johns County School Board:

We, the undersigned residents of Settler’s Landing and Crosswater, strongly oppose the rezoning of our children from Pine Island Academy to school RR.

Crosswater and Settlers Landing are uniquely positioned relative to Pine Island Academy, with safe multi-use paths that make walking, biking, and golf carting to Pine Island Academy both practical and secure. No other school option provides the same level of safety and accessibility for our children. The original design of Crosswater and Settlers Landing included safe, direct access for students to get to Pine Island Academy via “Academy Path,” other compliant multi-use trails, or dedicated pedestrian paths.

Rezoning Settlers Landing and Crosswater would force our children onto unsafe, non-compliant routes, jeopardizing their safety and undermining our community’s original design.

We understand the need to manage school capacity, but we cannot support a plan that jeopardizes student safety. Your proposed A and B rezoning forces students into dangerous and poorly connected travel routes that are not designed for young children commuting by bike, e-bike, golf cart, or walking.

While taking a golf cart to school may appear like a luxury, in Nocatee it has become a necessity. Due to the large number of children in the school, carlines are excessively long. Families rely on safe routes for golf carts, bikes, and walking to save significant time each day that would otherwise be spent waiting in the carline.

Critical Safety Concerns
The proposed routes to school RR present significant safety risks, including:

Non-compliant paths: The main route from Settlers Landing and leaving Freedom Landing (part of Crosswater) to Conservation Trail is a “golf-cart-only” path that is not a legal or safe multi-use path. It does not meet St. Johns County’s required 12-foot width with 4-foot clearance for safe, shared travel.

Illegal and unsafe usage: Pedestrians, bikes, and scooters are not legally permitted on these golf-cart-only paths, yet children will be forced to use them due to a lack of safe alternatives. This dramatically increases the risk of collisions.

Inadequate sidewalks and absence of crosswalks: There is no crosswalk at the intersection of Freedom Landing Dr and Crosswater Edge Dr. The only legal alternative is a narrow 3–4 foot sidewalk along Crosswater Edge Drive, which cannot safely accommodate the high volume of children traveling on foot, bike, or scooter.

Crosswater Lake Drive traffic: Both current rezoning proposals A and B make Crosswater Lake Drive the primary route to school RR for three of the largest subdivisions within Crosswater (Heritage Trace, Liberty Cove and Freedom Landing). All bikers, cars, buses, and golf carts going this way will be forced to share this main road because there are no golf cart or bike paths—only narrow sidewalks. This is further compounded by constant through traffic, including large construction trucks and speeding vehicles, creating a major safety hazard.

Bus congestion: Families who would not qualify for a bus may opt to drive their children. While it's still yet to be determined, some neighborhoods that do not currently qualify for bus service would require one for school RR. Traffic is likely to increase substantially, especially in areas ill-equipped to handle additional congestion.

Roundabout congestion: Parts of Crosswater would be forced through two already congested roundabouts during peak school hours (via Crosswater Parkway). This plan worsens traffic flow, threatens student safety, and reduces transportation efficiency.

A Safer Alternative: Keep Settlers Landing and Crosswater at Pine Island Academy
Settlers Landing and Crosswater were intentionally designed with direct, safe access to Pine Island Academy. These communities are unique in offering multi-use trails that safely accommodate golf carts, bikes, and pedestrians, a core feature of their appeal and a major factor in home values. No current student at PIA has been rezoned more than once. Students in Crosswater have also been previously rezoned. Therefore, arguments about multiple rezoning are irrelevant. All rezoning decisions should prioritize safety above all else.

Rezoning Settlers Landing and Crosswater from Pine Island Academy to RR would:

• Eliminate our children’s safe, walkable, and community-supported route to school.
• Undermine the original design and marketing of our neighborhoods.
• Diminish the usability of CDD amenities and potentially impact property values.

Every current student of Pine Island Academy (K-5), regardless of neighborhood (i.e., Coastal Oaks, Town Center, Crosswater, or Settlers Landing), has been rezoned a maximum of one time. Arguments about prior or multiple rezoning are irrelevant to this decision.

Our Request
We respectfully urge the School Board to keep Settlers Landing and Crosswater zoned for Pine Island Academy. Safety must be the top priority, and the proposed rezoning does not provide a safe or responsible transportation option for our children. The zoning committee should reconsider neighborhoods that are furthest from both schools and ensure safe bus passage.

By signing this petition, we join together as parents, residents, and community members of Crosswater and Settlers Landing to insist that student safety remains at the center of all rezoning decisions.