District, organizations that have worked in tandem since 1998.“Right here in St. Johns, they have a DDA that basically works downtown,” DeLong says.“They basically provide a lot of extra funding to help the city with improvements.” The downtown features locally owned shops, restaurants, and cafés, plus a Social District that allows beverage service beyond traditional boundaries, encouraging foot traffic throughout the commercial core. “I would say from my experience here in the city of St. Johns where the courthouse is located, that’s definitely walkable,” Fuentes observes.“Walkability is a priority with the limitations that Bruce mentioned but compared to some other similar areas in the state, it’s much more vibrant here in St. Johns.” Those limitations include a mixed development pattern where significant business activity occurs several miles from the historic downtown, creating two distinct commercial zones rather than a single concentrated center. Beyond downtown amenities, the county has expanded recreational assets. “The county has, from a recreation standpoint, directly for the county, four county parks now,” Fuentes says. “One recently acquired. We just acquired in late 2023 property that’s now known as Clinton Trails County Park, and we will be looking at future development of a walkable trail network within that property.” The 67-acre Clinton Trails property joins Clinton Lakes County Park and Motz County Park in providing fishing, hiking, and nature observation opportunities. Clinton Lakes features former gravel pits transformed into swimming beaches and carries-in boat access for fishing walleye, perch, bass, and panfish. “The county has been active in terms of pursuing grant opportunities to foster additional development at both the existing and now the most recently acquired park,” Fuentes adds. PRESERVING CHARACTER WHILE MOVING FORWARD Looking ahead to the next 18 months, county leadership prioritize preservation rather than 204 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 01
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