PV Greenway Alliance Incorporated — a 501c3 nonprofit organization advocating to designate and develop a nature-based greenway trail through Ponte Vedra/Palm Valley — hosted a soiree featuring a presentation, hors d'oeuvres, drinks and more on Wednesday, April 25, at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Ponte Vedra Beach.
PV Greenway began as a grassroots effort in 2014 before recently growing into a nonprofit organization. Its stated mission is to identify, designate, preserve, expand and enhance a nature-based greenway providing safe mobility, interconnectivity and outdoor recreation to the Ponte Vedra/Palm Valley community.
"We have had a need in this community for our sidewalks, bike paths, greenways," Pam Marrott with PV Greenway Alliance said during the presentation. "Deb [Chapin] actually had this vision of a greenway from riding her horses along the beaches; she has had a vision for this greenway for a very long time."
Marrott added that the nonprofit is looking for more donors and support.
Deb Chapin, the founder of PV Greenway, said the project would add recreational opportunities and connect parks and other destinations. According to the nonprofit, a greenway would also increase property values, expand and diversify the golf course community market and keep pedestrians safe by providing a traffic-separated corridor
"The genesis of this was literally the concern for safety and the fact that we don't have the recreational activities," said Chapin, who also noted her organization recently received a grant from the Coastal Partnership Initiative. "When you look at the per-square mile recreation opportunities — on our map there's a lot of green space but a lot of that is hypothetical — it doesn't exist. We're really getting squeezed in."
For more information on the PV Greenway initiative, email Deb Chapin at debchapin@comcast.net.
