Last week’s Etown Town Hall packed a lot into one evening, from street racing concerns to utility updates and everything in between. Here’s a quick summary of the highlights:
Drag Racing & Traffic Issues
Sheriff TK and District 3 Commander were on hand to address drag racing—a hot topic among residents. Sheriff TK assured the community they’re taking this seriously, with specific operations to crack down on donuts and parking takeovers. He emphasized that calls to 630-0500 (the non-emergency number) are helpful, and he’s working with legislators to keep outside groups from showing up and causing problems.
A few residents voiced their frustration about noise and teenage drivers. Sheriff TK made it clear that, while we all want safer streets, solutions take time and community involvement.
JEA Updates
The Director of Community Engagement from JEA talked about the Southside Integrated Pipe System (SIPS) and managing water resources as the area grows. Segment one is complete, and they’re close to finishing segment two. Expect to hear some testing into the fall.
A resident asked about irrigation and possibly drilling a well. The advice: vary your watering times to avoid peak demand and know that meters are being installed to help manage pressure.
For more info on SIPS click here
Roads & Speed Concerns
The Chief Traffic Engineer tackled potholes, speed bumps, and speeders. Residents were encouraged to call 630-CITY to report potholes. Speed tables and raised crossings were discussed as options to slow drivers down—though no immediate fixes are planned for the roads in question. The engineer shared, “speed is posted at 35 mph but… average driver, everyone in this room does 47 mph…” The response to this statement was gasping and laughter and one guy was heard saying, “Yeah, that’s my wife!” He continued to state that they were looking into idea of adding modified speed tables, a height of 2-3”. They typically do not install them on main roads like E Town Pkwy however due to the pedestrian crosswalks they may not be a bad idea.
Noise Wall (or Lack Thereof)
The noise wall topic drew the biggest reaction - applause followed by some disappointment. Due to state and federal regulations, there’s no stand-alone sound wall planned for now. One resident brought up health concerns, but the conversation quickly moved on. The general population of the room that evening was a much older crowd and it was clear that regardless of the topic their main concern was noise.
I must make a point here. The convenience of eTown is that it is located in the “center of it all” and next to the major freeway loop of I-295 and 9-B in Jacksonville, FL – the largest landmass city in the continental U.S. When I bought a home in Edison, one of its neighborhoods, I did not expect it to be quiet here. In fact, from any backyard in eTown you can hear cars on the freeway – the tradeoff of being conveniently located by the freeway for ease of travel is that you will also hear it.
Ever Range Community Updates
The PARC Group introduced the Ever Range community. Coming soon but completely separate from Etown, with its own amenity center and CDD. Expect more stable water pressure and better utilities as growth continues due to the continued improvement of infrastructure. Marketing for homes should begin by the end of the year.
For more info on Ever Range click here
Pickleball & The Future
Pickleball is coming to Ever Range (but not retrofitted into Etown itself). That’s good news for fans of the sport, though it sparked some debate about community noise and space. Again with the noise…
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a productive evening. Despite the complaints and questions about noise the energy in the room was lite and there was a lot of laughter. It made me feel good about the community. There are seven different neighborhoods in eTown, all built to satisfy a different need and homeowner - so it is good to see that collectively most of the residents get along and see eye to eye. Most attendees stayed until the end, though a few left early - some complaining they couldn’t hear(ironic being most of the concerns were about noise), even though the room was well set up for sound and standing all the way in the back I could hear just fine. The main takeaway? Our community is growing, and the growth was planned for - the developers and representatives from the city have continued to work ensuring the full potential of the community and its infrastructure are reached. The future of eTown and the surrounding area is an exciting one!
If you couldn’t make it, I hope this recap helps you stay in the loop. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or concerns - I’m always happy to help.
