ORANGE PARK – A local man is still fighting for a trail he wants built, despite being met with silence from state leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clay Today reported on an 8.33-mile trail that local citizen and engineer, Michael Wallwork, was looking to get extended an additional five miles to connect the Black Creek Trail to Orange Park to Jacksonville and the NAS Jacksonville back in January. Former Orange Park mayor Connie Thomas asked Wallwork back in January to create a plan for this extension, and while excitement around the trail was palpable, key figures like state senators and the governor haven’t reacted.

“There’s five different government entities involved,” Wallwork said. “That means you’ve got five different entities together to come up with funding for this and that’s why I reached out to the governor because he could put $25 million into the Department of Transportation budget. That’s how much this project would cost across the board. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to get an answer, but I want to get the ball rolling on this again.”

The idea of the trail came from many different perspectives including that of public safety, recreation and military interest. Wallwork said the trail’s importance only continues to grow.

One of the things Wallwork noticed when researching the trail earlier this year was the number of pedestrians on U.S. Highway 17. The trail would get those people away from the highway and into a safer, pedestrian-friendly area. NAS Jacksonville is pushing for trail, Wallwork said, because it’s working to create an entire network of trails within the base and it only makes sense to connect the trails to public trails for those working on the base to use when commuting, training or recreationally riding a bike or running on the trail.

“Recreationally, it’s simple: the Town of Orange Park really needs something like this,” Wallwork said. “There’s a lack of recreation in this area. We have some things, but nothing like this trail and the area is perfect for it.”

There’s opportunity for the town to take advantage of a large, beautiful pond on the outskirts of Orange Park as well. It’s currently only accessible by way of a dirt road, but with proper funding, it could serve as not only a rest stop for those on the miles-long trail, but as a place for people to fish, have picnics and enjoy the retention pond currently secluded within the offshoots of Plainfield Avenue.

The pond is less of a pond and more of a small lake. It is one of the largest in Clay County, but the pond is just one piece of the trail that Wallwork has spent months designing. The trail will be paved, which makes it great for walking, running and biking. And it will be ADA compliant.

Wallwork projects the total cost of the trail to be $25 million, but because there are five government agencies involved – Clay County, Orange Park, Department of Transportation, Jacksonville and NAS Jacksonville – the cost would be split up incrementally between each of the agencies.

Funding is the biggest hurdle, according to Wallwork, although there’s been widespread for the trail. He wrote a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year, but hasn’t heard back. He suspects trails aren’t too high on the priority list after COVID-19. With the vaccine on the horizon, Wallwork hopes to get the ball rolling again.

“I don’t want this to be forgotten,” Wallwork said. “The town and this area need it. It would benefit everyone.”