JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- Donnie Smith and his familiy have lived on their Northside property for more than 30 years.
He loves the serenity, and can't imagine life anywhere else.
"On the weekends, it's very quiet and not a lot of traffic on the roads. My kids grew up out here. They used to play and hunt and fish in the pond all the time. My grandkids out here all the time," he said.
Smith and his neighbors bought their homes from the Braddock family. The namesake has owned the acreage for more than one hundred years, so he has vested interest.
So does the transportation industry.
A study is being done to see how feasible it is to build a railroad through part of the property.
Smith says no way.
"To me, it would kind of really mess up the neighborhood," he continued.
The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization is trying to find a more direct connection between the Blount Island/Dames Point cargo terminal and the rail intermotel facilities on the Westside.
In other words...with more containers into Jaxport...they've got to find a faster way to get shipments from point A to point B, and ultimately out to the rest of the country.
"We want to identify potential alignment, look at the impacts of that and then be able to compare that to other options on the table," Jeff Sheffield said.
Sheffield, Executive Director for North Florida TPO...says he understands homeowners frustrations, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Several other locations are being looked at, in addition to Braddock. Smith says he hopes they steer cleer althogether.
"I would just like to see them go somewhere else. Just not come through the Braddock neighborhood," he said.
Action News learned the area is zoned industrial, instead of residential...meaning change is inevitable whether it's the rail project or something else.
Phase two of this study will cost about $200,00. The goal is to have it completed by June 2013. Even when the rail location is determined...it will take years to raise funding and begin construction.
