Heckscher Drive Neighborhood

The changing face of Heckscher Drive

Oct 17, 2000

The best part of my neighborhood is the St. Johns River. Everyone on Heckscher Drive feels connected to the water. Neighbors often talk about where they last saw manatee, where the porpoise are feeding and where fish are plentiful.
Most of my neighbors are skilled fishermen; they fish from their docks, from small boats or from one of the many bridges crossing the creeks and waterways along Heckscher Drive.
When I first moved here, I encountered a man fishing from the Clapboard Creek Bridge. I asked him what kind of fish he just reeled in and he told me 'it's a dandy'. Well I went right home and tried to find a Dandy Fish in my trusty Florida Fish book, but could not. Later I realized what he meant; and by the way, the fish was a Banana Fish, not a Dandy!
We also talk about archeological finds, and about where to find arrowheads, shark teeth, civil war cannonballs or Timaquana shell beds. Fort George used to be home to the best little museum of natural science on earth. It was next to the Ft. George Post Office and Ace Hardware store, in Joan's Sand and Shell Shop. Col. Etheridge retired a few years ago, packed her fossils, a dugout canoe, and the remains of a wooly mammoth, but she still entertains guests with stories about life as it was out here an eon ago.
On historic Fort George Island, you can see the Saint George Church, the Kingsley Plantation, Governor Broward's home, the Ribault Clubhouse and several other historic homes dating back to the 19th century.
The thing about living on Heckscher Drive is that is constantly changing. Over the past five years, our population has increased three-fold. Developers are building hundreds of new homes on Andrews Island and Little Marsh Island. Dozens of homes are popping up on once empty lots and remodeled older homes are selling briskly.
In the past, many people perceived my neighborhood as a far-away place with neglected homes and rowdy fish camps. Although this was never wholly true, the influx of new citizens moving into my neighborhood has greatly altered this perception. We are a neighborhood charged with the task of building community while preserving our ecological and historic resources.
The city project that made the most difference in my neighborhood is the Dames Point Bridge or 'the bridge to nowhere' as the Times Union once named it. The Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Dames Point Bridge (named for the first governor of Florida, a resident of Heckscher Drive) and 9A afford our once isolated community easy access to retail shopping and special events throughout our city.
Another city project that made a positive impact on my community is the creation of Sisters Creek Park home of the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, an annual event that attracts thousands to my neighborhood.
Sisters Creek is part of the Preservation Project a $312.8 million plan to improve the quality of life of Jacksonville residents by enhancing parks, purchasing land for conservation and improving access to our natural assets. The Preservation Project is a growth management plan that, through massive land acquisition, aims to take land out of development to improve air and water quality of Jacksonville.
One of the primary challenges my community faces is zoning for new residential and industrial development. Community leaders, including me, attended City Council Land Use and Zoning and Planning Department hearings. In many cases, we made agreements acceptable to all. Several years ago, we were instrumental in getting the city to close the Northside landfill. Several light industries, including Atlantic Marine and JEA are increasing production and adding new jobs. This growth adds to already heavy traffic on Heckscher Drive and we are experiencing some rush hour traffic. However, FDOT is widening Heckscher Drive from 9A to I-95 to alleviate traffic congestion.
The creation of the city's Neighborhoods Department changed the way our neighborhood communicates with government. Glory Dixon, Lori DeFrank, and John Curtin always respond to our needs and help us find viable solutions to specific problems within our community.
Volunteering is a good way to learn how government works. It is important for citizens to be involved with their neighbors and be active in their communities. If you do not want others making decisions for you, you should learn how local, state and federal governments work in neighborhoods.