LYNN HAVEN — Charlie Rowe does not want to move his business, Crank It Up Outdoors.
He said he would be hard-pressed to find another location with as much space and high visibility as his current location at 1812 State 390. He has a good relationship with his landlord. He lives in Lynn Haven and he wants his business to stay in Lynn Haven.
But Rowe does not have a choice.
Plans for a highway cut through the back end of his small engine repair shop. That does not include the right of way that would envelope the entirety of the property. He is one of several businesses and homes that would be affected by the expansion.
“Re-establishing a business is pretty hard,” Rowe said.
The Florida Department of Transportation is expanding State 390, a portion of which is also known as St. Andrews Boulevard, from two lanes to six lanes in three phases: 23rd Street to Baldwin Road scheduled for 2017, Baldwin to Jenks Avenue also in 2017 and Jenks to State 77 in 2018. FDOT Northwest Region public information director Ian Satter said property acquisition should begin next summer.
Residents are also affected. Although the expansion would leave much of her yard intact, the increase in noise and traffic may force Lita Beard, at 2220 St. Andrews Blvd., to move.
“Nobody wants this,” Beard said. “Why are they making it six lanes instead of four?”
Chris Henley said his fianceé’s family has lived at 2133 St. Andrews Blvd. for 40 years. He’s already planning a move out to the country. The drainage ditch would be solidly in his yard.
Jerry Koon, who lives at 1802 Tennessee Ave. in the northernmost phase of the project, also is planning a move to Northshore.
“I know I’m moving. They’re bulldozing this place. I wouldn’t want to, but I don’t think I have a choice,” Koon said. “It’s totally screwed up.”
Panama City Planning Director Mike Lane said most of the properties along the first two phases of the project are large enough to accommodate the expansion and have the buildings remain intact.
But in Lynn Haven the lots are right up against the highway. In the Lynn Haven phase, the expansion will occur only on the northwest side of the road, leaving the other side of the street the same. Farther south the expansion occurs on both sides of the road.
“We’ll all have to move out,” Charles Smith of C&J Automotive said. “I’m just going to wait till this happens. When I get out of here, I’m probably done.”
Satter said FDOT is required to offer fair market value for property in the path of the highway. If property owners refuse to sell, the state can file an eminent domain suit. FDOT is only allowed to take property if there is a defined public safety risk for the highway as currently constructed.
Satter said the department will use the Level of Service Measure, which grades roads using speed, travel time and stops at intersections as criteria. Right now, 390 has an F grade. FDOT is also projecting growth within Bay County, necessitating widening an already busy highway to six lanes.
Lane said many residents are pessimistic the project will take place.
“People are under the mindset that they’ll believe it when they see it,” Lane said.
In just the Lynn Haven section, FDOT is predicting right-of-way acquisition to cost more than $29 million over four years, with construction at more than $21 million. Phase one, 23rd Street to Jenks, has acquisition costs of $30 million and construction costs of $22 million.
While Lynn Haven eventually will benefit from increased traffic into the city, Community Redevelopment Agency Director Ben Janke is preparing to lose tax revenue.
“The city, county and CRA will have less taxable value,” Janke said. “It will have an impact on all three entities.”
Lynn Haven Main Street Organization discussed having businesses move to Florida Avenue, the city’s secondary commercial thoroughfare, which the city is trying to revitalize.
“There are some vacancies available on Florida,” Janke said. “But it doesn’t really matter. We’re trying to encourage them to stay.”
Janke said it is still early in the process with some of the highway plans yet to be finalized. However, one business, A&A Roofing, already has relocation plans. The roofer is moving to 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Panama City, a property the company already owns.
A&A employee LesLee Tucker said the company wanted to stay in Lynn Haven.
“The boss lives back here off Goose Bayou,” she said.