St. Johns County closed Mickler’s Landing Beach to the public on Nov. 4, 2019, to begin the process of restoration. Their plan was to close the beach from Nov. 4 until February of 2020 for the construction of sand dunes with Geotubes underneath. This construction was needed because Geotubes are containers that prevent beach erosion and storm surge from affecting the homeowners that live above beaches. Discussing the situation, the St. Augustine Record newspaper stated, “It’s a private project paid for by the homeowners, but the county has signed an agreement allowing the construction company to use the parking lot for storage and beach access.”

   The response of other residents of Ponte Vedra consisted of anger and protests. Many groups of people gathered around the beach using signs to take a stand toward the county’s decision. Their reactions caused the St. Johns County officials to decide on Nov. 15, 2019 to reopen the parking lot and only part of Mickler’s Landing Beach all seven days of the week while they have the dunes reconstructed on the north part of the beach. Ponte Vedra residents were still upset about their restricted beach access but this new schedule continued to be in place until today and will stay this way until the end of February when the entire beach is fully reopened. The current Mickler’s landing hours are Monday to Friday from 11:00 to sunset and Saturday to Sunday from sunrise to sunset