Last night all five City Commissioners voted to approve funding for the Waterfront Park down at the marina.
Boaters lost - their parking and maneuverability will be squeezed. Their parking will be non-existent when "events" are held at the new park. Note: somewhere buried in the City's own plan it is recommended that the City have one boat ramp for every 12,000 residents. There is now over 13,000 residents in the City with absolutely no plans to build another ramp.
Residents lost - the historic and cultural significance of a "working waterfront" will be diminished with the addition of a playground, splash pad, band shell, and continuance of Pentanque play.
Objective 5.05 of the City's Comprehensive Plan: Waterfront Planning: The City shall protect shorelines and waterfront lands in order to ensure adequate and appropriate locations for water-dependent, water-related and water-enhanced uses.
Policy 5.05.02: The City shall guide and direct the location of all future water-dependent adn water-related uses according to the following criteria: (d) Protecting shoreline adn waterfront areas in order to provide locations for marine/estuarine related uses, such as commercial and recreational fishing, boating and other water-dependent uses and activities.
Policy 5.05.09 The City shall protect recreational and commercial working waterfronts...
Policy 5.05.13 The City shall evaluate land development regulations that incentivize maintaining water-dependent uses such as marinas, fish camps, and commercial fishing operations.
Objective 11.06 Design and Planning: The City shall encourage compatible design and planning within the surrounding existing historic districts
And from the City's own Community Redevelopment Advisory Board's Vision Statement... Redevelopment efforts for Fernandina Beach's waterfront area should "Maintain the CHARACTER of Fernandina Beach as reflected in its working waterfront and historic district".
Visitors(and the rest of us lost) - Remember when they tore down the Keystone Hotel? What a travesty. It was an icon on Centre Street and today would have been complimentary to all of our historic structures.
Fernandina Beach has always been known as quaint town with a historic waterfront. From the CRAB's own Annual Report -"the City of Fernandina Beach has a rich history for which the waterfront area has played a significant role. Much of the City's "historic charm" evolved from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which saw a boom in the shrimping industry and the area's popularity as a tourist destination for wealthy Americans from the northeast."
We still have a vibrant fishing and shrimping community here in Fernandina Beach. While out on the water you can see local shrimpers dragging their nets. Those shrimpers are "peddling" their shrimp, either from their homes or roadside stands. There are a few bigger shrimp boats that dock north and south of the City Marina. There are bait shrimpers coming and going and Crabbers launching up at Dee Dee Bartels. There are well over 50 Charter Boat captains operating out of Amelia Island.
What if the City had embraced that commercial fishing community and enhanced the waterfront to accommodate them? Imagine if you could go down to the docks and purchase fresh shrimp, crabs, and fish right off the boat? Instead, these Commissioners put on their creative hats and will be funding a....Playground. Yes, another one.
As one young mother (and member of the Parks and Rec Advisory Board) noted, "most all waterfront parks have a playground". Exactly. I hesitate to mention the danger of mixing young kids and a maneuvering boat trailer, but that historic area was (and is) why locals and visitors alike cherished it as a real-life working waterfront. Playgrounds, splash pads, Band Shells and Pentanque courts do not belong at our historic waterfront. We all lost with this vote.
What can you do? Get off your butt and tell them how you feel.
jtuten@fbfl.org Joyce Tuten gminshew@fbfl.org Genice Minshew
tpoynter@fbfl.org Tim Poynter
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