14th & Lime project before the Army Corps of Engineers for permitting

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
June 22, 2017 3:51 p.m.

 

At the June 20, 2017 Regular Meeting of the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC),  resident Dr. Ronald J. “Chip” Ross informed commissioners and the community of a pending application before the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) for a proposed mixed use (residential and commercial)  project located at 14th and Lime Streets in Fernandina Beach. The Fernandina Observer has covered this project extensively during many public meetings and mediation which ultimately led to the Fernandina Beach City Commission’s approval of the project.

Property at 14th and Lime

The project which has been submitted for approval by Spurgeon Richardson on behalf of Liberty Development must also be permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers. Public notice is provided below:

More details on the application may be obtained by visiting http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/Article/1216796/saj-1995-03715-sp-mre/

According to the website, the decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will also include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act or the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. A permit will be granted unless its issuance is found to be contrary to the public interest.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

Questions or comments concerning this application may be directed to the project manager, Mark R. Evans at the Jacksonville Permits Section via email to [email protected], fax (904)232‐1940, or telephone(904)232‐2028. You may also mail input to him at the ACE Permits Section, Post Office Box 4970, Jacksonville,Florida 32232.

The public comment period remains open until July 17, 2017.

Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.

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Medardo Monzon
Medardo Monzon(@mmonzon)
6 years ago

During the many City Commission meetings held to discuss this controversial issue, the developers and its agent represented to the City Commission that construction could proceed forward with or without the city’s consent because of the approval by the SJRWMD. It seems that the threat of a lawsuit against our city was “always in the air”. Because approval by the U.S. Corps of Engineers wasn’t mentioned or was unknown, apparently City Commissioners and staff negotiated the best possible outcome of a bad situation.

However, permitting by the U.S. Corps of Engineering is a game changer. City Commissioners should request a public hearing. A permit denial by a federal agency would likely free the city of any liability. Wetlands should not be developed.

chip ross
chip ross (@guest_49112)
6 years ago

The ARMY CORP WILL CONDUCT A Public interest review – Google 33CFR – 320.4 (A) for details
The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts, of the proposed activity and its intended use on the public interest…. a permit will be granted unless the district engineer determines that it would be contrary to the public interest

IF YOU HAVE AN OPINION WRITE A LETTER
Suggestions for letter

DATE – PRIOR TO 14 JULY 2017

District Engineer
Jacksonville Permits Section,
Post Office Box 4970,
Jacksonville, Florida 32232

Subject: Permit Application Number SAJ-1995-03715(SP-MRE)
To Jacksonville District Engineer:
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed filing of 12.75 acres of wet lands at 14th Street and Lime Street in Fernandina Beach because:

Pick one or more issues below and add details why this project is not in the public interest -the more detail the better
● the extent and permanence of the beneficial and/or detrimental effects which the proposed development is likely to have on the public and private uses to which the area is suited.
● the project is contrary to the public interest because….
● there are recognized historic, cultural, scenic, conservation, recreational or similar values that will be negatively impacted
●there are Cultural resource values (open space, natural beauty, scientific study, outdoor education, and recreation) that will be negatively impacted
●there are significant natural biological functions, including food chain production, general habitat and nesting, spawning, rearing and resting sites for aquatic or land species that will be negatively impacted
● the type of housing being provided is market rate as opposed to “affordable” and can be provided on upland property located elsewhere
● a project of lesser magnitude could be done on the upland property
● negative impact on local traffic
● there are water resources values (natural moderation of floods, water quality maintenance, and groundwater recharge that will be negatively impacted
● There are living resource values (fish, wildlife, and plant resources that will be negatively impacted
● There are cultural resource values (open space, natural beauty, scientific study, outdoor education, and recreation); and
● need for the project from the perspective of the overall public interest.

NAME AND ADDRESS

Robert Warner
Robert Warner (@guest_49124)
6 years ago

Because of the potential for major impact on Southside Elementary, immediately north of the proposed development, the Nassau County School Board should input – as well as all impacted and concerned other parties.

http://www.edline.net/pages/Nassau_County_School_District,
http://www.edline.net/pages/SouthsideElementary,

Christine Corso
Christine Corso (@guest_49126)
6 years ago

One of the bullets points listed by Dr. Ross was the “negative impact on local traffic “.

Information in a Nassau County Transit Study dated November 2015 done for the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and Nassau County (a public document) stated that there were already constrained roadways in Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island. “Constrained Roadways” were defined are those that will likely not be widened beyond the current number of lanes.

14th Street is identified twice in this two-year-old report, a report which does not include or consider the impact of increased recent residential and commercial development that has occurred since the report’s date (2015).

Listed were the following. Please take note that in addition to 14th Street, other listed roadways are crucial designated evacuation routes.

14th Street, Pogy Place to Amelia Island Parkway
Amelia Island Parkway, S. 14th Street to S. Fletcher Avenue
A1A (First Coast Parkway), S. Fletcher Avenue to Fort George Road
South Fletcher Avenue, A1A to Atlantic Avenue.

John Barrickman
John Barrickman (@guest_49133)
6 years ago

The study referenced above is another example of taxpayer money being spent on a study which is subsequently ignored by local government officials. How many traffic, waterfront and airport studies will we taxpayers have to pay for before local officials look at one or more of the existing studies in making decisions?

Philip Griffin
Philip Griffin (@guest_49157)
6 years ago

I am writing to ask that the Army Corp of Engineers support the application for Section 404 mitigation of wetlands for this property. Not only because are these low value wetlands, primary cause by mankind through prior roadwork projects, but there is a great need for rental apartments in Fernandina Beach. I have been living here for 16 years and not one developer has been able to assemble enough land withing the City limits to develop a successful apartment project. The fact that the City of Fernandina has not one apartment complex other than government sponsored public housing is a disgrace. The fact is that the closer you can build housing to the place that they work the impact on traffic is minimized. Having workers commute from mobile homes in Callahan and Yulee to work for the well off communities on Amelia Island only contributes to the traffic jams and actually lowers the quality of life for all. The City of Fernandina Beach should fully support this project and embrace the developer, not just to increase taxes, but to do the right thing to improve the quality of life for working people. Shame on those who are so well off and arrogant that they deny the rights of working people to share the island and rigs the code to achieve it’s goals.
There has been an ongoing battle against any kind of development by certain politicians and residents. They went so far as to insert anti-wetlands mitigation into the Land Development Code in order to prevent any project of scale being allowed. The net effect is that we have a dysfunctional City with a severe lack of decent affordable housing for working class people. The residents within the City of Fernandina Beach are not opposed to working class housing stock, but the press and anti development groups have painted this as some type of assault on their retirement home and many have bought into this smear and fear campaign.
I urge you to follow the guidelines of Section 404 and not succumb to pressure by a vocal minority.