City of Fernandina Beach
Community Development Department
May 1, 2014 4:54 p.m.
(Text source: City of Fernandina Beach website fbfl.us)
The City is looking for opinions on the future of 8th Street. The City’s Comprehensive Plan directs review of the commercial corridors within the City – 8th Street/Downtown, 14th Street, Sadler Road, and the Main Beach/Seaside Park areas. In addition, the Economic Development Element of the Comprehensive Plan directs evaluating these parts of town as Job Opportunity Areas, and laying the groundwork to introduce new business and employment opportunities to the City. Because much of these areas are built out, policies will primarily focus on redevelopment.
Planning Staff is currently conducting research on potential policies land use mechanisms to foster and support these directives. These updates will go in the City’s Land Development Code (LDC). Staff has convened a technical working group for assistance in fact-finding and data collection. The work done by the group in gathering this information will help staff in drafting policies going forward.
The group first met in March 2014. Members of the group include an architect, engineer, the County Economic Development Board director, a citizen-at-large, Planning Advisory Board members, a County growth management representative, and a retired economic development professional. All meetings are noticed and open to the public in accordance with Sunshine laws, and all input is welcome. Information on the group and their efforts is available at www.fbfl.us/LDCED.
The group has chosen to work on 8th Street first. 8th Street, or A1A, is a state road, and portions fall within the City and County. As part of the fact-finding, the group is planning to reach out to 8th Street business and property owners, as well as downtown merchants. City staff and the group members are also very interested in what the entire community has to say about 8th Street. It is hoped that City and County residents, as well as business owners, tourists, and anyone interested in the future of 8th Street will respond. In order to get feedback, the City has a survey available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8thStreetInput The City will have hard copy surveys and a comment board available at the City booth during Shrimp Fest as well.
Based on information and data collected in 2014, staff hopes to draft the updates to the LDC in 2015 and prepare them for Planning Advisory Board and Commission review. Depending on how the working group and staff decide to tackle the updates, the changes may come in sections or as a bundle. Due to the nature of these updates, which promise to be a significant update to the LDC, it’s possible this effort will continue beyond 2015.
For more information, contact Adrienne Burke, Community Development Director, at 904-310-3135 or [email protected].
Best way to reach Adrienne Burke is 904 310 3142 that is her direct City number.
EIGHT STREET IS AN IMPORTANT STREET – WHEN YOU COME TO LIME & 8 THE STEETS ARE MIXED BAG FOR THE MOST. THE PARK ON 8TH COULD BE IMPROVED, THE STORES SHOULD BE IMPROVED – OR REPLACED, ATTEMPT TO GET MORE BUSINESSES INVOLVED, POSSIBLE CENTER LANE WITH PALM TREES/OR LIGHTING FOR IMPROVED EFFECTS, BUSINESS INVOLVEMENT IS IMPORTANT IN THIS DEVELOPMENT, CITY HELP WHERE NEEDED.
Enforcing the signage ordinances would do more than anything for our community. There are more than 500 signs per mile on 8th street…that’s an average of one every ten feet!! Many are ‘temporary’ signs that have been there for years. Some have signs even after the buildings are torn down (like Pinnacle Electronics). What a trashy look!! Let’s use some of the sign permit money for enforcement and tighten up the rules for future signage.