Submitted Press Release from the City of Fernandina Beach
Kelly N. Gibson, Senior Planner
September 22, 2014 8:12 a.m.
The City has maintained a tree ordinance since 1891 and passed its most recent version in 2006. This past summer City staff convened a working group to review the current landscape and tree protection ordinance. The group of local individuals was comprised of a certified arborist, a tree service company, members of the Amelia Tree Conservancy, a neighborhood architectural review member from Amelia Park, and a member of the Planning Advisory Board. The effort was initiated by staff as part of its 2014 efforts to implement the Comprehensive Plan goals into its Land Development Code and to address issues identified over the past eight (8) years in working with the ordinance.
Specifically, the Comprehensive Plan directs changes revolving around use of drought tolerant and native landscaping, low impact development strategies, improving ground and surface water quality, and enhanced buffer requirements. The group worked collaboratively with staff and a master’s student in landscape architecture from the University of Florida to draft changes consistent with the direction of the Comprehensive Plan and in keeping with current trends and methods for landscape installation. They met in an advertised open workshop setting five (5) times between April and July. During these meetings the working group reviewed the existing LDC requirements along with the Comprehensive Plan. Then, the group researched example communities including Savannah, GA, Tallahassee, FL, St. Simons, GA, Davie, FL, Palm Coast, FL, and Bradenton, FL to see how their codes have shaped those jurisdictions. The group also allowed time at each meeting for public input on any potential changes.
In the end, the working group along with staff found that the existing code is working fairly well and is achieving the community’s desired goals for retention of a healthy native canopy throughout the City. Therefore, proposed revisions to the code are not vastly different from our current landscape and tree protection ordinance. The overall function of the ordinance has not changed; it has simply been tweaked to obtain enhanced landscape design strategies and to provide for improved protection of the City’s native, healthy trees.
The Planning Advisory Board will consider proposed revisions in a public hearing at City Hall Chambers on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 for their recommendation to the City Commission. To review the proposed revisions please visit www.fbfl.us/TreeUpdates. If you have comments or suggested changes please submit them by email to [email protected].
Some say the current tree ordinace is to strict and others say it is too lenient. This is a great opportunity for the public to let the PAB and elected officials know of their position and suggested for any revisions to the tree ordinance. Hats off to the Planning Department staff and the working group for all their effort to work through these issues.
So get involved now and feed your comments to the PAB so there won’t be any 11th hour hand-wringing over any of the proposed changes.
Once again, Fernandina Beach shows its true colors…NIMBY. So long, Fernandina Beach. I’ll take my tax dollars to another town.