from The County Insider (thecountyinsider.com)
Contact: Sabrina Robertson
July 6, 2018 1:56 p.m.
7/5/18 @ 10:00 a.m. – There has been a lot of misconception about the beach access curfew currently under consideration by the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners. Please be advised there are no plans to limit access to the beach or eliminate camping. There is currently a curfew in place for parking in beach front parks (beach accesses) and the Board is holding a hearing next week to change the hours of the curfew. Below is some history on this subject for your information.
In the summer of 2016, at the request of many members of the public, the Board held several public meetings to address all of the beach ordinances. These meetings were well attended by the public and comments and recommendations by the public were considered before the final Ordinance was adopted. Many individuals at these meetings expressed concerns related to activities taking place on the beach and in the beach front parks during the evening hours. Many residents requested that the beaches be closed after dark. The Board felt most of the nuisances were coming from the parking lot areas and decided that they would limit parking after 8:00 p.m., however the public would still be allowed to access the beach to fish, walk, camp, etc. As a result, Ordinance No. 2016-09 was adopted which mandated that cars could not be parked in beach front parks between the hours of 8:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.
The Board recently received requests from the public to change the curfew to be consistent with the curfew the City of Fernandina Beach has in place for their beach front parks which is midnight to 5:00 a.m. A public hearing has been scheduled for Monday, July 9, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. to consider this change. A copy of the proposed Ordinance is attached for your information.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting and address the Board with any questions or concerns. Meetings are held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097 (James S. Page Governmental Complex).
As you all know, many people are very passionate about the beach. The Board has no desire to limit citizen access to the beach, however they also struggle to find a solution that works for everyone. We trust that this information will eliminate the public’s concerns in knowing that the Board has no intent on restricting public access to the beach. If you have any questions, please contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010.