Amelia Island Comp Plan/LDC working group seeks input

MEDIA RELEASE
Submitted by Margaret Kirkland
Amelia Tree Conservancy
May 4, 2021

May 1, 2021– The Comp Plan/LDC Working Group announces its new website: aiwg.org. Our Comp Plan working draft submitted to the City Planning Advisory Board on February 10 and the videos of our four webinars are all posted to this site. We continue to gather information and stakeholder input. We invite you to visit our site and provide input.  

In anticipation of the City of Fernandina Beach’s Planning Advisory Board update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, an independent group of interested citizens formed roughly a year ago. The Comp Plan/LDC Working Group has been motivated by four important factors:

  • The Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code are the most important legal documents in Fernandina Beach and Nassau County, and are therefore critical determinants of the future of Amelia Island.
  • As a barrier island, Amelia Island is facing the hazards of changing weather patterns, storm surge, and sea level rise. It is important that we prepare for this in a timely manner in order to maintain environmental, economic and social sustainability and resilience.
  • In recent years, Amelia Island has undergone rapid development that is impacting our potential for sustainability and resilience as well as our quality of life. 
  • In April of 2019, Fernandina Beach hosted four Evaluation and Review (EAR) public input sessions, facilitated by Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC) staff, that brought forward concerns and recommendations that merit consideration in these key documents.  This group is carrying forward this input.

The Amelia Tree Conservancy was one group represented at the April EAR 2019 meetings.  As the City moved forward from the EAR, ATC Chair Margaret Kirkland put out a call for volunteers to recommend revisions to these documents based on research, expert input and the 2019 EAR findings. Volunteers represent a wide array of interests and affiliations. When we submitted our working draft to the PAB on February 10, group members included Beth Foster, Pam Green, Lauree Hemke, Betsie Huben, Christine Joblon, Ann Kemp, Margaret Kirkland, Alexandra Lajoux and Lyn Pannone. On March 11, 18, 25 and April 1, we presented a series of public webinars discussing the foundations and highlights of each element. All of the documents and videos are posted on our new website: aiwg.org.

We look forward to working with City staff, consultants and other stakeholders as this process moves forward. We invite all to visit our site and provide input. 

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DAVID LOTT
DAVID LOTT(@dave-l)
2 years ago

Valuable work but might want to correct the title as there is no “Amelia Island” comp plan since the island includes property both in and out of the city. The more proper title for this effort would be the “Fernandina Beach Comp Plan/Working Group”. Nassau County has a separate Comp Plan/LDC for land outside of the incorporated cities.

Margaret Kirkland
Margaret Kirkland(@kirkland-mrk)
2 years ago
Reply to  DAVID LOTT

Sorry for the slow response, David. The group name is Comp Plan/LDC Working Group, because with time we will work on both the Fernandina Beach and the Nassau County comprehensive plans and land development codes. The website is an attempt to compile that with as few words as possible. Sorry for the confusion.