Envisioning the future of 9th Street

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analysr
February 5, 2018 – 10:35 a.m.

On Thursday, February 1, 2018, 9th Street residents and other interested Fernandina Beach citizens came together in the auditorium of the Peck Community Center to participate in a workshop designed to seek public input on the future of the 9th Street corridor.

Hosted by the City of Fernandina Beach in partnership with the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO), the purpose of the 9th Street Study is to develop a set of improvement recommendations for the roadway such as on-street parking, walking and biking features, safety measures, drainage, landscape, and street design.

This study grew out of a 2-year city review of the A1A/8th Street corridor that identified impediments to improvement, bicycle and pedestrian access issues, redevelopment challenges, and visual blight.

Both city Planning Manager Kelly Gibson and the NFTPO consultants were heartened by the high turnout – almost a capacity audience—and the fact that so many of the residents of the 9th Street neighborhood were in attendance. All five Fernandina Beach City Commissioners, City Manager Dale Martin, Streets Department Manager Rex Lester, City Planners, and many Planning Advisory Board (PAB) members also attended.
Gibson kicked off the meeting by introducing the NFTPO consultants, Rebecca Dennis and Wylie Page. She stressed that neither the consultants nor the city had any preconceived notions or plans for the 9th Street Corridor, which stretches from Lime Street to Atlantic Avenue. But the skepticism and fears of neighborhood residents surfaced almost immediately.

Gibson tried to put the biggest rumor to bed at the outset. She said that there are no plans to reroute 8th Street truck traffic to 9th Street. She explained that truck traffic is “here to stay” on 8th Street. She also explained that because of the heavy traffic on 8th Street, the city was looking at the possibility of improving 9th Street to make it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly in hopes of luring walkers and cyclists away from the busy and sometimes dangerous 8th Street corridor.

Gibson stressed several times that the city has no preconceived plans for 9th Street and that no action would be immediately forthcoming, even if recommendations were adopted at the study’s conclusion.  Any improvements would need to be included in the city’s budget for future action or underwritten by as yet unidentified grants.

Consultants stressed that they need public input to better analyze existing conditions on 9th Street and to understand what people need in that area. They offered attendees the opportunity through various small group exercises to “Build Your Own Corridor” by suggesting improvements that might range from doing nothing to adding curbs and sidewalks to better lighting and landscaping. They stressed that the area of consideration for these improvements would be limited to the street and the city rights-of-way on either side. In no case would recommendations be forthcoming to deal with privately owned property in this corridor.

Before breaking into small groups, audience members had many questions for the presenters (responses in parentheses) such as:
• Time frame for the study (3 months)
• Effect of improvements on property assessments (not contemplated)
• How improvements would be funded (mobility fees, grants, city Capital Improvement Budget – not special assessments to residents)
• Would improvements produce more affordable housing (to be decided by private sector)

One of the biggest questions was: Why 9th Street? Residents did not understand why their neighborhood was seemingly singled out for this attention, as opposed to other streets. Gibson explained the genesis of the working group that had met publicly for more than two years to identify solutions to unsatisfactory conditions on 8th Street. Former mayor-commissioner Robin Lentz, who served on that committee, explained that the committee recognized that the log trucks on 8th Street were not going away. But the committee members tried to find an alternative for pedestrians and cyclists who needed a safer way to travel north-south along that route. The committee recommended improving 9th Street to both meet those needs and enhance the neighborhood.

Former vice mayor-commissioner Patricia Thompson commended the city for a desire to improve the street but asked that the consultants sit down with the people who live along 9th Street to determine what is in the best interests of the residents first. Thompson, who heads the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), asked to be consulted during the process. She highlighted the historical role of 9th Street in the economic life of African Americans in the era of segregation. She also spoke to the historic African American churches – First Missionary Baptist and Macedonia AME – located along 9th Street. She added that a good way to work with the community is via the churches. Thompson exhorted the planners to “sit down together” with the people most affected by any changes and also urged them to “please remember the history that is already there.” Her comments were greeted with applause from the audience.

The Reverend Bernard Thompson, husband of Patricia Thompson, gave voice to the fears of many residents by raising the specter of “gentrification of 9th Street.” Thompson claimed that “no one wants to talk about the people who are displaced” when public improvements make quiet, traditionally African American neighborhoods more attractive to developers. He raised concerns that the study underway could move to other streets in the Southside Neighborhood as well. He cautioned planners to “ be very careful” in dealing with the great sense of history and community among residents.
Rev. Thompson, in questioning the planners on why they had taken such an approach to taking local input, said that many 9th Street residents are shut-ins due to age and health issues. He suggested that a better approach would be to knock on doors of the people who live along 9th Street, as opposed to holding large public meetings that everyone in the city can attend.

PAB member Frank Santry suggested that input taken during the meeting should be differentiated between that which comes from residents of the 9th Street community and that which comes from community at large. Consultants agreed with the suggestion.

Speaking from the perspective of a city planner, Gibson said new thinking in urban planning is shifting away from the need to accommodate automobiles to the need to accommodate people. In that regard, planners are looking at a bigger picture of street improvements that provide better safety and community improvements to make streets part of livable communities.

For more information about the study, future meetings and ways to provide added input, contact information is provided below.

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.