Reopening City beaches awaits state decision on Fort Clinch, Amelia Island State Park

By Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter-News Analyst
April 22, 2020

During their second virtual meeting on April 21, 2020, Fernandina Beach City Commissioners (FBCC) agreed that city beaches should remain closed for now.  However, the consensus seemed to be that when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis deems it safe enough to open state parks on both ends of Amelia Island, the city will follow suit.

Commissioners discussed the issue of beach reopening toward the end of their 83-minute long meeting.  Vice Mayor Len Kreger noted the ongoing discussions at the County on this topic and said that with its high number of senior citizens, some of the most vulnerably to Covid-19, the City needed to be careful in making its decision to reopen beaches.

Commissioner Chip Ross said that Governor DeSantis had decided on March 23 that the state would uphold the CDC guidelines for life in the era of the Coronavirus Pandemic:  maximize social distancing and avoid gatherings of ten or more people.  As a result the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) closed Fort Clinch State Park at the north end of Amelia Island and the Amelia Island State Park at the south end of the island to address the public health emergency.  “City and County decision makers concurred with that decision and closed the remaining beaches on Amelia Island,” Ross said.  “The Police Chief, the Sheriff and the County Health Officer supported those decisions.”

Ross acknowledged that in the intervening period of time, citizens have rightly asked when and under what circumstances island beaches would reopen.  “The Governor and the Florida Health Department have far greater access to resources and research than the City and the County to determine when the beaches no longer need to be closed,” Ross read from a prepared statement.  He concluded, “I believe that the City should consider reopening our beaches at the same time and under the same conditions as those set forth by the Governor and the Department of Health in reopening the state beaches at the north and south ends of Amelia Island.  I’d like to know the thoughts of other Commissioners on this suggestion.”

Commissioner Mike Lednovich spoke first, agreeing with Ross.  “If the Governor opens those beaches, I believe that gives us the guidance to make a decision to open ours.”  Lednovich went on to cite the recent decision of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to reopen various businesses in his state that will bring people in close contact with each other.  “The likelihood is that the virus will spread,” Lednovich said.  “We are so close to Georgia, we will have Georgians at our beaches.  That’s another dynamic we need to take into consideration when we reopen our beaches.  How do we do it intelligently as we monitor what is happening in Georgia with their reopening of business?”

Vice Mayor Len Kreger also agreed with Ross.  He reminded Commissioners that the Governor’s Task Force for reopening the state is due to put forth recommendations the end of this week.  Kreger noted with regret that there are no health people or environmental people on that Task Force.  Kreger went on to state that the majority of beaches in the state remain closed. He also emphasized concerns raised by Lednovich.  “People come here to walk on our beaches,” Kreger said.  “They do not come to walk on our sidewalks or the Greenway.  I think we need to wait for information from the Task Force and see what science says.  The number of virus cases in our County continues to rise.”

Commissioner Phil Chapman also agreed with Ross, adding, “I want to wait until the first 80-90 degree days, especially on weekends, to see how much social distancing is done.  I think that we have an obligation to make sure that we are not increasing the opportunity to spread this [virus].  Time will tell.  I think it was very telling that [Jacksonville’s] Mayor Curry said, ‘I can always close those beaches again.’  I think for now we should keep our beaches closed.”

Mayor John Miller concurred that he would go along with what the Governor’s Office says.  But he wanted to reassure the public that the City and the County have also had full access to health information at the state level.  “If the state were to open up [their island beaches], I think it would be very, very problematic for us to keep their beachgoers from entering onto City beaches.”  Miller also expressed concern that if Fort Clinch opened its beaches and the City did not do likewise, the beach population would be condensed into a smaller area, making the possibility of spreading the virus greater.  “If the state opens up its island beaches,” he said, “we almost have to open ours.”

“Our citizens are doing so well because we are following the CDC guidelines,” Miller said.  “I get the passion that people have to return to our beaches, but I maintain that until we have more data and see where the state is going, now is not the time to reopen our beaches.”

City Attorney Tammi Bach concluded the discussion with a recap of an emergency lawsuit filed in Walton County by beach front property owners who claimed that the county’s closure of beaches violated their private property rights.  The Federal judge disagreed, and cited the county’s right to act in the interest of public health during a national emergency.