Weekly comments from Dale Martin – Beach Access Committee formed

By Dale Martin
City Manager
Fernandina Beach
October 30, 2020

Earlier this month, I announced an effort to solicit applications for residents to serve on a Beach Access Committee (BAC). The call for volunteers was published in and posted on a variety of traditional and electronic media sites. I am pleased to have received fourteen formal applications from interested volunteers. Thank you to those who applied.

The Planning Advisory Board (PAB) had requested that a member of the PAB serve as the Chair of the proposed Beach Access Committee, and Ms. Victoria Robas offered to serve in that capacity. Ms. Robas and I reviewed the applications and selected six other residents to join Ms. Robas for this review and recommendation effort.

The six volunteers selected include Ms. Bryn Byron, Ms. Emily Carmain, Mr. Mac Morriss, Mr. Robert Prager, Mr. Mark Tomes, and Mr. Tom Yankus, Some of the rationale for selecting these individuals was related to their residence location in relation to the beach: Ms. Robas and I tried to select volunteers distributed along the entirety of the City beaches. Some areas were notably short of applicants: the Ocean Avenue area which drew additional attention to beach accesses and several comments and offers to volunteer to City Commissioners a few months ago resulted in no applications from that area. Ms. Carmain is the sole representative of the area north of Main Beach. The appointees have been notified via letter of their selection. Thank you for your interest in serving.

In addition to the community volunteers, City staff will provide support for the BAC, including newly hired City Engineer Mr. Charles George, Grants Administrator Ms. Lorelei Jacobs, and Parks Superintendent Mr. Joe Pitcheralle. I am confident that the staff will greatly assist the BAC in its effort.

The effort of the BAC is simple and straightforward: review the inventory of current official beach accesses, make a recommendation related to how those accesses should be developed (as a “walk-through” or a “walk-over”), develop a capital plan for funding the development of the beach accesses, and propose a sequence of those improvements.

Other beach-related issues are outside the scope of this committee. The BAC is not charged with reviewing dune management, beach driving, beach renourishment, dogs on the beach, alcohol on the beach, social distancing on the beach, Ocean Rescue operations, or any of the other beach issues that frequently arise.

I anticipate that the early efforts will be simple- the inventory and review of current accesses. The challenges to the Committee will become greater as the process continues: where should “walk-overs” be constructed (and of what design), how are the improvements to be funded, and in what sequence.

The recent engineering document prepared by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recognizes that for the best protection and further development of the dunes, “walk-overs” are the preferable improvement. The USACE, however, recognizes that constructing “walk-overs” are every access point is cost prohibitive, so the use of limited and precisely delineated “walk-throughs” are acceptable.

If constructed and to be most effective, a walk-over must extend over the oceanfront dune onto the beach, significantly extending the length of existing and proposed walkovers. A generally accepted planning cost for walk-overs is $600 per foot. With that cost in mind, the longer walk-overs would cost approximately $250,000 each, making it likely that no more than one such walk-over can be constructed annually. The funding will rely heavily upon continued City and grant funding. Despite previously stated acceptance of funds to “adopt” walk-overs, no offers or donations have been provided for that purpose yet.

When the funds are available, the issue becomes sequencing: what walk-overs are constructed when. At a rate of one (or optimistically two) walk-overs constructed annually, it will take several years to install walkovers at the recommended locations. Which one is first (next year?) and which one is last (five years?). The BAC will make that recommendation to the City Commission.

The BAC should be able to complete its task within the next six months, presenting its recommendation to the City Commission in April, sufficient to incorporate their effort for planning and funding into the 2021/2022 budget. That, in turn, should provide adequate time for appropriate planning and permitting for construction to begin approximately one year from now (after the conclusion of next year’s turtle nesting season).

Again, thank you to the residents who have stepped forward for this task. I look forward to following your efforts and will continue to provide the support necessary for this significant project.