By Lyn Panone
On April 23, 2023, Nassau County Commissioners Martin, Huppman, Gray and Farmer agreed to give Riverstone the green light to build 11 condominium towers, at least 85 feet high, next to the state park at the south end of Amelia Island. They also gave Riverstone $250,000 and a long list of valuable concessions such as narrow setbacks, the right to erect electric billboards on A1A, immunity from future tree ordinances, etc.
The following week, Citizens Against Runaway Development (CARD) incorporated and filed suit against the county to block the agreement. CARD was joined in its suit by Amelia Tree Conservancy and the adjacent homeowners’ association, Sanctuary Property Owners’ Association. The county then asked Riverstone to team with it, against the citizen groups.
At a hearing last week, CARD was dismissed as a plaintiff in the suit because it did not incorporate until after the county and Riverstone had signed their agreement on April 23, 2023.
What is the effect of this ruling? It will have no meaningful impact on the litigation going forward. The suit against the county and Riverstone will continue with Amelia Tree Conservancy and the adjacent homeowner’s association as plaintiffs, and Gray Robinson will continue to serve as legal counsel.
What happens next? We are working toward securing a final hearing or trial on the settlement agreement sometime this spring or summer. At that time, we expect the court to significantly modify the agreement or toss it completely. However, the timing of this matter is not entirely in our hands.
What happens to the money donated to CARD? By the end of 2023, more than 170 families and individuals had donated to CARD. More than a third of those were for $1,000 or more. Those funds have been and will be, spent to carry out the extended litigation with Riverstone and our county.
Where can I donate to help the battle? Since it will no longer be a plaintiff, CARD has decided to stop accepting donations for this particular matter. However, the Amelia Tree Conservancy continues to maintain a segregated fund for tax-deductible donations to the Riverstone/Nassau County litigation. Contributions can be made through the ATC website, and designated for the Riverstone litigation.
Does CARD plan to appeal this ruling? No. The ruling does not adversely affect the citizens’ case going forward. An appeal would only result in additional legal fees and delays.
Nearly 500 people have visited the CARD website and added their names to our mailing list. Many of these are the same folks who have been attending standing-room-only commission meetings for several years now, speaking out against the Riverstone towers and writing to their county commissioners.
We will keep you informed of developments as they occur. Your county attorney and the commissioners supporting Riverstone will not.
Thank you for your support.
THANK YOU for keeping us informed and for all of your hard work! We appreciate you fighting the good fight!
Many months ago a number of citizens told potential donors that their lawsuit was a waste of money. The CARD leadership are activists that have had zero financial interest in the property. Why do these people stick their nose in every potential development on Amelia Island?
many of these activists live in a community with up to 85 foot condo buildings. I think they are total hypocrites…and they will lose again in court…
Jaxshark (what is your real name?), money and financial interests are not the only considerations in this issue. There is traffic, wildlife and land conservation, aesthetics, and much more. It does not matter where one comes from or how long one has been here, it is the fact that people are waking up to wanting to preserve the incredible beauty and nature that we have here.
Then go purchase the property and you can do what you want with it !
Jaxshark as a proud founder and ongoing leader for CARD I am happy to be called an activist (thank you!)
We, along with 1000s of other citizens are speaking out against development run amok – where the only real objective is to enrich the land holders and developers – the impact on the rest of us property owners be damned (FL talks about property owners rights – well existing property owners have rights too!)
There are several properties on Amelia Island that have towers on them that give all the inhabitants and visitors a “concrete” vision of what the south end of the island would become if built out similarly – that is the fundamental basis for the activism to push back on the deep pockets and purely greed-driven interests of Riverstone. They have no skin in the local environment game and they could care less about the impact to our homes – they are just fighting over the right to make more $$
Note that CARD is not alone in challenging interests of the greedy in Nassau County – see the ongoing battles in the city of Fernandina Beach where the residents are fightling the selfish interests of some City Comissioners and their cronies that are hell-bent to drive up density and permanently change the nature of that historic neighborhood. (historic districts and residents have rights too!)
Fighting to preserve the nature of where you live is not hyprocritical – it is community driven self-determination – those of us that are here have a much deeper and longer-term interest than developers. When the building is done, they will pack up and leave with their suitcases of cash, while we will be left to “enjoy” the true SPOILS of their labors
And for the record, being found to not have standing in a case has ZILCH to do with the MERITS of the case – Nassau County Commissioners cut a back-room deal with Riverstone, out of the public eye, and they gave away everything – including the kitchen sink – and we will not let it stand.
Every citizen of the County should be outraged by the sordid behavior of this Commission. We are just happy to serve as a voice for them – and we will contiue to do so.
A Happy Acitivist
Nassau County was going to lose in court and cost the taxpayers millions in damages. The commission had to do the responsible thing and come to a settlement. I suggest if you don’t want the property developed to purchase it !
How many millions of dollars in taxes has this property owner paid to Nassau County in the 30 years or so since he’s owned it? The irony of the NIMBY wealthy folks crying over this development plan is hilarious.
I for one am glad this is NOT moving forward. That property is incredibly valuable. Developers MUST be forced to retain old growth trees in their planning stages instead of going scorched earth like they always do. They have decimated Pages Dairy Road , culling the old live oaks, which COULD have easily been integrated into either lots or the roadways had they WANTED to. But the county is too soft with the tree ordinance claiming that “property owners rights” take precedence. I SAY NO! At some point, the value that a tree provides to flood prevention for the whole community should come into play and the commissioners need to consider THAT when they make their decisions instead of basing it solely on “Bert Harris Law” and other such laws.