Submitted by
Ed Boner, City Commission Candidate Group 4
What is your position on growth and economic development within the city of Fernandina Beach?
If you want to understand my view of the island, we need to go back to the 1960’s. I’m talking about the real Mayberry version of Fernandina. Growth and change is coming. We need to be proactive, by anticipating the way the entire island will change in 10 or 20 years. My history here, in my opinion, gives me a unique perspective. Our shift has always been toward tourism. 40 years ago, the economic base was more pulp, paper and shrimp. Now we think tourism and occupancy. While this gives us all a free ride in a way, but we also need to make an effort to avoid a one-dimensional view. We all should enjoy living here and it should be affordable for everyone. I would say, an intelligent plan of smart, sustainable growth, adherence to our comp, with revisions looking forward, planning and encouraging preservation of our historic and cultural resources is a start. We need to balance the focus on tourism, which sometimes leaves out less visible neighborhoods.
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth of seven questions in a series posed to candidates for the Fernandina Beach City Commission. The answers come to our readers unedited and in the candidates own words. We rotate the order of candidates from week to week. Ed Boner and incumbent Tim Poynter will seek Group 4, John Campbell Elwell and Pat K Gass will seek Group 5.
October 16, 2012 5:17 a.m.