Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
Citing a need for more information, the Fernandina Beach City Commission moved to table an application from the Nassau County School Board to vacate a portion of Gum Street between Citrona Drive and the Egans Creek Greenway at their December 6, 2016 Regular Meeting. The School Board requested the vacation of the “rump” portion of Gum Street in anticipation of the sale of their property on both sides to a developer with an intention of developing a new residential subdivision consistent with the underlying Future Land Use Map (FLUM) Category of Low Density Residential and R-1 zoning. The segment of Gum Street requested for abandonment was originally platted as part of the 1857 City of Fernandina Beach Plat. The Right-Of-Way has never been used for access, has not been improved, and bisects the School Board’s property east of Citrona roughly in half.
City Staff in a report dated November 9, 2016 recommended approval of the application; however, the Planning Advisory Board (PAB) rejected it unanimously at its Regular Meeting held on the same date. The PAB offered a provisional condition recommendation that the FBCC request a land swap or conservation easement if it decided to approve the application.
The city previously granted a School Board request to vacate the portion of Gum Street to build the High School/Middle School Campus on Citrona Drive. The undeveloped land across Citrona from the existing campus, once thought necessary for school expansion, now appears surplus to the School Board’s needs. Some have questioned whether the original vacation was meant to include the portion of Gum Street on this property as well, but due to administrative error was not included.
City Attorney Tammi Bach announced that all speakers, including the applicant, were limited to 3 minutes, which Mayor Lentz enforced.
While School Board attorney Brenda Ezell presented the case to the FBCC, city staff did not make a presentation to lay out the city’s position on why the application should be approved. In addressing concerns of some residents regarding public access to the Greenway, Ezell pointed out that 400 feet south of this access is public access via Hickory Street. She reminded the FBCC that the property surrounding is privately owned. “We are not postured yet to talk about development of the property, because the School Board first needs to sell the land to a developer. We have a closing set for selling the property. The issue we are here for is a title issue. This is a paper issue, and not a request to develop the property.”
Three members of the public spoke, raising concerns about increased traffic that would result from development of the land, asking why the city would not purchase the land to add to the Greenway, advocating a land swap and citing perceived violations of the Comprehensive Plan that would result from such action.
Vice Mayor Kreger said he favored tabling the issue adding, “I was a little bit disappointed that the School Board didn’t first offer the property to the city.” He said that he would like to discuss the return to the city of another piece of land that the city had given to the School Board in 1926 for a school. Today that land is no longer being used for that purpose. He said that he wanted to review the matter at hand in more detail before proceeding with a vote.
Kreger moved to table the action—Ordinance 2016-40—on first reading, and Commissioner Tim Poynter seconded his motion. The motion was approved on a 4-0 vote with Mayor Lentz recusing herself citing a conflict of interest, since she is a full-time employee of the School Board.
There was no indication of a time frame for further consideration.