By Susan Hardee Steger
June 6, 2018 12:08 p.m.
One June 5, the Nassau County Planning and Zoning Board held a public hearing to address a proposed rezoning of approximately .88 acres of land on the south side of Sadler Road between Ryan Road and Amelia Landing. The property is owned by the McMahon Family Trust and is currently zoned Residential Single-Family. Attorney Jon Lasserre represented the family trust at the public hearing.
After discussion and comments from the public, the Planning and Zoning Board approved the zoning change with one dissenting vote. An additional public hearing before the Board of County Commission (BOCC) will be held on Monday, June 25, at 6:00 p.m. at the James Page Government Building.
Prior to the vote, Nassau County Attorney Mike Mullin told the board that going against the Comprehensive Plan’s “commercial” designation of Sadler Road could be “problematic.” There must be specific criteria to state the comprehensive plan is in error. In this case, according to Mullin, it would be difficult to prove.
Chris Whelan, resident of nearby Pirates’ Bay, spoke against the zoning change. He asked the board members to disregard a 1990’s Future Land Use Map designating the area commercial and take a different approach. He noted his concern that adjacent undeveloped residential properties owned by a Silva, and Duke families will follow.
“We can’t put on blinders and just look at this lot and say, well there is commercial near it, and that along time ago the Future Land Use Map said let’s make this all commercial.”
“The reality of today is what would we do to turn back the hands of time a little bit to get back that last sand dune that we allow to get bulldozed, the last native tree canopy that gets taken down, the wetlands near our neighborhood that get filled in inadvertently during construction. We, you the board, have an opportunity to be bold here and to deny this request at this time because as a domino property . . . if that falls to commercial general then we have sprawl from the beaches joining up to the sprawl from the west.”
At the end of the meeting County Planner Doug McDowell said a lot of issues brought forward during the hearing such as trees and traffic will be discussed in a site plan review in the event the zoning change is approved by the BOCC and the property is sold and a development plan comes forward.
McDowell mentioned that there are ongoing efforts between the county and city to “redesign” Sadler Road. Under discussion are opportunities to add more green space, more landscaping, and perhaps add on street parking. It is hoped, potential changes will make “Sadler Road the best it can be.”
Curious to know: What was the land zoned prior to the 1990s Future Land Use designation?
Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD… Not sure?
Check out the stop order being issued against the Hilton Hotel developer on the other side of De Nucci’s. So far, the trees and surrounding eco system in the vicinity of the Pirates Bay residential neighborhood and the wetlands are being bulldozed into oblivion despite the tree and other land protection ordinances that were supposed to ensure their protection. There certainly were discussions during that site plan review for that project. Where does this all stop?
I love this comment: “Under discussion are opportunities to add more green space”. Just a simple question, where is the more green space coming from to what is already there?? Are they going to propose to paint new buildings green?? Redesigning Sadler to accommodate on street parking?? For what purpose unless it is to shoe horn in more retail space without requiring on site parking. If they are so concerned about upgrading a road, I suggest they look at 14th Street from Sadler to the Airport which is under maintained and dangerous.
The concerns expressed above are clearly important. Sadler is being developed without any completed overall planning or concern regarding the loss of canopy. ATC expressed written concern to the Planning & Zoning Board regarding our vulnerability to storm damage as a result of having so little canopy on a large east-west road. This is a valid concern that many of our members have expressed. Our canopy has been reduced to a point where this should be a major consideration in all decision-making related to development.
It would be difficult to add more green space to a road that would be more natural than what is already there and what has already been taken down. You can’t replace these old oaks with palm trees and make it more green. The last three green space properties are not needed for retail/ commercial space, they aRe needed to preserve and act as our natural barriers against the next storms that roll past this island. Please start thinking for your children and grandchildren’s future of having these beautiful oaks to shade and picnic under, instead of concrete parking lots that give nothing back. Look at what happened to the Hilton property…. I have before photos that will make you sick to see what has been destroyed! The Silva and McMahon properties have some of the most beautiful oaks and the last giants on Sadler…..No one can replace what we have now once it’s gone!
There’s certainly a disconnect between the city and county planners and the developers and the citizens. Even when blatant violations of the LDC are brought to the attention of officials they’re almost clueless on what to do about it. The time to protect these important trees is BEFORE the bulldozers arrive and the chainsaws are buzzing!