Neighbors of the Tringali property surrounded by the Fernandina Beach Historic District have filed a petition for the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court to quash a city commission vote that allowed a developer to build townhouses on the property.
The five lots, on South Fourth Street and nearby Beech Street, currently are home to four single-family houses.
The petition, called a writ of certiorari, contends that the commission improperly made its ruling rather than referring the Planning Advisory Board’s unanimous decision against the townhouses to the city’s Board of Adjustment.
The petition also asserts that the city’s action does not comply with its own land development code. Further, it contends that the developer’s plans for 12 townhouses violate city regulations that require new construction to maintain neighborhood character.
In a highly technical argument, the city has maintained that the five lots in question create a separate subdivision that can be treated differently than the surrounding lots.
The neighbors, Merry Coalson, David Coalson and Taina Christner submitted the petition and have formed an advocacy group called Stop the Domino Effect. For more information, e-mail them at [email protected]