Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
In a November 18, 2013 workshop, the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC) for the second time listened to a proposal to proceed with a streamlined plan for the Amelia Riverfront Park. Local Fernandina Beach architect Randy Rice did not get the green light to proceed with his modified plan. Instead, city commissioners politely but firmly directed him to meet with the authors of the currently approved park plan: the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) and the Waterfront Advisory Group (WAG). They also asked him to meet with and consider input from the CRA Advisory Board (CRAAB) and to seek input specifically from businesses bordering North Front Street. City Manager Joe Gerrity said that staff would set up a joint meeting for Rice to address all the boards between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
About two dozen members of the public attended the workshop, including members of the committees that had crafted the plan approved by the FBCC in 2012. Privately, some expressed concerns that Rice had not brought his ideas to them before approaching the FBCC. However, all expressed a willingness to meet with Rice to discuss his modifications to the plans they had crafted with public input over a period of several years.
Before addressing the five discussion topics listed on the meeting’s agenda, Mayor Sarah Pelican invited Rice to present an overview of his plan which he previously presented to them at a regular FBCC meeting on October 15, 2013. At that time, commissioners advised Rice to run his assessment of retention requirements by the St. Johns River Management District, meet with the City Manager, Deputy Manager Marshall McCrary, Community Development Director Adrienne Burke and Streets Manager Rex Lester and then report back to the City Commission. Rice agreed to do so. Commissioner Ed Boner said that he would also want to hear from Deputy City Manager Marshall McCrary on the city’s assessment of the plan, features and costs. It was not clear that Rice had followed through on the earlier direction or that city staff had assessed the plan before Rice made his second appearance before the commission.
Rice said that 30 years of work has gone into planning a riverfront park. He claimed that his redesign for phase one of the approved plan could be accomplished for $1.1M, $400K of which would come from grants and private donors while leaving the park the property of the city. He said that his plan provides for a flexible use of space and would protect the riverfront view. He said, “We must find a way to make the [park] venue as great as the view.”
Commissioners spent the next hour in lively discussion expressing their priorities for park development, questioning Rice on elements of the plan, and taking public input.
Vice Mayor Charlie Corbett and Commissioner Ed Boner expressed concerns regarding the plan’s compatibility with existing water-based and land-based businesses within or bordering the proposed park. Rice briefly discussed patterns of use, differentiating between improved needs for short-term, drop off parking and longer-term parking. He said the city could either embrace having a park on the river or parking on the river. Since his plan both provided for another parking lot at Ash and Second Streets and suggested leasing private land for parking north of city marina property, he believed that his plan adequately addressed the parking issue.
Commissioner Pat Gass did not necessarily agree. She said that from her perspective, the downtown had never regained the parking it lost in the 1978 redesign of Centre Street. She said that she wants the parking issue to be addressed prior to any discussion of the park, adding, “Parking is a nightmare downtown.” She called for a parking lot or parking garage to be constructed. Rice took issue with her statement, citing cities like Charleston, Savannah and St. Augustine that flourish despite difficult street parking scenarios. “I’m not getting the hardship,” Rice said, “to ask people to walk an extra block [to park].” Gass retorted that she was concerned about parking for service workers, not visitors, and that during peak tourism periods it is more than difficult for those who work downtown to find parking.
Vice Mayor Corbett said, “It’s not that we aren’t doing anything [about providing more parking].” He said that the city can expand the number of spaces available in the existing lot across 2nd Street from City Hall and that the city is working on a parking lot to accommodate 25-30 spaces on the city owned lot at N. 2nd and Broome Streets. He added that a parking garage is out of reach for now.
Gass was not mollified. She said that if the park becomes the success that everyone anticipates, the parking situation downtown would become much worse. Therefore, she wants the existing parking problem to be solved first.
Mayor Pelican added that users of the boat launch have also expressed fears that with a new park they will lose trailer parking.
Commissioner Arlene Filkoff asked Rice if he had addressed the PRAC and the WAG prior to coming to the commission. He said he had not. Commissioner Boner asked if he had specifically consulted owners of the Salty Pelican, Marina Restaurant and Brett’s. Rice said that he had had no face-to-face contact but had engaged in social media conversations.
Filkoff reminded Rice that the existing, approved plan had been a product of years of discussion among local residents, committee members, business owners and professional architects who had volunteered countless hours to achieve consensus. Rice acknowledged that he would have to consider such input but that the original plan was too expensive to implement. Filkoff said that in fairness, the WAG had been instructed not to “mess with” parking. Since its recommendations, other changes have been proposed for the waterfront/CRA area, such as adding a train platform to the historic train depot and the addition of a new restaurant, the Salty Pelican. She said that “it should not be onerous” to speak to that group. Rice said that his operating premise had been to keep things simple, recognizing that some of the phase one changes might need to be ripped up to complete the entire plan. Filkoff said, “I believe the WAG did think long term. Before we go for bear, I want to know what we are talking about.”
Rice told the commission that the waterfront has become stagnant because “we haven’t been willing to make changes.” He said that the waterfront park would be a place for those who can’t “buy their way” out on the river via watercraft tours or personal watercraft. He emphasized that the park is for the residents, not just downtown businesses. He claimed that he had identified leasable land north of the city marina that could provide parking for 40 vehicles at a cost of $1,500 per month. He suggested that businesses could valet park their customers. He asked, “Are we really going to squander another 15 years?”
Mayor Pelican asked commissioners how they wanted to proceed. Boner said that he wanted to hear from the WAG and affected businesses. He agreed with Gass that forward parking needs should be considered now. Filkoff added that the FBCC also needed to hear from the CRAAB. She said that any decision needed to show respect for the people who put the original plan together.
Rice said that the city would never be able to get ahead of the parking issue. He said,
“If you don’t think there is a path forward, tell us [his committee] not to waste our time.” Rice never identified his committee by name, nor did he name members.
Mayor Pelican asked City Manager Gerrity to weigh in on the discussion. Gerrity said that he does not believe that there is a big enough space in the downtown area to accommodate a parking garage. He agreed with Rice, adding, “Parking is a concern to me but I don’t think we will ever get ahead of the curve.” He said that 325 days a year you could find parking downtown. Gass continued to maintain that the sticking point is what should be addressed first, the park or the parking.
Mayor Pelican agreed that the first step in tackling the park issue was to get input from the WAG and the community on the 2012 plan. Filkoff added that the proposed performance venue in Rice’s plan would result in more special events and more parking needs. She suggested that the additional parking required by those events should not be at the expense of downtown businesses.
It was the consensus of the FBCC that before making any decision on Rice’s proposal, they wanted input from the committees that had authored the existing plan, along with input from merchants on the river and the CRAAB. The commission supported public/private partnerships to raise funds for the project and agreed that the city would accept maintenance responsibility for the park. They also wanted parking needs addressed for special events and normal business downtown.
Mayor Pelican opened the meeting to public comment, and four people spoke.
Terry Lacoss, a charter boat captain, said that he likes the park, but not a parking garage. He said that boaters do not want to park in a garage. Rather they want to park near their boats so that it is easier to transport coolers and other gear. He said the waterfront parking lot is the heart of downtown and suggested the park could be put on the beach.
Eric Bartelt, a WAG member, cautioned the FBCC against building a park on the cheap because such action could result in long-term expenses. He suggested referring parking back to the WAG for consideration.
John Megna, a former long serving member of the PRAC, strongly encouraged commissioners to review the original plan, which provided for enough spaces for the boaters. He said that the three assets of the city were Main Beach, the riverfront and the people. He said that commissioners should look at the existing plan to see how Rice’s changes can be integrated. He also agreed that building the park should be a public-private partnership.
Scott Moore, president of the Historic Fernandina Beach Business Association, suggested that better signage and maps that clearly indicated public parking areas could alleviate confusion over downtown parking. He said that his organization would love to see a waterfront park, suggesting that “if we can put egos aside” it can be built. He also asked, “If you can’t afford to do it now, then when?”
Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.
November 19, 2013 12:29 p.m.