Port wants a parking lot? – An opinion

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Submitted by Chuck Hall
July 7, 2014 12:01 p.m.

On July 9, 5 PM, the Planning Advisory Board will review the Port of Fernandina’s request for a Future Land Use Map Amendment, and Zoning Map Change. This has happened before, and I suppose they will beat this drum until they get what they want.

The port wants a parking lot. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? No harm, right? Look closer.

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Port property located at N 3rd and Dade

The property they want to expand the Port into is smack in the middle of the Historic District’s North end (downtown). The drive to slowly take a larger and larger portion of the Historic District is nothing new for the port.

Upon opening, their words were…”it’s just a postage-stamp sized port, that’s all”. Then later, they expanded to close-off Calhoun St, and expanded another block farther south, toward Centre St. This was after promising not to do so. Hmmmmm….

Over the years, they have asked about closing both Dade St. and 2nd streets, to stop public traffic from driving along the streets. That’s what I’d like to have at my house, too! However, the Port is a governmental giant with powers far beyond my own….they may get what they want….

Port ParkingNow they are requesting a huge FLUM and Zoning change. This isn’t just the-next-level-up zoning either, it’s a big leap. They want PI-1 zoning….but only for a humble parking lot? If you read the uses allowed for this zoning, it allows a lot more than JUST a parking lot.

But don’t get me wrong . . . while I think it’s a great idea to have a port here, I simply will not stand idly by and watch them crush the Historic District, turning it into just some more industrial space.

It’s time for our officials to stand up for the HD….it is being whittled away a little bit each day by well-intended folk from all over the country. One small lot lost here, one bad materials choice there, a torn-down house over here, and pretty soon our tiny HD is just…..gone! Think that’s impossible? Just look around here, and you can see the non-conforming structures all around. It’s not that way in Charlotte. They will defend their HD to the death, because it is worth MILLIONS in tourism, and their residents place a strong public value upon the Historic District integrity.

Funny; no one has ever told me, “We came from Seattle, just to visit the Port”.

One could go on and on about the values of a strong HD, and how it should be protected at all cost. If you understand, then please help us defend the integrity of this humble parcel of land on the North Side of the Historic District. It isn’t much, but it is exactly what the port promised they would never do.

They have over 16 acres. I suspect they could solve their parking problem another way if they needed to. Oh, they will claim that they just can’t do anything else. Do we believe that? Rest assured, they will insist that you believe it.

Let’s not roll-over again for this sprawling giant. Insist they Stop expanding where they agreed to stop.

Chuck HallEditor’s Note:  Chuck Hall lives in a house within Fernandina’s historic district that has been in his family since 1912. He serves on the  board of the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation. Chuck is a website designer and operates Websites by Chuck.

The Fernandina Observer will follow this opinion with  a response from Clyde W. Davis, Board Attorney for the Ocean Highway and Port Authority.

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Claire S Poulsen
Claire S Poulsen (@guest_20159)
9 years ago

Why doesn’t the port build a two/three story garage on their current property? That way local residents won’t have to deal with door slamming, motors running, etc. Just sayin….