|
By Peg Davis, News-Leader
A design for a new city park
downtown along the Amelia River was called comprehensive
with "something for everyone" Thursday, but Fernandina
Beach Commissioners cautioned the money to pay for it
may not come quickly.
The proposal was jointly prepared by the city's Parks
and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Waterfronts
Florida Partnership Committee and presented to the
commission by waterfronts committee Chair Dave Lott.
"What we wanted to do was create a theme that would
separate our riverfront park from any other," said Lott.
The new park would stretch from parking lot A at the
foot of Centre Street south through parking lot B by the
city's current boardwalk between Brett's Waterway Cafe
and Atlantic Seafood and including unpaved parking lots
C and D.
Lott said key decisions for the commission include
whether to locate a new marina Welcome Center on the
north side of parking lot A and whether to ask mill
owner Rayonier to lease the city a triangle of land
adjacent to the railroad tracks to provide more boat
trailer parking.
The Welcome Center, including
retail space, was originally envisioned in the area
where the Atlantic Seafood building is now at the foot
of Ash Street. The plan presented Thursday shows that
area containing a city-built retail space meant to serve
boaters and downtown visitors with a small grocery or
supply shop.
The groups also recommend moving visitor information
services from the historic train station, which serves
as a downtown office for the Amelia Island-Fernandina
Beach-Yulee Chamber of Commerce, to the new Welcome
Center and then leasing the station at a commercial
rate.
"I find it hard to believe you've come up with something
for everyone, but you have," said Mayor Bill Leeper, who
commended the work of the two groups before expressing
concern about funding, "especially for the larger
elements."
"I think this is very comprehensive," said Commissioner
Ken Walker, who also cautioned that the city can't
afford to construct the whole park at one time.
Lott said the groups recommend transforming parking lot
"A" first, in conjunction with work to remove
underground storage tanks there.
The design would turn that parking
lot due north of Brett's into a public space with
possibly a fountain in the middle and an "optional"
40-foot-wide observation pier out over the current docks
on the north side of the restaurant.
Though both groups agree there should be a "public
performance area" at the south end of the park, Lott
admitted there is still a difference of opinion on what
that means: a 1,000-seat amphitheatre or something less
formal.
Commissioner Ron Sapp said his main concern is that the
park be functional for the citizens. "We've got to
really look at the amphitheatre and see if we really
need that there or not," said Sapp. He added that
parking lots A and B are important to downtown
merchants, so the commission would "have to take a hard
look at that."
The consensus design calls for widening Front Street
south of Centre Street to allow both parallel and angle
parking on each side. It also calls for moving the
public boat ramp to the south end of the new park with a
new fishing pier adjacent to it.
Though the group recognized the number of parking spaces
in the area would be reduced, it envisions moving some
to the parking lot west of City Hall and recommends the
city locate and build a parking structure as soon as
possible somewhere east of Front Street.
"There are many challenges, but many opportunities
here," said City Manager Michael Czymbor, citing a long
list of Front Street and marina-based projects that must
achieve synergy to be successful.
Commissioners adjourned after the presentation without
making any decisions on further action.
pegdavis@fbnewsleader.com |
