Amelia Island South End residents prepare to battle proposed 50 acre development

By Cindy Jackson

Walkers Landing, a frequent meeting place for residents of the Amelia Island Plantation and associated properties was filled to capacity on April 9th, with the topic of discussion being a development project slated for the South End of the Island. Over 200 individuals were seated and others lined the wall of the venue.

Panelist Creighton Hoffman, Attorney Jane West, Margaret  Kirkland and Lyn Pannone representing  the A.I. Tree Conservancy

The panel consisted of Creighton (Corky) Hoffman, who lives at The Sanctuary, the “neighborhood” closest to the planned development, attorney Jane West and Margaret Kirkland and Lyn Pannone, Chair and Vice-Chair respectively, of the Amelia Tree Conservancy.

News of the proposed development got out several weeks ago and residents of The Plantation and other interested individuals immediately began work on building a coalition. The parcel of property consists of 50 acres and is located at the south end of the Island between residences of The Sanctuary and the Amelia Island State Park.

The parcel is comprised of 50 acres. Current zoning allows for the development of 150 units. The developer is Steven Leggett, owner and president of Signature Land, who has been a familiar face in Northeast Florida for a very long time. Says their website,” Signature Land is recognized as a premier developer in Northeast Florida. Committed to the prosperity and preservation of the community, our goal is to increase the value of real estate by strategically acquiring and aggregating property, and providing superior entitlement and development services with uncompromising integrity and character.”

To put things in perspective, ATC member and Vice-chair Lyn Pannone and other interested parties provided this information:

• • Leggett wants to build a hotel with 282 rooms. Omni has 404 so that's approximately 70% the size of Omni
  • Is currently proposing 242 condos. Carlton Dunes has 98 units in 7 buildings. Max height is 7 stories.
  • Add in the parking and that's a significant amount of impervious surface so flooding becomes an issue.

Some may recall in the recent past, Jack Healan, himself a resident of The Plantation and well-known developer, is currently spearheading the Crane Island project. He took a run at it but couldn’t make it profitable without better zoning so he backed off.

Mr. Hoffman met with Mr. Leggett and conversed about the vision. The details are somewhat sketchy related to parking and ancillary buildings needed to operate additional condos or a resort. According to Mr. Hoffman, the numbers aren’t exactly there to make it profitable to which it seemed Mr. Leggett acknowledged. And while the idea is to make it a very high-end resort, no word is available yet as to whether any of the big, high-end names in the business . . . like the Four Seasons, the Waldorf or the Marriott have expressed any interest.

Attorney Ms. West gave a brief educational presentation about how the process works and at what stage(s) the community can make the most difference – and she was quick to point out that the process has not yet begun.

County staff first study the proposal, it then goes to the Planning and Zoning Board -- from there to the Board of County Commissioners after which the State gives its input. The input comes from the Department of Economic Opportunity which will have reached out to other agencies like Fish and Wildlife Conservation, the Department of Environmental Protection and others. That report is then sent to the BOCC where the final vote takes place.

The first opportunity for public input comes at the Planning and Zoning Board stage.

Amelia Island Tree Conservancy Chair Margaret Kirkland speaks to the importance of maritime forests.

Reps from the Amelia Tree Conservancy spoke of the critical importance of preserving the maritime forest and other environmental concerns, citing incontrovertible evidence that it will result in an increase in temperature, loss of storm water management, loss of storm protection and wildlife habitat. In addition, to outlining the impact of said development, the group passed out critical information on who to contact and how one can get more involved. Other issues to take into consideration include hurricane evacuation, loss of beach area for tourists and residents and increased traffic.

The group has estimated that it will take about $50,000 to effectively wage a campaign against the development and fundraising efforts began at the meeting. To purchase the property outright, IF and only IF the owner is willing to sell – some $70 million.

Before questions were entertained from audience members, Mr. Hoffman made a very prophetic remark when he said, “the community needs to raise its voice effectively.”

Editor's Note: Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, Cindy received her BA in Political Science from Dickinson College. Upon graduation, Cindy began her career on Capitol Hill working as a legislative aide and director. She later became a part of the public relations and lobbying team of the American Iron and Steel Institute and served as director of the office of state legislative affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Cindy was involved in economic development with the state of Maryland, and served as executive director of Leadership Washington County. As a community volunteer, Cindy participates in numerous volunteer activities serving as a member of Sunrise Rotary, and as board member of Cummer Amelia Board of Directors.