Has the time come to get serious about CRA development?

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter - News Analyst

March 17, 2016 2:25 p.m.

The CRA includes the former Standard Marine Building at 2nd and Alachua Streets.

The CRA Advisory Board—CRAAB—consists of a group of Fernandina Beach residents who advise the City Commission in its dual role as Community Redevelopment Agency on issues including implementation of the CRA Plan by providing recommendations and assistance in identifying and prioritizing projects to be undertaken as consistent with the CRA Plan. The focus of this group is economic development of properties in the City's established CRA and the adjoining Central Business District with specific consideration on attracting and retaining businesses.

While this city board meets regularly and reports monthly to the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC), its work over the years has encountered a variety of roadblocks, some political, some financial and some related to the unclear relationships of the major players: the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) itself, the City of Fernandina Beach, the railroad, private property owners and businesses and advocates for a waterfront park. The latest player to lace up for the game is the Florida Main Street Program’s local organization: Fernandina Beach Main Street.

Current CRAAB Chair Arlene Filkoff reported to the FBCC during its March 15, 2016 Regular Meeting that the committee has identified many projects that can be done in support of their objectives provided that money can be found. She suggested that the city should consider a project manager to ensure that these various tasks can be brought to completion:

• Coastal flooding survey
• Stormwater infrastructure condition study
• Parking study and traffic flow study
• Mooring balls need to be placed prior to the marina’s expansion northward
• Required fencing along the railroad tracks follow a consistent design throughout the CRA
• Assessing current property tax values within the CRA and projecting future increases

CRAAB Chair Arlene Filkoff

Filkoff asked for clarity on the scope of the FBCC waterfront workshop scheduled for April. She asked that if the intent is to focus on the waterfront park, commissioners consider expanding that scope to include CRA matters, perhaps even convening as the Community Redevelopment Agency so that decisions can be made at the meeting.

Following her presentation on behalf of the CRAAB, Filkoff delivered some additional remarks as a private citizen. She said, “I don’t think anybody wants to tally just in time given by staff resources and volunteers supporting these efforts has been spent on this, yet nothing has happened. I go on record as a private citizen asking please, do whatever action you can to make this CRA more viable. Because I think it is critical to downtown, and downtown is critical to our economy. It’s critical that we make something happen down there. My personal plea is to do it; just do it!” She received a round of applause from the audience at the conclusion of her remarks.

There are several hopeful signs on the horizon that this may be the year for some progress in the CRA. The FBCC has reinforced to the City Manager its priority for opening the Alachua Street rail crossing, and the City Manager has been meeting with FDOT officials to try to unstall this project. Plans for a new hotel on North Second Street appear to be moving ahead. The restoration of the historic train depot has been completed, and soon a reproduction of the former train platform will be added to the site. The city has been successful in obtaining state funding for stormwater projects, which it hopes to use as a match for additional federal funding to solve problems associated with stormwater and high tides along Front Street. And the city is in the process of studying and correcting infrastructure needs in the CRA, as well as parking and traffic needs.

But for many the question remains: how can the city consider a waterfront park or significant CRA development unless the flooding problem is solved? The photos below were originally included in a package that Mayor Johnny Miller recently sent to Governor Scott to help persuade him that Fernandina Beach needed state help to solve this problem.

View looking north along Front Street.

City truck pushes water as it drives south along Front Street.

Another view north showing partially submerged train tracks.  Property to the left was recently purchased by the city to expand the city marina.