Mystery around UNPROTECTED part of the NaNa Dune System in Historic American Beach - Your help is needed!

March 8, 2020

Caution: Survey stakes all of a sudden appeared and no one seems to know what is being planned for this 30 + foot of UNPROTECTED part of the NaNa Dune System in Historic American Beach, Fernandina Beach, Florida.

"If someone knows, something? Please share."

The NaNa Dune is the tallest Dune in Florida and is protected by the National Park Service. The Little NaNa Dune is UNPROTECTED. The National Park Service attempted to acquire it but it would take to long to go through Congress.

The NaNa Dune System, in Historic American Beach, is the tallest Dune System in Florida. All of a sudden Building Survey stakes appeared around part of the unprotected Dune known as Little NaNa Dune. The NaNa Dune System is not only a major tourist attraction to Amelia Island but a important part of the remaining dune system.

Ocean Blvd. Estates TPOA, backs up to the Little NaNa Dune. Tony Brown, William Price and Carlton Jones are the officers of Ocean Blvd. Estates, Inc. and our development has a 5 foot landscape buffer between the dunes and our homes on the west side.

The surveyor marked our palm trees inside the landscape buffer, which indicates one or two things, they will protect the palm trees or remove them during site work and excavation of the Little NaNa Dune?

I communicated with Nassau County, Florida, where they had no record of development plans for that site. The current zoning allows 4 units per .50 acres. The zoning allows for Apartments or Townhouses to be built.

I contacted the National Park Service and the Park Rangers inspected the site, however they didn’t know anything about the survey stakes. The Park Ranger, did indicate that the Park Service did want to acquire the Little NaNa Dune system. To protect it from development and reunite it as part of the NaNa Dune System. The Park Service recently discovered it would take to long to go through Congress, to expand the boundaries of Little NaNa into big NaNa boundary.

A little over a year ago, a owner rented a back-hole and destroyed some of the Dune and vegetation. The Nassau County Building Department stopped them, because they did not have a Permit.

Historic American Beach is experiencing an on slot of real estate development and some of it is good. However, we should make sure that we do not destroy the natural beauty, remaining dunes, tree canopy and history that is rarely experienced in beachfront communities today. The History is rich and tourist visit our Historic American Beach Community, National Park Service NaNa Dune and American Beach Museum from all over the World. Sometimes by the bus loads.

The Nassau County Planning and Zoning Department has been working with the American Beach Property Owners Association and residents on how to plan for future development growth. Abraham Lincoln Lewis, the Founder & President of the Afro-American Insurance Company, master planned a wonderful community that has survived for over 85 years.

Builders and Developers often rush development plans through so that there will be very little community push back. However, the best developments occur with good input from the community. Little NaNa Dune is a very important part of our natural landscape and wildlife of Historic American Beach.

If the National Park Service can not protect the Dune System, then I do expect that the Nassau County, Building, Planning and Zoning Departments will insure that any planned development will build within the Dune System wisely. The Little NaNa Dune protects the Omni Golf Course, Osprey Village and it’s newly planned Wellness Center. God naturally designed Dune Systems to protect inland communities and Coastal Barrier Islands from flooding. God has blessed and protected the American Beach Community for over 85 years, let us continue to respect the natural beauty that can not be manufactured by man’s hands.

Attached is a google earth photo that you can enlarge and see how high the peak of Little NaNa to the South is to the height of big NaNa Dune to the North.

If someone knows, something? Please share.