Planning director terminated over Tringali building permits
City Manager Sarah Campbell has terminated Planning and Conservation Director Kelly Gibson in the wake of the Tringali building permit controversy. Gibson issued building permits for the construction of triplexes on the former Trigali properties without notifying Campbell and other officials of her decision.
Campbell late Thursday issued an email to city staff and city commissioners notifying them of her decision to terminate Gibson.
”Hello Directors, I wanted to let you know that Kelly Gibson is no longer with the city.
Glenn Akramoff will be the liaison to the department working with Margaret Pearson, Senior Planner.
These situations are awkward for all; I am here to answer any questions or concerns you have to the best of my ability.
Thank you, Sarah,” the email stated.
Campbell ordered a stop-work order on the triplex project following an administrative appeal of the building permits filed with the city.
“The City of Femandina Beach is in receipt of an application for administrative appeal in accordance with the City's Land Development Code Section 11.07.00 challenging the issuance of building permits for the above-mentioned parcels. I am issuing a stay of proceedings as required by Land Development Code Section 11.07.03 until such time as an appeal hearing at the Board of Adjustment has been completed. Please be advised that a stop work order has been issued for all work on the premises,” the stop work order notice stated.
Gibson was hired by the city in 2007 after completing the Master's Program with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Florida State University with a specialization in Growth Management and Comprehensive Planning.
During her 18-year tenure, Gibson was involved in several controversial development proposals that include:
The 2019 Amelia Bluff development
The Amelia Bluff subdivision was a proposed 32-home development on a formerly conservation‑designated 6.4‑acre parcel across from Fernandina Beach High School and bordering the Ron Sapp Egans Creek Preserve. Similar to the Tringali property, Amelia Bluff sparked fierce opposition that saw an overflow crowd in the city commission room the night of the vote.
When the city commission approved the land‑use change by a close 3-2 vote with Mayor Johnny Miller casting the deciding vote, environmental groups and residents condemned the decision, claiming the land was never intended for residential use.
During the commission meeting, Gibson testified that the land‑use designation had followed an earlier mapping error and was guided by her predecessor’s judgment. Her testimony was critical in justifying the proposal under existing code and swaying commissioner votes. Critics predicted litigation, and a formal administrative hearing ensued.
Historic Downtown Density
Gibson played a pivotal role in both increasing permitted density to 34 units per acre in the Fernandina Beach historic downtown in 2016 — to support fostering permanent downtown residency — and later in 2024 directed the city toward scaling back to 18 units per acre to navigate the constraints imposed by the state’s Live Local Act and preserve local oversight.
The Tringali Property (2022-ongoing)
New property owners of the historic Tringali family parcels — Worthy Investment — proposed demolishing four historic houses near downtown to build 12 townhomes.
Residents voiced concern about flooding, traffic, and preserving neighborhood character. Opponents also said the plan violated the city’s Land Development Code, which prohibited the subdivision of the “lots of record” into smaller parcels.
Gibson maintained that the proposal complied with municipal zoning and comprehensive plan standards. However, the Planning Advisory Board rejected recommending it to the city commission.
The city commission cited another LDC provision and approved the plan 3-2.
A neighborhood group sued and won a court decision that was later appealed by Worthy. The property owners lost that appeal last Monday.
Gibson approved building permits for a new plan of triplexes on the parcels and never informed City Manager Campbell of her action. Gibson cited the same LDC provision that the courts had ruled invalid as the basis for issuing the permits.
Changes to the Land Development Code 1.03.05
In 2023, the city commission, with votes from Mayor Bradley Bean, Commissioner David Sturges and Commissioner Darron Ayscue, directed the city’s Planning Advisory Board to revise 1.03.05 to make it easier for property owners to subdivide their parcels by removing rules regarding swimming pools, garages and accessory dwellings that determined a “lot of record."
During those discussions at Planning Advisory Board meetings involving clarifying the LDC complex zoning codes regarding density, combining parcels into a single lot, and how existing structures count toward lots of record, Gibson was heavily engaged in these internal debates, explaining how provisions like ordinances 1.03.04 and 1.03.05 would affect future projects. But the majority of PAB members warned that hurried or unclear drafting could lead to unintended legal consequences, changing the integrity of established neighborhoods and increasing density. At the time of her dismissal, Gibson was still working on those revisions to 1.03.05 to bring before the PAB and ultimately the city commission.
Comments
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JJC919
Was Ms. Gibaon terminated or suspended?
Friday, July 18 Report this
DanGroth
Overdue. Remember the Egan's Creek fiasco?
Friday, July 18 Report this
Renobe
Notice a Private Provider was being used. This might have tied hands more by having an outside party showing how all planning steps were met. It’s often used when a department is slow or cannot complete review in a timely manner. I believe firing Kelly was a huge mistake.
A private provider in Florida is a licensed professional (e.g., engineer or architect) hired by a developer or owner to conduct building plan reviews and inspections for Florida Building Code compliance, as an alternative to the local building department. Developers use them mainly to accelerate timelines (faster reviews/inspections, flexible scheduling), potentially lower costs via reduced permit fees, and leverage specialized expertise.
Friday, July 18 Report this
BBillings
So this whole debacle comes down to one single village employee at fault ?
Gibson becomes 'the fall guy' because a 'builder' wants to try to thread the needle on the letter of the law ?
Hopefully the 'builder' gets sanctioned by the city as well - they know what they are doing and it's wrong.
Friday, July 18 Report this
DouglasM
Sounds like terminated. If she didn't inform Campbell of the permits (as reported here) then she should have been terminated. The 20 minute grilling that Campbell received Tuesday at the Commission meeting on this subject pretty much doomed Gibson. Commissioner Tuten laid out the argument perfectly and was 100% correct in her opinion, IMO. I don't see the conflict between 04 and 05 in the LDC either. They are actually complementary.
Everyone should watch that exchange on the City Video (at the end of City Manager Report). The City manager should have never been put in that position by the Planning Director's lack of communication. You'll understand the termination clearly after viewing that segment.
Friday, July 18 Report this
Douglas69
overdue dismissal based on previous problems with ethical planning practices.
Friday, July 18 Report this
PaulaM
Needed to happen…she went over her skies
Saturday, July 19 Report this
rswarner
Appropriate. She pushed her luck one too many times. This piece of property will set the stage for it's nature and use in any future development in the Port area.
Sunday, July 20 Report this
JoeW
Great news!
Sunday, July 20 Report this
cscmtp
Yes, Gibson was knowledgeable, but that is more of a reason to terminate her than keep her on board. A knowledgeable, ethical person in her shoes would not have approved the Tringali permits this time around, especially given the previous circumstances and Roberson's ruling. I say this was a bold move on Gibson's part, and probably because she has gotten away with other shenanigans in the past (yes, this can be proven), she thought this was one more time she could get away with it. Not this time. Looking forward to a knowledgeable but ethical replacement for the City.
Sunday, July 20 Report this