Proposed plans to construct dune crossovers at the beach accesses on 11th and 14th streets drew sharp criticism from Atlantic Beach residents who have maintained the properties for years at no cost to the city.
Many of the residents who spoke against the project said they were not consulted during the planning process and did not think a walkover was appropriate for either location. City Manager Kevin Hogencamp and Mayor Curtis Ford met with concerned residents before Monday's meeting.
The City Commission reached a unanimous consensus to table further action on the project while officials determine whether funding from the city of Jacksonville, through grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Florida Department of Environmental Protection, could be applied elsewhere. Construction was slated to begin Nov. 1.
"We expected to wrap it up with a proposed interlocal agreement for the city of Atlantic Beach and the city of Jacksonville to consider by January, although we hoped it would be delivered sooner," Hogencamp said.
"The concept designs are complete for these grant-funded walkovers funded by NOAA and FDEP grants pending your review of the property owner objections that we're hearing to two walkovers. Construction would begin, if you don't call timeout and stop our progress, after sea turtle nesting season, with completion expected by late spring."
Ford read excerpts from 14 letters submitted to city staff opposing the project, citing concerns about the scale, environmental impact, maintenance costs, neighborhood character and proximity to existing walkovers. Others advocated for more accessible structures. The adjacent walkover at 13th Street is ADA-compliant.
"I'm particularly concerned about the impact the structure could have on the dunes, its size, the ongoing maintenance and expense to the city, its vulnerability to storms and what happens to the structure as the dunes naturally grow and shift over time," resident Al Mansur wrote.
"The preference is to leave the access as-is. Once a structure like this is built, we can't easily undo its impact on this beautiful natural area."
When resident and former City Commissioner Steve Rosenbloom purchased his family's home, the 14th Street access was "a mess with cactus, broken glass and shells." Today, residents work together to maintain it.
"We sprinkle it. We mow it. It's something good for us that is good for everybody," Rosenbloom said, adding that the scale of the proposed project would block the pristine ocean views many residents enjoy.
"It's huge. It detracts from our beautiful access. It's something that we take pride in. We live there every day. I don't understand the change when it doesn't do anybody any good."
Hogencamp said the sites were identified in planning documents dating back to the development of the city's 2030 Comprehensive Plan, Parks Master Plan and Connectivity Plan.
"They treat beach accesses as mini parks. The bottom line is the elevated walkovers protect the environment, make that area more resilient and they enhance accessibility," he said. "I'm not here advocating for it. We're carrying out what this commission and commissions previous have identified as what we seek to do as a community. Ultimately, as I said when I met with the residents with Mayor Ford, it's a policy decision. You can stop this in its tracks."
Bob Cook said the beachfront has increased by 50 feet since he grew up, thanks to the installation of sea oats to boost resilience. As they've matured, the dune system has built up to 8 feet near the 14th Street beach access. A walkover would need to exceed that height.
"I don't see how the dune walkover would protect the dunes when the sea oats are doing their job," he said. "It would need to be 4 feet above the dune line. I don't think it's needed. There are other places to spend money than this."
Hogencamp said the city can appeal to the federal government to apply the grant funding to a different project, although he acknowledged that might not be successful.
"We will go to them and ask if we can devote the money to other accesses. That's feasible, but I don't know if it's likely," he said, noting that the funds were earmarked specifically for the locations identified in the city's planning documents.
Ford said he opposed any forward movement on the project while officials determine whether the funding can be shifted to construction of a dune walkover at a different location.
"I think we need a lot more information. I would be hard-pressed to not listen to what I heard tonight and say that maybe we should think differently on this. It is up to this commission what we do," he said. "I want to make sure that we pause and do not take any committal actions on forwarding the construction of these walkovers until the City Commission has opined as to whether we're in agreement or not. This matters. We've listened to you. I'm not guaranteeing the outcome … but we need to know what our goal is. Not all accesses are the same."
