By Kate Kimmel
Nassau County signed a mediation settlement Wednesday with Save Historic American Beach Inc. that will relocate the beach access point from Lewis Street to Burney Park, move “no motor vehicle” signs on the island’s south end, add speed limit and conservation zone signage, and strengthen enforcement.
Save Historic American Beach (SHAB) Board President Mark Dawkins said that while the settlement does not end beach driving, it provides additional protections and benefits for the American Beach community.
Lewis Street vehicular access relocation
The agreement requires the county to seek permits to relocate the beach access point from Lewis Street to Burney Park. SHAB leaders said the move addresses concerns about pedestrian safety, flooding and traffic.
“We’re the only place in the county where people have to drive through a residential area to access the beach,” SHAB member Pam Buncum said. “During the busy season people can’t even get into their driveways, and we don’t have sidewalks, so I’ve had to jump out of the way of cars on my walk home.”
Dawkins said the access point on Lewis Street acts as a “massive hole” in the dune system, eliminating protection from storm surges and causing flooding.
South end signage relocation
Dawkins said a major focus of mediation discussions was the improper placement of “no motor vehicle” signs on the island’s south end. He provided images showing that signs which should have been posted at the southernmost point of Amelia Island Plantation were instead posted at the northeastern edge of Amelia Island State Park.
The improper signage violated Florida Senate Bill 1577 and prevented vehicles from accessing nearly a mile of beach driving area between the state park and the plantation. The county has since relocated the signs in accordance with the agreement.
Speed limit and conservation signage
The county must install and maintain four additional 10 mph speed limit signs on American Beach in response to SHAB’s concerns about speeding.
“American Beach is the only place that welcomes both beach parking and driving,” Buncum said. “I’ve seen people driving at almost 30 mph, and it makes it difficult to relax when you’re worried about people and turtles being run over.”
The agreement also requires the county to install “Conservation Zone Do Not Enter” signs every 60 feet along American Beach. The signs will be posted about 10 feet from the permanent line of native vegetation, which will be reviewed annually and adjusted if needed.
The signage is intended to prevent vehicles from driving on vegetation and dunes, which Dawkins and Buncum said they have witnessed during high tide.
Enforcement
After the county passed a new beach ordinance last month, SHAB members questioned whether the guidelines would be strictly enforced.
“What good is a new ordinance if the rules aren’t being enforced?” Buncum said.
The mediation agreement requires the county to provide its security contractor, Gilden, with written instructions mandating strict enforcement of conservation zone access, posted speed limits and driver logs. It also requires the county to hold at least one educational workshop a year at the start of turtle nesting season regarding protections.
Implications
The agreement requires SHAB to dismiss its lawsuit against the county, but Dawkins emphasized that the group’s advocacy will continue.
“We believe, and have photographic evidence, that endangered sea turtles have been and are likely to continue to be harmed by beach driving,” Dawkins said in a press release. “However, the judge in the case made it clear that he would not rule in our favor and instead recommended mediation.”
Dawkins said the judge’s request for video evidence of turtles being run over was unfair, as SHAB had already provided photographs.
“The judge said we needed a video of a turtle being run over to prove this was happening at American Beach,” Dawkins said. “The metadata on the photos showed that they were taken on American Beach. And also, who would sit and watch a turtle get run over without stopping it?”
While the lawsuit did not end as SHAB had hoped, Dawkins said the mediation marked a shift.
“After 35 years of dismissal, the suit finally brought the county to the negotiating table,” he said. “We will continue our efforts to end beach driving at American Beach to protect endangered sea turtles and the coastal dune system protecting our homes and community.”
kkimmel@nassaunewsline.net
