Fernandina Beach Considers $185,000 Parks and Recreation Master Plan to Guide Future Growth

By Mike Lednovich/Editor

Fernandina Beach city commissioners next Tuesday will consider spending $185,000 over two fiscal years to develop a new Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan, an effort city staff says is needed to guide long-term investment in parks, facilities and programs.

City commissioners are being asked to approve a proposal from Jacksonville-based consulting firm Kimley-Horn to complete the plan in two phases: a $100,000 Needs and Priorities Assessment in fiscal year 2025-26, followed by an $85,000 Vision and Action Plan in fiscal year 2026-27, contingent on funding approval Resolution.

The total lump-sum fee is $185,000, which includes sub-consultant fees and reimbursable expenses.

According to the resolution, Parks and Recreation staff “identified the need for a Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan to strategically guide the future development and management of parks, facilities, and programs.”

The city previously completed a parks and recreation master plan in 2015, which established priorities for park improvements, recreation programming, trail connectivity and long-term capital planning. Over the past decade, several items outlined in that plan have been implemented or are underway.

Among the accomplishments since the 2015 plan:

• Development of the new waterfront park, expected to open this spring.

• Improvements to Central Park, including an upgraded playground.

• Expansion of facilities at the MLK Jr. Recreation Center, including work on softball fields and the Joe Velardi Field.

• Development of the Simmons Road Park nature park.

• Ongoing expansion of regional bike trail connectivity, with Nassau County completing additional phases and planning further connections toward downtown.

At the same time, some recreation challenges have emerged that were not fully anticipated a decade ago. Youth soccer faces uncertainty as the Ybor Alvarez fields at the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport are expected to close due to Federal Aviation Administration aeronautical use requirements, with no alternative site currently approved.

City officials say population growth, shifting demographics, aging facilities and evolving recreation trends make an updated plan necessary to reassess priorities.

Kimley-Horn, an approved consultant under the city’s CCNA professional services list, proposes a two-phase process designed to gather public input and produce an implementable action plan.

Phase 1 is a "needs and priorities assessment" that would include:

• Review of guiding documents such as the Comprehensive Development Master Plan and Capital Improvements Program.

• A demographic analysis using U.S. Census data and population projections.

• Evaluation of existing parks and facilities using placemaking and performance criteria.

• Level-of-service benchmarking against peer communities.

• Recreation program assessment, including youth and adult offerings.

• Public engagement, including stakeholder interviews, focus groups and one in-person community meeting.

• A statistically valid survey targeting 400 responses at a 95% confidence level with a ±5% margin of error.

Phase 1 would culminate in a "Needs and Priorities Assessment" report and presentation.

Phase 2 is a "Vision and Action Plan" that would focus on:

• Developing a long-range vision plan.

• Identifying potential parkland acquisition areas.

• Preparing order-of-magnitude cost estimates for proposed capital projects.

• Creating a 10-year action plan with short-, mid- and long-term priorities.

• Recommending funding strategies and level-of-service standards.

• Evaluating operations and maintenance practices Exhibit A .

The final deliverable would include a digital master plan report, printed copies and formal presentations to the Parks and Recreation Leadership Team and City Commission.

Funds for Phase 1 are already budgeted in the Parks Professional Services account for FY 2025-26 in the amount of $100,000. Phase 2 funding of $85,000 would be budgeted in FY 2026-27, contingent on commission approval during that cycle.

The resolution authorizes the city manager and clerk to execute related documents upon adoption.

The proposed update comes as the city faces competing capital priorities, including waterfront development, stormwater infrastructure, renovation of the historic downtown and recreation facility demands. The 2015 master plan provided a framework that shaped projects over the past decade, but city staff commends that conditions have materially changed.

Demographic shifts, increased use of parks during and after the COVID pandemic, rising land costs and facility maintenance needs are expected to factor into the new analysis.

Here's a report card on the 2015 Master Plan - what was accomplished and what was left to be done: