Fernandina Beach Downtown Parking Lot Could Become Nine Three-Story Townhomes
FERNANDINA BEACH — A proposal to build nine three-story townhomes on a waterfront parcel now used for parking returns to the Historic District Council on Thursday after being postponed in September.
An earlier review by the HDC was postponed because the developer had not submitted enough architectural detail.
City planning staff is recommending conceptual approval of the development at 101 Alachua St., on the corner of North Front Street, across from the Amelia River.
The proposed residences would occupy a 0.62-acre parcel currently used as a temporary parking lot. The property is owned by Downtown Crab LLC, which purchased it for $2 million in July 2020, according to Nassau County property records included in the HDC application.
Architect Mark Akins of Rice Architects is representing the developer.
The revised plans show nine townhomes in a row of attached three-story structures facing Front Street and the river. The buildings would feature brick-style exteriors, large windows, balconies and decorative rooflines, with two-car garages accessed from a driveway behind the residences.
The October drawings identify four building sections, although the city's staff report describes three distinct buildings. The developer's earlier September application also proposed three building masses.
The revised architectural renderings show a substantially different design from the initial concept submitted in September.
City planners determined that the proposed buildings would be compatible with the surrounding historic waterfront area, including the Standard Marine Building and the Crab Trap restaurant building.
The proposed height is approximately 36 feet above the base flood elevation, below the 45-foot maximum permitted under the Community Redevelopment Area design guidelines for this location.
The plans also meet requirements for upper-story setbacks, according to the staff report.
The property is zoned C-3, which permits multifamily residential development and does not require off-street parking. Nevertheless, each townhome would have a two-car garage, providing 18 residential parking spaces.
The existing parking lot would disappear if the development proceeds. The application does not identify how many vehicles currently park on the property or whether the spaces are available for public use.
The county property appraiser lists the property's 2026 market value at approximately $2.42 million.
The project faces several additional city reviews before construction could begin.
A Technical Review Committee report on June 11 identified requirements involving emergency vehicle access, railroad proximity, stormwater drainage, utilities and shared infrastructure.
Because the development is within 25 feet of railroad tracks, the city instructed the applicant to coordinate with the railroad.
The fire marshal also requires a turnaround area for emergency vehicles because the development extends more than 150 feet from a public right of way. Interior fire suppression systems would be required.
The city also identified the need for a shared dumpster, bicycle rack, mail kiosk, utility easement and landscaping.
The Technical Review Committee report says building permits cannot be issued until the underlying lots of record are reestablished and shared infrastructure has been approved and constructed.
Although city staff recommends conceptual approval, the developer has not submitted final specifications for exterior building materials, windows, doors, shutters or foundations.
The staff report says the renderings appear to show brick or brick veneer and metal, materials planners consider appropriate for the downtown waterfront.
The developer must also identify the location of mechanical equipment and provide more detailed architectural specifications before seeking final approval.
City planners concluded that the proposal substantially complies with the city's Downtown Historic District Design Guidelines, Community Redevelopment Area Design Guidelines and Land Development Code.
The council's Thursday review is limited to conceptual approval, which allows the developer to receive feedback before submitting final plans.
Even if the council grants conceptual approval, the developer must return for final Historic District Council review and complete the city's formal technical review process before obtaining building permits.
The application does not include an estimated construction cost, proposed selling prices or a construction timetable.
The Historic District Council meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday in City Commission Chambers.
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