Nassau County Planning and Zoning Board packed the house Tuesday evening to hear several hours worth of concerns from the community over plans for a luxury RV campground on Sadler Road.
The application up for discussion, with the intent to receive approval to move forward to the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, was the final development plan for the Breakers Travel Trailer Park and Campground, aka Breakers RV Resort.
Presenting the plan to the board were representatives from Intact Construction Management Group LLC, owner, and Gillette & Associates, Inc., agent. Maps were placed on large video screens to show the layout of the one and a half acre project, 17 sites averaging a four-night stay and traffic flow patterns in and out of the campground.
The property, located on the southwest corner of Sadler and Ryan roads, was rezoned in February 2022 from single family to Commercial General, or CG. Travel trailer parks and campgrounds were a permitted use in CG.
Owner of the property, Ben Buchanan, is a lifetime resident of Fernandina Beach and president of Intact Construction Management Group, LLC, a local homebuilding company. Buchanan took an oath to tell the truth and presented a summary of the project.
“The most pressing objections that have been made known in various community forums are the intended use and/or utility service, traffic and natural canopy,” began Buchanan.
“The intent was to develop seven duplex townhomes on the property. Across seven months of design and development with the support of the Fernandina Beach city commissioners, the property was purchased. At a Sept. 7 city commission meeting, the city shut down plans to annex the property for commercial use due to removal of less than 180 inches from 900 inches of old growth hardwoods. We were forced to pull annexation and pursue our options with the county.”
“Realizing we would need more water and sewer capacity, we continued to work with the city about expanding the existing service to the property. This property is located in unincorporated Nassau and has an existing, active city water and sewer account in the name of my company,” said Buchanan.
“The city refused to expand the existing service so the state Health Department granted permission to service the development of this property and supply it with well and septic,” said Buchanan.
The first grumblings of the evening from the full house of community members came when Buchanan said, “We’ve agreed not to use the word campground as it comes with a negative connotation so we're calling it the Breakers RV resort.”
As Buchanan continued to discuss traffic patterns for the new resort, the room again became verbally loud and Chair Morris banged her gavel and told the crowd, “Ladies and gentleman, I will not mind clearing the commission chambers if you do not adhere to the requested decorum.”
This was the first of many times that the room was threatened with dismissal because of vocal outbursts on topics that were disagreeable.
When the board opened the floor for public discussion, a stream of community members and residents who live in adjoining neighborhoods came to the podium to be sworn in for the opportunity to voice their concerns in three minutes each.
Bill Leonardi said, “I am opposed to this development, mainly because the traffic survey does not take into account the hazard of a 40-foot long motorhome stopping to try and get into this development and backing up traffic on eastbound lanes between Will Hardee and Fletcher Avenue. It’s very dangerous.”
“There is a school bus stop between Ryan Road and the planned entrance to the RV park. Has any consideration been given to the risk of children being injured due to blind corners and congestion around the entrance?” said a statement from Michael Zagrodny.
“What’s going to happen when the RV’s hit the traffic circle because they want to see the beach one more time before they go home?” asked Cindy Marshall via a Zoom call.
Jane Carrey said, “This is Amelia Island, folks. This is an environmentally sensitive area. The statements they’ve been making are, like, shady.”
Over an hour and a half later and at the conclusion of open public discussion, Chairperson Morris opened up the next discussion on part of the board.
Board member Elizabeth Huben began by saying, “This project does not have a septic permit agreement yet nor a water permit agreement yet from the State Department of Health. The county is spending $5 million on getting American Beach off of septic because it’s leaching everywhere and contaminating water services. At a minimum, should we not at least postpone any decision to see if this is going to take place?”
“State law prohibits the county from holding up a development order based on the need for state permits. We may not ask for those,” stated Denise May, Nassau County attorney.
Vice Chair Joe Zimmerman said, “Based on the testimony that I have heard, I believe that there is a public safety issue that exists and I will not be supporting this tonight.”
Zimmerman made a motion to recommend there is not competent and substantial evidence of the land development code to approve the project.
As the cheers from those who had been standing in the hallway the entire evening because of overcrowding subsided, the vote was recorded with a unanimous decision of 8-0 not to approve the final development plan for the campground.
The recommendation from the Planning and Development Board will continue to the Nassau
County Board of County Commissioners for final steps.