FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – Fernandina Beach commissioners were back in session on Tuesday night — their first meeting since approving a plan for paid parking downtown.
The commission approved a contract with One Parking to manage the city’s downtown parking system, though the agreement won’t take effect until after a public vote. If voters reject the paid parking measure, the contract will be void.
The plan would allow One Parking to operate the parking system using the city’s logo, a detail that has drawn criticism from some residents who oppose giving control of downtown assets to a third-party company.
Last month, city commissioners rejected an ordinance that aimed to ban the parking fees, even though it was brought to them through a petition signed by more than 1,700 locals.
The ordinance’s rejection meant the paid parking plan would move forward, and the Paid Parking Political Committee Ordinance would be placed on the 2026 General Election ballot.
During the meeting, Vice Mayor Darron Ayscue questioned the logic of approving a contract before securing voter approval. “Why are we continuing to shove this down their throat when we have every last bit of ability to find out before we get into a contract,” Ayscue said.
But many residents, especially business owners, are still upset about the decision and voiced those frustrations at Tuesday’s meeting.
Some say they’d rather see the paid parking plan scrapped for good instead of on the ballot next year.
“Downtown is ran by locals and employees who are also local to the county, and that’s how we’re making the money. That’s how Amelia Island is making money, is from the locals who work here, and having paid parking is something that is absolutely not acceptable,” Elise Hansen and Leanne Sellers, who work at Salty Local, said. “And nobody is going to just come downtown for a coffee that’s a local and pay to park. We’re so used to just stopping by and running into our favorite stores. And I don’t want to pay to have to work.”
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The plan to bring paid parking downtown was introduced earlier this year.
In April, News4JAX reported the initial proposal would be to charge for “premier” parking spots bordered by Ash and Alachua streets, from Front Street east to Eighth Street.
City leaders argue paid parking could bring in about $2 million a year — money they say would help fund major projects.
But many business owners along this strip have been pushing back against the proposal for months, saying it’ll take away the city’s charm.
“I am very against it. I think it’s a very bad idea,” Kimberly Aspinwall, owner of Amelia Linen and Wood, said. “For one, this is a very quaint small town that is extremely welcoming to everybody that comes here, and it is why everyone falls in love with it. And it’s going to take away that intimate charm that we have in our town.”
The issue will now go before voters in next year’s election, where residents will make the final decision on whether to implement paid parking in their beach community.