FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – Fernandina Beach city commissioners will meet Tuesday to discuss what’s next in a lawsuit over a controversial paid parking plan.
In late October, residents filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing that paid parking shouldn’t be enforced unless voters get a say.
The lawsuit came a little more than a week after 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. Since the ordinance didn’t pass, the paid parking plan will move forward with the company “One Parking.”
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Business owners and residents fought hard — from protests to petitions, a lawsuit, and even signs like this in storefronts — to get paid parking on next year’s ballot.
The plan won’t take effect until after a public vote next August, but some say even then, it could hurt local businesses.
“First of all, we don’t need paid parking. They’re going to push people out from downtown like the people who work in those restaurants and stuff,” Fernandina Beach resident Marian Phillips said.
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For weeks, most residents and business owners have rallied against the proposal, with some saying that putting it on the ballot is not enough and that they want the plan scrapped entirely.
“Nobody wants paid parking. I have not met anybody that wants it except for the commission,” Pam Clark, who lives in Fernandina Beach, said.
The plan was introduced earlier this year to charge for “premier” spots in downtown Fernandina Beach — around Ash and Alachua Streets, from Front Street to Eighth Street.
City leaders argue paid parking could bring in about $2 million a year, money they say would help fund major projects, such as:
- A new seawall —estimated at $20 to $25 million
- Demolishing Brett’s Waterway Café and reconnecting docks — $5 to $7 million
- Rebuilding aging downtown infrastructure — $10 to $15 million
Commissioners are also expected to change the municipal code Tuesday to allow paid parking, but voters will have the final say next year.
The meeting begins with a private session at 4 p.m. at City Hall, where commissioners will discuss the lawsuit for about an hour.
After that, the meeting opens to the public.