I have a plea to our community: Our historic, downtown is the heart of Fernandina Beach. I’ve lived here 35 years, and seen neighbors gather at the farmers market, musicians play for free to benefit a local cause, and visitors fall in love with the charm of this town – something we already know. While the historic district may be the heart of Fernandina; that heart is breaking.
City Commissioners voted 4-1 to move forward with paid parking downtown. On paper, the idea promises nearly $2 million in new revenue. In reality, the track record from nearby Florida cities tells a very different story.
In Neptune Beach, their Police Chief called the system “dysfunctional”, pointing to nearly $500,000 in unpaid tickets in just three years. In another pilot program, revenues were in the tens of thousands — not the millions promised. And Jax Beach’s paid parking had errors that fined drivers even after they had paid. These are not success stories; they are cautionary tales.
Now, as we face the off-season, after a slower than usual summer, downtown businesses are being forced to face changes. For some, this change could be the difference between making payroll or shuttering forever. Employees of these businesses, our local artists, our regular customers, our Nassau County neighbors, and some amazing musicians are the very people who keep our district vibrant, yet they are being asked to shoulder parking fees – just to show up!
That’s why I am asking you, my neighbor – our community – to act now:
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-Shop, dine, and support our small businesses BEFORE paid parking begins.
-Keep signing the petitions!
-Write polite, firm letters to “One Parking”, urging them to walk away
from a plan that may very well end up in litigation.
-And especially, let us NOT reward those who profit while their neighbors
suffer. Let your wallet show where you stand.
You know what businesses to avoid and if you are capable of walking an extra block to take up parking in front of that business – I can only urge you to do so.
Our story isn’t written yet. We can choose to protect our historic district, rather than letting this cash grab divide us. Let’s fill our local businesses with laughter, music, and spirit of community – not apps, fees and more mistakes!
Yes, I have a plea to our community: Downtown belongs to “we the people” – please, let’s make sure it survives.