1/7/20 @ 4:30 p.m. - Did you know that invasive vines are bad for our environment? Not only do they spread rapidly and overtake native species, they cause structural problems to  trees and prevent the them from getting the proper amount of sunlight.

The Amelia Island Tree Conservancy and the Nassau County Extension Office have coordinated an event to spread awareness on native and non-native vines and their relationship to the tree canopies. Participants will also learn how to manage vines on their property and develop an understanding on who to contact should you need assistance.

The event will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2020 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Song & Story Neighborhood Bookstore Bistro located at 1430 Park Avenue, Fernandina Beach. The event is free and open to the public.

If you have any questions, please contact the County Extension Office at (904) 530-6350.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

1/7/20 @ 1:10 p.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Adrienne Burke
Director, PEO Department
(904) 530-6300
aburke@nassaucountyfl.com
 

 

In 2018, Nassau County submitted a Small Matching grant application to the Florida Division of Historical Resources to complete a Historic Resource Survey for the County. The County received the grant award in July 2019. The project began in Fall 2019 and will be completed by June 30, 2020. 
 
The first goal of the survey project is to update existing Florida Master Site File forms. The Florida Master Site File is the state of Florida’s official inventory of historic and cultural resources. It does not have a regulatory component; it is simply a record of historic sites. Nassau County has many listings already on the Master Site File, that describe a range of historic and cultural resources. Archaeological sites, homes, commercial buildings, churches, barns, chicken houses, syrup sheds, bridges, railroad beds, and cemeteries are just an example of the diversity of historic resources already included on the Master Site File. However, many of these site file listings are thirty or forty years old. It is not known whether many of these sites still exist and an update will help determine what is still in existence.
 
The second portion of the survey project will be to survey areas for new additions to the Florida Master Site File. Areas of unincorporated Nassau County should be included, in addition to possible sites in the incorporated towns of Callahan and Hilliard. Sites for possible survey and inclusion are included but not limited to: underrepresented history sites, cultural landscapes, sites related to agriculture and transportation, and mid-century resources and sites related to early and mid-century tourism. Properties built in 1970 or earlier will be reviewed for the project, as the threshold for historic properties is 50 years.
 
The last part of the project will recommend preservation strategies for the County. These strategies will be utilized to inform planning efforts throughout Nassau County. The County does not currently have a historic preservation program. A baseline survey updating our historic resource information will help in bringing the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code up to date and inform future steps in preservation planning.
 
The County has contracted with Environmental Services Inc./Terracon to complete the survey work. Representatives from ESI/Terracon will be in the field in Nassau County completing field work over the next few months, including documentation of sites. This involves their team members photographing a site and recording information about the site, such as construction and architectural details. Information is shared with the State Division of Historical Resources. Requests for information require approval of the Division of Historical Resources and are granted only to researchers, local government, and others with a
qualified reason for obtaining the information. All work is completed from the right-of-way and does not involve going on private property.
 
General information from the survey will be shared with local historic societies and museums. Education and outreach programs around the survey information will be conducted to generate interest and support for preservation projects in Nassau County. More information is available here.

The Nassau County Planning and Economic Opportunity Department is charged with leading long-range and current planning for the community, with a focus on technical planning, implementation and management of the Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, development and site plan review, and assistance to citizens, the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager and other staff, advisory boards, government agencies, and the private sector regarding growth and development in Nassau County. For more information on our Plan, Code, or current initiatives, visit the Planning Department's website, call (904) 530-6300 or email planning@nassaucountyfl.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Adrienne Burke
Director, PEO Department
(904) 530-6300
aburke@nassaucountyfl.com

Nassau County, Florida, January 2, 2020 -  Nassau County is embarking on a long-range Recreation Master Plan for the entire county, with the goal of completion in Fall 2020. The plan will be evaluating recreation needs in the community as we grow, identify existing and future opportunities, and make recommendations regarding operations and maintenance into the future.
As part of the planning process, the County will be doing a variety of public outreach, including a statistically valid survey, one on one meetings with Commissioners and other officials, and stakeholder meetings with various groups related to recreation in Nassau County.
The public is invited to participate in two open house events to learn more and provide input into the planning process. All are welcome!

January 29, 2020 | 6-7:30PM
Yulee Middle School
85439 Miner Road
Yulee

January 30, 2020 | 6-7:30PM
Fairgrounds Building
543350 US Hwy 1
Callahan

More information is available at: www.nassaucountyfl.com/recplan.
 
The Nassau County Planning and Economic Opportunity Department is charged with leading long-range and current planning for the community, with a focus on technical planning, implementation and management of the Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, development and site plan review, and assistance to citizens, the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager and other staff, advisory boards, government agencies, and the private sector regarding growth and development in Nassau County. For more information on our Plan, Code, or current initiatives, visit www.nassaucountyfl.com/planning, call (904) 530-6300 or email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com.

12/30/19 @ 1:40 p.m. - Emergencies are unpredictable and when they happen, your financial stability can be at risk. Whether its an illness, job loss, home or car repair, your cash flow can be majorly affected if you aren't prepared.

Begin planning an emergency fund so that you have savings to offset the sting of an unexpected financial burden. A good rule of thumb is to put away at least 3 to 6 months worth of expenses to use as a safety net.

Also, don't forget that most standard homeowners insurance policies don't cover flooding. Just a few inches of flooding can lead to loss of thousands of dollars to your home or business. Most policies require a 30 days waiting period before the coverage becomes effective. Begin looking for a policy today to ensure you are covered before a flood risk approaches.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Adrienne Burke
Director, PEO Department
(904) 530-6300
aburke@nassaucountyfl.com
 
NASSAU COUNTY ADOPTS WESTERN NASSAU VISION BOOK
 
Nassau County, Florida, December 18, 2019 – The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has adopted by resolution the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Vision Book. The adoption of the Vision Book is the culmination of a community-driven process to proactively plan for the future of western Nassau County, including all of the County west of I-95.

In response to a Fall 2017 Urban Land Institute report on the impacts of growth on Western Nassau, the Nassau County Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) formed a subcommittee, the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee (WNHPC). Five PZB members who live in Western Nassau served on the WNHPC. The committee was charged with discussing the future of Western Nassau, and to work with the Planning and Economic Opportunity Department to determine how they can best assist in planning efforts. The Committee’s logo “Our Heritage, Our Future” echoes the historic Hilliard Poultry Association signage as a nod to the County’s past.

During the process, Nassau County Department of Planning and Economic Opportunity (PEO) facilitated an extensive public outreach campaign to gather input from residents, property and business owners, and state and local agencies to craft their vision for the future.  On March 26, 2019, after a full year of community engagement, the WNHPC adopted the following mission statement:

The Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee exists because there is a genuine desire on the part of our citizenry to ensure what our name implies--Preservation! We enjoy a rich heritage in Western Nassau County. Through purposeful community engagement, we are driven to gain perspective and insight for inevitable growth. The underlying impetus of our goal is to maintain a high quality of life, preserve rural character, and ensure fiscally sustainable and appropriately controlled development.

The Committee and PEO staff then translated community input into the Vision Book’s goals, objectives, and strategies to be implemented over the planning horizon through 2045. Objectives and strategies relate to community goals including history, natural resources, health, quality of life, recreation, jobs and education, and public spaces and infrastructure. Community partners and other related planning efforts such as Vision 2032 and the County Comprehensive Plan are also included in the Vision Book.
 
The Vision Book was approved by the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee on October 22, 2019. The full County Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval to the BOCC in November 2019. Last month, the County PEO staff received the Outstanding Public Participation award from the First Coast Chapter of the Florida Planning and Zoning Association for efforts related to the Western Nassau Vision Book. The WNHPC and County staff extend many thanks to the numerous citizens who took time to attend meetings and events, or stop to talk to staff during community events. The Vision Book is truly a citizen-led plan and would not have been possible without their time and interest.
 
More information on the work of the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee and the Vision Book can be found at: www.nassaucountyfl.com/westernnassau.
 
The Nassau County Planning and Economic Opportunity Department is charged with leading long-range and current planning for the community, with a focus on technical planning, implementation and management of the Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, development and site plan review, and assistance to citizens, the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager and other staff, advisory boards, government agencies, and the private sector regarding growth and development in Nassau County. For more information on our Plan, Code, or current initiatives, visit www.nassaucountyfl.com/planning, call (904) 530-6300 or email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com.
 
-Adrienne Burke
 Director of Planning & Economic Opportunity
 
 
 

12/09/19 @ 11:45 a.m. - In the fall of 2017, Nassau County invited the Urban Land Institute to conduct a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) regarding potential future growth and development pressures in western Nassau County. The report found that western Nassau County is subject to significant development pressures based a variety of factors including growth through internal and external employment centers and the desirability of quality of life in Nassau County. The ultimate conclusion was that "while development is knocking at Western Nassau's door, there is time to get ahead of the curve and follow a plan that contains development to appropriate areas, while maintaining the rural character in other areas. Doing nothing, however, will assure that development comes without restraint".

In response to this report, the Nassau County Planning & Zoning Board created a subcommittee comprised of Planning Board members who reside in Western Nassau County. They were named the "Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee" (WNHPC). They held their first meeting in March 2018 and began a nearly two year  initiative to develop a vision plan specific to western Nassau.

The first year consisted of solely community outreach events in western Nassau including public meetings, open houses, surveys, one-on-one stake holder meetings, roundtables and attendance at other community events to gauge citizen concerns and to learn what they desire to protect in western Nassau. The community feedback drove the creation of the following goals for the Committee to address: history, natural resources, health, quality of life, recreation, jobs and education, and public spaces and infrastructure. 

During the second year of the initiative, the Committee began working on the objectives and strategies to the community identified goals, creating the Western Nassau Vision Book. The Vision Book was adopted at the Planning & Zoning Board meeting held on October 22, 2019 and will be discussed by the Board of County Commissioners at their meeting tonight, December 9, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. 

At the December 18, 2019 meeting commencing at 9:00 a.m., Planning Director, Adrienne Burke, will provide a presentation regarding the initiative and will ask the Board to approve a Resolution accepting the findings of the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee. 

To view the agenda item for tonight's meeting, including the Vision Book, please click here.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Administrative Manager, County Manager’s Office
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Taco Pope, AICP, Elected to Board of Directors for the Northeast Florida Regional Community Institute
 
Nassau County, Florida, November 8, 2019 –Assistant County Manager, Taco Pope, AICP, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Northeast Florida Regional Community Institute (RCI). The Northeast Florida RCI is a non-profit think-tank aimed at addressing policy issues and challenges faced by the Region. Examples include managing growth, preserving valuable eco-systems, improving economic viability, and maintaining the quality of life in Northeast Florida. The RCI was created to address these challenges as a non-profit policy organization under the Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC).
 
Taco Pope stated, “Many of the challenges facing Nassau County are the same challenges facing our neighbors in the Region. Collaborating with solution-oriented people from across Northeast Florida has the potential to produce outcomes that improve the lives of Nassau County residents. I look forward to the opportunity and I am optimistic that through the shared pursuit of a common good, we can strengthen our communities and improve our quality of life”.

******************************************************************************
For additional information regarding the Northeast Florida Board of Directors, please contact Margo Moehring at (904) 279-0880 ext. 161 or mmoehring@nefrc.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Valerie Feinberg, AICP
Assistant Director, PEO Department
(904) 530-6300
vfeinberg@nassaucountyfl.com
 
WESTERN NASSAU TOWN HALL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2019: VISION BOOK RELEASE
 
Nassau County, Florida, November 1, 2019 - Nassau County will host a Town Hall meeting on November 12th, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Nassau County Multi-Use Facility at the Fairgrounds to present the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Vision Book. On October 1, 2019, after a year and a half of community outreach and engagement, the draft Vision Book was presented to the County Planning and Zoning Board. The Vision Book was approved by the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee during the October 22nd regular meeting. 
 
We are pleased to invite the community to a family-friendly event to celebrate the work of the dedicated citizens of Western Nassau County.  Join us as we reveal the top goals, objective and strategies that emerged from our community planning process.
 
Please join the County on Tuesday, November 12th, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Nassau County Multi-Use Facility at the Fairgrounds located on 543350 US Hwy 1, Callahan, FL 32011. For more information, call (904) 530-6300 or email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com.
 
Our partners will be on hand to highlight programs and services available to the community.  Children can participate in a hands-on craft activity sponsored by Nassau County Extension staff.  Nassau Fire and Rescue will showcase a fire truck and rescue vehicle and distribute Safe Routes to School reflective armbands and other safety materials. Refreshments will be served following a brief welcome and project summary by Nassau County staff.
 
Residents will have an opportunity to speak with representatives from the Department of Health-Nassau Nassau Transit, Micah’s Place, Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council, Nassau County Emergency Management, North Florida Land Trust, and others.
 
Beginning in 2017, the Nassau County Department of Planning and Economic Opportunity (PEO) facilitated an extensive public outreach campaign to gather input from residents, property and business owners, local agencies to craft their vision for the future.  The resulting vision provides guidelines for policy makers as they set priorities and make decisions about the future of Western Nassau.  Information on the work of the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee and the Vision Book can be found at www.nassaucountyfl.com/westernnassau.
 
The Nassau County Planning and Economic Opportunity Department is charged with leading long-range and current planning for the community, with a focus on technical planning, implementation and management of the Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, development and site plan review, and assistance to citizens, the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager and other staff, advisory boards, government agencies, and the private sector regarding growth and development in Nassau County. For more information on our Plan, Code, or current initiatives, visit www.nassaucountyfl.com/planning, call (904) 530-6300 or email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com.
 

 
 
 

The Department of Planning & Economic Opportunity has issued a Press Release regarding a Conditional Use Application filed by JEA for a proposed project in Yulee near Miner Rd. and US 17:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Abigail Weiss
Planner, PEO Department
(904) 530-6300
aweiss@nassaucountyfl.com

COUNTY INFORMATION REGARDING JEA CONDITIONAL USE APPLICATION (CU2019-16)

Nassau County, Florida, October 11, 2019 - The Nassau County Planning + Economic Opportunity (PEO) Department offers the following clarifying information regarding the proposed JEA project in Yulee seeking a conditional use approval.

The parent property (Parcel Number: 42-2N-27-0000-0001-0120) related to the conditional use application (CU2019-16) is a 422 acre tract of land owned by JEA which is located south of SR200, north of Radio Avenue, west of Miner Road and east of US 17. Within this 422 acre property, a land area measuring 6.35 acres is located on the southernmost end of the property, north of the utility corridor running behind (to the north) of the homes fronting on Radio Avenue between Art Wilson Lane and Theresa Road. [See map on page 2.]

On this 6.35 acres, JEA is requesting a conditional use approval in the Open Rural (OR) zoning district pursuant to Land Development Code Sections 28.13(A) and Section 28.14(H) to construct up to two (2) fully enclosed booster pump stations, up to four (4) ground storage tanks, and an area for stormwater management in order to provide reclaimed water and sanitary sewer services to the growing population in Nassau County. All structures and ponds on the project site will be fenced in. View of the facility will be hidden from the public due to a County-required high-density landscaping buffer.

The Conditional Use and Variance Board of Nassau County will hold a public hearing at the Commission Chambers, James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, Florida, 32097 on November 21, 2019 at 6:30pm to consider the application for the conditional use. The meeting is open to the public.

The Nassau County Planning and Economic Opportunity Department is charged with leading long-range and current planning for the community, with a focus on technical planning, implementation and management of the Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, development and site plan review, and assistance to citizens, the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager and other staff, advisory boards, government agencies, and the private sector regarding growth and development in Nassau County. For more information on our Plan, Code, or current initiatives, visit www.nassaucountyfl.com/planning, call (904) 530-6300 or email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com

10/8/19 @ 1:45 p.m. - On Friday, September 27, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners hosted a Ground Breaking Ceremony in celebration of the upcoming construction of Nassau Crossing Park which will be located east of I-95, off of William Burgess Blvd. The park will feature a variety of amenities for people of all ages including multi-use trails, playground equipment, restrooms, picnic areas, multi-purpose fields, and more.

The park is a result of a public-private partnership between the County and developer, Matovina & Company. For additional information regarding this project, please click here.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office