11/9/23 @ 4:00 p.m. - On Saturday, November 4, 2023, the County hosted a community meeting to discuss the potential use of the Evans' Rendezvous, a historical structure that served as a restaurant and entertainment venue in the American Beach Community. Several dozen residents were in attendance and shared ideas on what they envision for the site's future. 

The site was acquired by the County through a Florida Community Trust Grant in 2004 and consists of the lot containing the Evans's Rendezvous structure, two lots to the south, and three lots across the street. At this time, the County is working with a consultant to explore options for future use.

According to Principal Adrienne Burke of Community Planning Collaborative, planning efforts will include a focus on preservation, protection of the nearby dunes and vegetation, and rehabilitation of the structure, all while maintaining the unique and historic character of the community. 
 
A copy of Ms. Burke's presentation can be found here on the Planning Department's webpage. If you were unable to attend the presentation but have questions, please reach out to Planning Director, Elizabeth Backe, at (904) 530-6320 or via email at ebacke@nassaucountyfl.com. 

The next community meeting will take place on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. a the American Beach Community Center. Everyone is invited to attend.

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

10/20/23 @ 8:45 a.m. - 

• The County seeks input from the community regarding the future use of Evans’ Rendezvous.   This site was a historical entertainment venue and restaurant located within the American Beach community on Amelia Island.  This venue impacted the American Beach community in the 1940’s and 1950’s, providing a rich history for travel and tourism.  Jazz greats such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Louie Armstrong, and more performed at Evans’ Rendezvous during the mid-1900’s.
  


• Investigations have been occurring to establish the current fitness of the structure.  Consultant partners will be working with County Planning staff to engage with the greater Nassau County community on the history of the structure, current investigations, and future plans for the community to have access to and use the structure.

Please join us on Saturday, November 4, 2023 from 11:00-1:00 p.m. at the American Beach Community Center to hear from the consultant and to share ideas about the future of structure. 

Future meetings will also be held on December 2, 2023 and January 27, 2024 so please save the dates! 

If you have any questions, please contact the Planning Department at (904) 530-5320.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

9/28/23 @ 9:30 a.m.

In June 2023, the Board of County Commissioners approved Ordinance No. 2023-013 amending Section 3.04 of the Land Development Code that established the Planning & Zoning Board (PZB). This update reduced the amount of at-large members on the PZB from five to one. The existing at-large member appointments will expire on December 31, 2023. 

At this time, the Board is seeking a volunteer to fill the single at-large position for a 3-year term beginning January 1, 2024.

The Planning & Zoning Board reviews all requests for rezoning of property, zoning amendments, Comprehensive Plan text amendments, Land Use Map amendments, and amendments to Ordinances that affect the use and development of land. The Board submits written recommendations on these matters and submits them to the Board of County Commissioners for a final determination. The Board also hears appeals where it is alleged that there is an error in a decision made by the Planning Director or staff, as it relates to Zoning Codes or the Comprehensive Plan. The Board also comments on preliminary site plans and serves as the Local Planning Agency for Nassau County.

Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of the month beginning at 6:00 p.m. Members serve three (3) year terms and are required to file a financial disclosure. Board members are provided a stipend of $75 per meeting and are reimbursed for mileage at rates set by the Federal General Services Administration.

If you are interested in serving on the Planning & Zoning Board as an at-large member, please e-mail your resume to contact@nassaucountyfl.com before the close of business on Friday, November 10, 2023. To be considered, you must be a full-time Nassau County resident as verified by a valid homestead exemption which must be maintained throughout your term.

If you have any questions about the Planning & Zoning Board, please call the Planning Department at (904) 530-6320.

-Sabrina Robertson 
​ Public Information Officer

9/11/23 4:15 p.m. - On Monday, September 11, 2023, the Town of Callahan and Board of County Commissioners held a ceremony in celebration of the Town's water and sewer expansion project to the Crawford Diamond area which upon completion, could pave the way for industrial development and thousands of high-wage jobs. 

In the rail industry, a diamond intersection is where two rail lines intersect. Diamond intersections are rare on the eastern shore board and the only diamond intersection in the State of Florida is here in Nassau County, in the area historically known as Crawford Florida. This unique diamond intersection is what led to the industrial designation and non-residential use of the surrounding lands. 

Over the past decades, there has been substantial investment into the Crawford Diamond area to develop the roadways and invest in alterative energy sources. The area has also been identified as a prime spot for economic development due to its close proximity to several major highways and the access to two major rail lines. However attracting businesses to the area has been slowed due to the need for water and sewer capacity. To resolve the issue, the Town of Callahan agreed to expand their existing water and sewer services to the Crawford Diamond area. 

The Town took the initiative to seek funding sources and was successful in obtaining $11.4 million in grants from the Florida Department of Commerce, coupled with a $4.5 million investment from the Board of County Commissioners to make this project a reality. Today, we celebrated a major milestone toward reaching that needed capacity and truly activating the area as a job center for the County. 

FPL's Director of External Affairs Jim Bush, stated, "I want to begin by congratulating the Town of Callahan and Nassau County for all the work you've done to make today a reality. It takes tremendous vision and commitment to make days like today possible. These infrastructure improvements are incredibly important, not just for economic development but for the entire community. Our economic development team plays a key role in building communities by promoting sites like the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park, and by sharing the advantages the region has to offer, we can attract companies and high-wage, high-skilled jobs. I'm excited to be here today to see the great progress made and I can't wait to welcome the first tenant at this industrial site."

The Town's Public Works Director Mike Williams spoke briefly and thanked the State Legislature and the County for helping the Town get to this point. He introduced the individuals/entities that are currently working on the project and provided a progress update. At the end of his speech, he added, "One small step for Callahan, one giant leap for Nassau County economic prosperity." 

Executive Director for the Nassau County Economic Development, Sherri Mitchell, also spoke stating, "This long-awaited water plant is a critical piece of infrastructure needed so that when one of these industries with the ability to bring these high-wage jobs comes forth, we will be prepared." 

Lastly, Aaron Bowman, Senior Vice President of Business Development for JaxUSA spoke, stating, "JaxUSA represents seven northeast counties of Florida and our job is to bring and expand companies here. Once a company makes a decision to come someplace, they're ready to get started and that's what's held this area back for so many years. We couldn't give them (the companies) a defined path of when the utilities could be here. That has changed and so, we've got a lot of companies in the que that are ready and are going to be interested in this property. Manufacturing brings great jobs and for every one manufacturing job, it makes about 3 total jobs." 

Thank you to everyone who attended today's event. We trust that you found it informative and left with a better understanding of how the Crawford Diamond area benefits Nassau County's economy. 

If you were unable to attend but would like to see the presentations from today's ceremony, please click here. 

Note: the development around the Crawford Diamond includes the approximately 1,800 acre Crawford Diamond Industrial Park which currently has about 400 acres available for development and approximately 187 acres of property south of Crawford Road. For additional information about Crawford Diamond industrial development opportunities, please contact the Nassau County Economic Development Board at (904) 225-8878 or visit their website at www.nassauflorida.com. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
 
ELECTED OFFICIALS SITE TOUR AND PROGRESS UPDATE FOR THE CALLAHAN WATER & SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT
 
Nassau County, Florida, September 4, 2023 – On Monday, September 11, 2023, the Town of Council of Callahan will host a site tour for the Board of County Commissioners and provide a progress update on the Town’s water and sewer expansion project which will provide utilities to the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park and the surrounding area.
 
The Crawford Diamond Industrial Park is a McCallum Sweeney Certified Industrial Park consisting of 1,814 acres and approved for up to 10.5 million square feet of industrial use. It’s proximity to three ports, two interstates, and two railroad lines makes it a prime location to drive economic development with the opportunity to bring thousands of jobs to Nassau County. However, attracting companies has been difficult due to the lack of water and sewer services at the site.
 
To resolve this issue, the Nassau County Prosperity Plan provided $4.5 million of funding for an industrial water plant to support the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park.  The funding provided a match for the anticipated $11.4 million State DEO Jobs Grants award to the Town of Callahan to construct a 3 million gallons per day (mgd) water plant to support job creating industrial development.  This combined collaboration makes the $15.9 million project attainable.  With the utility portion in process, a coalition consisting of the Board of County Commissioners, the Nassau County Economic Development Board, JaxUSA, Florida Power and Light and the Town of Callahan are collaborating to market the site to potential developments.
 
Work commenced on the water and sewer expansion project in 2021 with the design/build project awarded to TB Landmark (contractor) and Mittauer & Associates (Design Engineers).   To date, approximately 3.6 miles of line along Highway 301 to the site have been installed.  The electrical control building, high service water pumps and three wells are in the works with completion expected by mid-2024.
 
“The success of any entity, be it a family, church, business, or country, starts with a strong foundation. For the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park, a big part of that foundation is the water and wastewater system. The Town of Callahan looks forward to serving the businesses that come and build upon this foundation”, stated Randy Knagge, Mayor for the Town of Callahan.
 
On September 11, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., representatives from the Town of Callahan will host a brief site tour for the Board of County Commissioners and provide an update on the project, including anticipated timeline for completion. The event will take place at the Crawford Diamond at the entrance leading into the Industrial Park off Woods Lane. The public is welcome to attend the project update. The site tour will be limited to The Callahan Town Council, Board of County Commissioners and previously identified staff.   
 
Should you have any questions, please reach out to Shawna Gugliuzza, Town Clerk, at (904) 879-3801 extension 203, or via email at clerk@townofcallahan-FL.gov.
 
 
 

5/12/23 @ 10:00 a.m. -

As a voluntary participant in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS), residents in the unincorporated areas of the County enjoy a reduction in the cost of their flood insurance policy premium. This is accomplished through the County's efforts to undertake floodplain activities that exceed minimum FEMA/NFIP floodplain standards such as retrofit of facilities, drainage improvements, public outreach events, and community messaging that earn the County "credits" to improve its CRS ranking

Participation in the CRS program also provides credit to the county for submitting the five-year Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) and its annual update. The LMS is produced by the Nassau County Emergency Operations Center and is required by the Florida Division of Emergency Management for the purpose of assessing potential hazards that threaten the County and identifying cost-effective actions that will reduce or eliminate the impacts of these hazards. Mitigation proposals are prioritized and the entities responsible for implementing the action are identified, as are sources of potential funding. 

Presented here today, is the required publication of the Annual Progress Report of Nassau County’s Local Mitigation Strategy for CRS credit which outlines the progress toward completing the County’s various flood-related mitigation strategies.
 
If you have any questions, please reach out to CRS Coordinator, Naomi Braff, at (904) 530-6250 or via email at nbraff@nassaucountyfl.com. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

3/10/23 @ 9:00 a.m.

It's Flood Awareness Week in Nassau County, Florida. Each day, we will share a tip on protecting yourself and your property from flood damage.

DAY FIVE: BUILD RESPONSIBLY
Build responsibly. Avoid building in floodplains. Before you build, find out what the regulations are and what permits are required. Be aware of substantial improvement rules, which are there to correct structures built before regulations and flood mapping. These apply when a structure is below a known base flood elevation plus freeboard.

​For more information, visit https://library.municode.com/fl/nassau_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORNACOFL_CH10_1-2FLMA

3/9/23 @ 9:00 a.m.

It's Flood Awareness Week in Nassau County, Florida. Each day, we will share a tip on protecting yourself and your property from flood damage.

DAY FOUR: PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY
Protect your property from flood hazards. Insurance is your first level of protection. Other methods include installing flood vents where appropriate or raising electrical system components. For more information on how to protect your property, visit: https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/know-your-risk/homeowners-renters  

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer