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Surf Restaurant property proposed as 13-home redevelopment
FERNANDINA BEACH — An Amelia Island beachside landmark could give way to residential development under a concept plan headed to the city's Technical Review Committee this Thursday.
The proposal submitted to the City of Fernandina Beach calls for redeveloping the 1.86-acre property occupied by The Surf Restaurant, Bar & Motel at 3199 S. Fletcher Ave. into 13 single-family home sites.
The application, submitted last week by builder Todd Bates under the project name "The Surf Residential," identifies the current use as a restaurant/cafe and the proposed future use as residential. The property is zoned R-3 and carries a High Density Residential future land-use designation.
The application describes the project as simply: "This project will consist of building 13 home sites." Access would be from First Avenue, according to the filing.
The proposal would represent a dramatic change for a South Fletcher Avenue property that has been part of Amelia Island's beach culture for nearly seven decades.
The Surf dates to 1957 and has served generations of local residents and visitors. Its restaurant, bar and motel sit just across South Fletcher Avenue from the Atlantic Ocean.
The following was posted on its Facebook page on August 12:
We would like to thank our dedicated employees and loyal customers for their support over the years. Unfortunately, The Surf Restaurant & Bar will close its doors for good this September 20th. This is not a decision that was made lightly; we are aware of the local significance of and the many great memories that have been made at The Surf. However, The Surf has not been able to overcome heavy competition, soft consumer spending, cost inflation and its own performance. Thank you again for your support.
The complex underwent a significant renovation in 2018. At the time, portions of the aging restaurant were demolished and reconstructed during a project that revamped the restaurant and added a more beach-oriented cafe and ice cream area.
Now, the entire site is being contemplated for a very different future.
The initial plan submitted to the city shows 13 residential lots arranged in two rows, with six lots on the north side of the property and seven along the South Fletcher Avenue side. A 20-foot internal access, water and sewer easement would run between the two rows of homes. The plan also depicts a one-way circulation pattern and private pools for the proposed residences.
Most of the proposed lots would be approximately 5,500 square feet, although several lots at the ends of the development would be larger at roughly 6,500 square feet. The plan generally shows building areas ranging from about 1,435 to 1,833 square feet, depending on the lot size.
The concept plan lists a minimum lot width of 50 feet, maximum impervious coverage of 60 percent and a density allowance of 10 units per acre. It identifies the property as R-3 zoning and proposes 13 single-family homes on the 1.86-acre parcel.
The drawing also shows existing water and gravity sewer infrastructure along with proposed new water, sewer and stormwater facilities serving the development. An existing stormwater management facility on the west side of the property would be reconfigured.
The plan is preliminary. The engineer's notes state that it is intended only for conceptual site planning, is subject to change following final design and review under the city's Land Development Code, and is not intended for construction or permitting. The stormwater layout is also conceptual.
The 1.86-acre property is owned by FLANSOUTH LLC. Bates, a local homebuilder and residential developer who has been involved in several Amelia Island-area housing projects, submitted the redevelopment application and is listed as the applicant who will appear before the Technical Review Committee.
The upcoming TRC consideration is a "First Step Review," rather than final development approval.
Under the city's process, First Step reviews allow applicants to meet with representatives of city departments and receive guidance about permissible uses, required improvements, infrastructure, design standards and other local, state or federal requirements that could apply to a project. First Step projects are handled as discussion items before the committee's formal review agenda.
That distinction is significant because the city's application states that replacing one type of use with another constitutes a change of use and may trigger additional review under the city's Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code.
The submitted concept therefore does not mean demolition of The Surf or construction of the homes has been approved. It represents the beginning of the city's development-review process and gives city staff an opportunity to identify issues that would have to be resolved before the project could advance.
For The Surf, however, the application provides the first concrete look at what could eventually replace a South Fletcher Avenue institution that has been serving Amelia Island residents and visitors since 1957.
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PaulaM
Sad.
Wednesday, August 12 Report this
DouglasM
Uh oh........the last time I heard a plan like this was 2008 when Paul from Philly was selling to put condos there. The economy and real estate promptly crashed around August and all that was built were the few condos just south of the Surf......the restaurant conversion to residential plan was shelved (along with a lot of other residential projects in the area). Paul had the best rewards program around with the blue surf card and the joint was very popular back then.
For the rest of us, let's hope the Great Recession jinx doesn't strike again....
Wednesday, August 12 Report this
Mark Tomes
The island needs more housing for the workers who make our lives convenient: construction workers, hospitality and restaurant workers, healthcare workers, etc., but our current profit-minded state and county legislators make it difficult for a community-minded developer to go that route. There is already a small subdivision adjacent to the property, and they did a fairly good job with it, although water flow could be a problem. A critical component of this proposal, like any new development, is trees. We should be thinking of planting many trees right from the outset of the planning process.
Wednesday, August 12 Report this
TonyMiller45
I’ve always thought the Surf was a cool looking place with sorry food. You paid an extra price at home if you were foolish enough to eat anything there. That being said, do we really need 13 more homes on the island? At least there won’t be many tress victimized by developers' profitable “progress.” Surf no more?
Wednesday, August 12 Report this
Mark Tomes
A friend forwarded to me an announcement from the Surf that they were closing next month. The announcement listed all kinds of reasons except for one that might or might not be true: a substantial offer to sell the property and retire from the restaurant business.
Thursday, August 13 Report this
Rosied
So very sad that Surf will no longer be there The staff have always been great and we have had many Mahjonggames played there Thank you to all the staff
Tuesday, September 8 Report this