Veterans memorial, boat ramp safety dominate Fernandina Waterfront Park workshop

FERNANDINA BEACH — What city planners envision as the next phase of the Amelia River Waterfront Park, many boaters see as a rare opportunity to fix longstanding safety problems at Fernandina Beach's downtown boat ramp.

The proposed expansion would convert the former Atlantic Seafood site adjacent to the city-owned boat ramp into a public space featuring a commemorative plaza, event lawn, seating areas, civic flagpoles, landscaping and a waterfront pergola with swings overlooking the marina.

Project Coordinator Jacob Platt said the city has been discussing the idea with local veterans organizations and has received positive feedback about moving the monument from what he described as an "awkward parking lot roundabout area" to a location where military service members could be honored in a more dignified setting.

"The concept of moving the existing monument from its place where it is now in the parking lot at the base of Centre Street to this site is one that, at least with the elements of the plan that are known, all the veterans groups support," McPherson said.

"We've got folks that want to keep it where it's at. We've had ideas of taking it down to Central Park. We've had ideas of moving it to where it's at. We've had ideas of moving it a little bit further inland," Davis said. "There has been no consensus as far as we're concerned."

Marianne Phillips, daughter of a commercial shrimper, urged the city to include recognition of the community's fishing history and the men who never returned from the sea.

The concept also includes civic flagpoles and could accommodate additional military memorial elements, including a Blue Star or Gold Star marker. Beverly Williams, president of the Bartram Garden Club, told attendees her organization is exploring sponsorship opportunities for a marker honoring military service members and Gold Star families.

Several boaters argued the former Atlantic Seafood parcel presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address safety issues that have existed for decades at the launch facility.

Charter captain Allen Mills echoed those concerns, describing the waterfront as a working marine long before it became a tourist destination.

City officials acknowledged the concerns and said modifications are already being considered. Staff said future revisions could include additional staging space, improved turning radiuses, pedestrian safety enhancements and redesigned walkways that would direct visitors away from active boat-launch operations.

"This is a space right here at the edge of a working waterfront," Glisson said. "It's going to take some collaboration and compromise to get something in there that works for all of us."