Magistrate finds Baptist Health property in violation for billboard in William Burgess overlay; gives until Dec. 3 to remove or face $250 daily fine

A Nassau County special magistrate found on Aug. 12, 2025, that the property at 462600 State Road 200 in Yulee, owned on record by Baptist Health Properties Inc., violates Nassau County sign rules by maintaining a billboard in the William Burgess overlay district and set a compliance date of Dec. 3, 2025, with a $250-per-day fine to begin Dec. 4 if the sign is not removed. A fine-assessment hearing was scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026.

The finding followed presentations from county code enforcement and the planning department and testimony by representatives for the property owner and Lamar Advertising. Officer Marjie Camacho of Nassau County Code Enforcement testified that the county received a planning department notification on March 31, 2025, and issued a notice of violation on April 3, 2025. "I issued a notice of violation which required compliance no later than April 2025," Camacho said, and she reported subsequent reinspections on May 12, July 23, Aug. 5 and Aug. 11 that showed the property remained in violation.

Elizabeth Back, planning director, told the magistrate that billboard signage is prohibited in the William Burgess overlay and that the property’s repair/replacement quotes did not meet the overlay’s 50% threshold for allowed repairs. "The billboard sign is located within the William Burgess District overlay. And, billboard signage is not permitted," Back said.

Representatives for Baptist Health said the hospital system purchased the land in 2018 and that an existing lease placed the billboard on the parcel before Baptist’s ownership. Dr. Parker Bergants, who identified himself as representing Baptist Health’s emergency department service line, and Brian Graham, director of property management for Baptist Health, said Baptist does not own the sign hardware and has been urging the sign owner to remove it. Peyton Carter, representing Lamar Advertising, said the company pulled a demolition permit in June but that contractor scheduling problems delayed removal and apologized for the delay: "We're pushing as strong as we can and get it done as quickly as possible."

County staff confirmed a demolition permit was pulled on June 3, 2025. The county sought a Dec. 3 compliance date to allow the full six-month period tied to that permit; the magistrate adopted that date and the daily fine and set the Jan. 13, 2026, fine-assessment hearing. The magistrate said a written order consistent with the pronouncement would be issued in the coming days.

The magistrate’s order finds a violation of the Nassau County Code of Ordinances sections cited by staff and imposes the compliance date, daily fine and hearing date; it does not on its face transfer ownership of the sign or alter any private lease rights between the sign owner and landowner. The county will proceed to the fine-assessment hearing on Jan. 13, 2026, if the sign is not removed by Dec. 3.