DRC flags building, health, fire and flood requirements for Timberline Glamping proposal at Amelia Island State Park

The Nassau County Development Review Committee reviewed a pre-application Feb. 25 for Timberline Glamping’s plan to place six safari-style tents and one geodesic dome at Amelia Island State Park and provided technical comments on zoning, floodplain, building, health and fire requirements.

The committee’s planning staff noted the site’s zoning and land-use constraints and multiple departments listed requirements the applicant must meet before construction approval. Elizabeth Beck, Planning Department, said the site is zoned OR (Open Rural) with a Recreation (REC) future land-use designation and that “campground” is a permitted use in OR, while RV parks and travel trailers are not. Beck directed the applicant to Article 22 of the land development code and the campground supplemental standards in Section 28.09, and she noted several specific requirements, including a 25-foot upland buffer for jurisdictional wetlands (Section 37.03), a 50% maximum impervious surface ratio for REC parcels, and an Amelia Island resort overlay, tree ordinance and sign regulations that apply to the property.

Planning staff also reminded the applicant that portions of the site are in the special flood hazard area and that properties in the 100-year floodplain require an open-space percentage of 60%.

Applicant Felipe Oliveira identified himself as “a franchisee for Timberline Glamping” and told the committee he has “recently signed a 10 year agreement with the state of Florida to build 6 safari style tents at Amelia Island State Park and 1 geodesic dome there as well.” Olivia’s team said they intend to provide on-site septic and a well; Health Department representative Ronny Nestler said the health department currently regulates septic and well systems but that jurisdiction may shift to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection depending on state action. Nestler asked the applicant to coordinate with the health office and noted testing and permitting requirements for any existing well they intend to use.

Chip (Building Department) and the building department staff raised multiple building-code issues tied to how the tents are constructed. Staff described the planned units as a semi-permanent deck with a tent over it and said that the building code does not treat that configuration as a temporary construction tent subject to the 180-day limit. The department asked for energy calculations, documentation for mechanical and HVAC systems, and formal electrical plans, noting “you can’t run temporary wiring off extension cords” and that bathroom wall surfaces will need to be impervious and ventilated. Building staff also requested written evidence of the vendor’s wind-rating claims for the tent structures; the applicant provided documentation the vendor claims rates up to 120 mph.

Constance Lake, deputy floodplain administrator, reiterated flood-elevation and flood-resistant construction requirements. Lake said the site appears to be on FEMA map panel 389G, in an AE flood hazard zone, and that applicants must meet base flood elevation plus one foot and show flood-hazard information on plans.

Fire department staff (Amanda Bauman) said tents must be made of flame-retardant material, electrical systems must be installed to code (no extension cords), and emergency access must be provided: “A Knox key switch would be required at this time for emergency access, and then fire department access. So minimum 20 foot clear roads stabilized.” Bauman also urged the applicant to document water-supply options, including hydrant provision or acceptable alternate water supplies per the referenced standard (1142), and offered to review approvals from other jurisdictions where the operator has installed similar projects.

Development Services (Caleb Hurst) noted applicable submittal and site-plan procedures in Section 5.07 of the land development code and said the project will likely require full site-plan review with engineering plans. Hurst cited pavement and vehicle-use area standards (ordinance 9 9 17 section 9.90.1) that generally require paving unless low-impact options are approved by review, and he reminded the applicant that sidewalks or pedestrian connections and Article 10 stormwater standards will be reviewed during engineering plan review. Hurst emphasized that “6.2 0.1, DRC approval shall be obtained prior to commencement of construction.”

The committee provided the applicant with a staff list of technical items to include in formal submittals and asked for documentation of tent wind ratings, engineered plans for decks/structures, septic and well permitting dialogs, and water-supply/fire-protection strategies. No formal action or vote was taken; the meeting provided only preliminary recommendations for the applicant to address in later plan submittals.

Next steps: the applicant will submit engineering and building permit materials, along with the requested documentation on tent ratings, electrical design, septic and well approvals, and fire-water provisions. DRC and other county departments will perform comprehensive reviews at the time of formal preliminary/final plan or permit submittal.