Atlantic Beach Commission denies proposal to supply fire-suppression water for 500 Atlantic development

The Atlantic Beach City Commission voted to deny resolution 26-48 on April 13, rejecting a proposed interlocal agreement that would have allowed the city to execute an agreement with Neptune Beach and TBR Neptune Owner LLC to provide potable water for fire-suppression at the 500 Atlantic development.

The denial followed more than an hour of public comment and commissioner discussion. Residents urged the commission to reject the measure, arguing it offered little direct benefit to Atlantic Beach and could create lasting maintenance obligations. “There is little to no benefit to the citizens of Atlantic Beach,” said Nancy Stotts, a resident who urged commissioners to vote no and listed concerns that included perpetual maintenance responsibility and the risk of reduced local water pressure during simultaneous incidents.

Several other commenters echoed that position. Attorney Carolyn Zisser told the commission she had filed a written objection and said the proposed agreement primarily aided the developer: “This is not about the specific terms — it’s a policy issue,” Zisser said, and asked the commission to vote no. Dr. Peter Stotts and Jackie Beckenbach also urged rejection, arguing that alternative engineering solutions — such as a new tank behind Publix or tapping existing infrastructure — were available and that Atlantic Beach should not take on another city’s infrastructure problem.

City Manager Hogancamp recommended caution and noted that Atlantic Beach had not received a fully executed request from Neptune Beach; he told the commission he would recommend withdrawing or voting against the resolution until Neptune Beach had formally approved its side of an agreement. Attorney for the developer, Steve Dibenow, asked for more time to answer community concerns and requested at least one more commission cycle to provide additional information.

Mayor Ford framed the decision as a protection of Atlantic Beach’s interests, saying the owners of the Kmart site could pursue alternatives and that Atlantic Beach is “not Neptune Beach.” “I support any reasonable redevelopment of 500 Atlantic,” the mayor said, “but I am the mayor of the City of Atlantic Beach, not Neptune Beach,” and announced he would vote no. Commissioner Bold moved to deny resolution 26-48, Commissioner Ring seconded, and the motion carried; the resolution was denied.

The commission’s stated reasons for denial included the absence of a ratified request from Neptune Beach, unanswered questions about long-term maintenance responsibility, concerns about potential impacts on local water pressure and public safety if multiple suppression events occurred, and resident opposition dating to 2023. Commissioners also noted that the developer’s counsel previously acknowledged other feasible options within Neptune Beach.

Next steps: commissioners said the item could be reconsidered in the future only if the proposal were substantially revised; legal counsel noted that a denied item generally cannot be brought back for one year unless it is materially changed. The meeting record shows the denial concluded the commission’s consideration of resolution 26-48 during this session.