Historic district council approves waterfront pavilion and restrooms, requires coquina water table

The Fernandina Beach Historic District Council on Aug. 15 voted to approve final designs for a pavilion and adjacent restrooms at Waterfront Lots C and D, attaching a condition that the restroom water table be constructed of coquina shell tabby.

The board’s approval follows changes staff presented to reduce obstructive handrails and large planters, and to align materials and gable detailing with earlier direction. Interim city manager Jeremiah Glisson said the renderings now reflect staff direction and that the project will proceed to the technical review committee for construction details and compliance checks.

The council discussion emphasized durability and maintenance. Eric Bartel, a member of the CRA advisory board, said public restroom buildings “take tremendous abuse” and urged materials and detailing that will minimize long‑term maintenance; he asked for clarity on whether the restroom would be solid masonry, stucco, or a framed building with a durable finish. Glisson replied the team had incorporated maintenance‑friendly elements from a previous prefabricated plan while avoiding a purely utilitarian look and that plumbing and service access will be consolidated to ease repairs.

Board members and the CRA advisory board pressed for details about handrails, ADA compliance, concrete scoring on the pavilion slab and lighting that minimizes spill. One council member asked staff to ensure lighting is full‑cutoff and dark‑sky compliant to prevent light trespass into the photographed waterfront area; staff said technical review would address those details.

During public comment, the CRA advisory board and other community members urged preserving the pavilion’s stage character, reconsidering the size and placement of planters, and using materials consistent with the waterfront context. In response to concerns, the motion that carried the project’s final approval included a specific condition that the restroom water table be built in coquina shell tabby to better match nearby concrete and masonry elements.

What happens next: with design approval the city will proceed to civil and vertical bidding. Glisson said civil bids are scheduled to open in October and that vertical building bids will follow so construction can proceed after the Amelia Island open; the team aims to complete vertical work before Shrimp Festival. The council’s design review is limited to aesthetics and guideline compliance; technical and construction compliance will be reviewed by staff and the technical review committee.