SCRA to form ad hoc panel to evaluate Brett’s site; city has $1,000,000 set aside for demolition

At a March 5 SCRA meeting in Fernandina Beach, members moved to begin forming an ad hoc committee to evaluate options for the site of the former Brett’s restaurant and to review consultant concepts and costs.

Presenter told the board that the commission requested a seven-member panel — three representatives from this board, two from the Historic District Commission and two from the Marina Advisory Board — to review concepts from Passaro and Associates. “The commission asked for a committee of 7,” the Presenter said, and the consultant will provide probable demolition cost and three to five build options for the site.

Why it matters: the lease on the waterfront property expires at the end of the year and the city wants to avoid leaving a derelict structure on a high-profile waterfront block. How the site is rebuilt — whether left open as a deck, rebuilt as a pavilion, or redeveloped with a restaurant on a landward footprint — will shape funding choices and maintenance responsibilities.

City staff said the consultant’s pricing will drive decisions. “We have 1000000 dollars right now set aside for demolition,” Sarah Campbell, City of Anter, told the board, adding that Passaro’s probable-cost estimate will show whether the city must allocate additional funds or pursue a public–private partnership if a private restaurant is desired. The agency official said the consultant will present draft documents in mid-April and expects a finished product within about 60 days: “they told us they'd have us finish the product within like 60 days or so.”

Board members pressed on process and representation. One committee member argued for broader input from multiple advisory boards so each could record its preferences and avoid concentrating recommendation power in a seven-person panel; the member said that approach could involve “somewhere around 40 people” offering views. Other members noted the commission already set the ad hoc committee size but agreed the process should include public outreach once concepts are available.

The five concept types the consultant will consider were reviewed: do nothing within the restaurant footprint (retain dock access), an open timber deck, a timber-deck pavilion, relocating a restaurant landward of the waterline, or combinations of those ideas. Members discussed structural constraints — docks, a fuel line, utility connections and salvageability of the existing foundation — and emphasized that funding choices (public, private or hybrid) would influence which options are feasible.

Next steps: Passaro and Associates will present preliminary concepts at a mid-April meeting; staff expects a final concept package about 60 days later to provide probable demolition and construction costs. The board identified volunteers to serve as its representatives and staff will formalize those appointments and bring recommendations to the commission. The commission’s stated priority is to remove the existing structure quickly after January 1 if feasible, while follow-up decisions about what replaces it will depend on public outreach and the consultant’s cost estimates.