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Waterfront advisory board to urge city review of ‘boat owners only’ sign after resident complaint
Summary
A Fernandina Beach resident told the Waterfront Advisory Board a newly visible “boat owners only” sign at the marina has curtailed daytime dock access; marina staff said the sign is a longstanding safety recommendation and the board voted to ask staff to research grant or FEMA constraints and forward a recommendation to the city commission to revise the wording.
Taina Christner, 406 Beach Street, told the Waterfront Advisory Board on Nov. 24 that a recently repainted sign at the marina gate reading “boat owners only” has taken away a tradition of walking the docks during the Thanksgiving week and may be restricting public access that she said was expected when FEMA funding was used to rebuild the dock. “This year that ride has been taken away from us because there is a new sign up at the docks,” Christner said during public comment.
Chris Ferguson, the city’s Marina General Manager, told the board the sign itself is not new but was recently refurbished and that C and D docks are “working docks” where fueling, crew operations and heavy lines create safety risks. “It is a working dock… there are boats fueling, there are boats coming in and out,” Ferguson said, describing the sign as a safety-oriented recommendation intended to limit the volume of people on an active dock rather than as a strictly enforced prohibition.
Board members pressed staff on enforcement, smoke-free language and whether the sign shows hours. Members suggested replacing the current wording with a cautionary message that preserves daytime access while warning the public about hazards — for example, “working waterfront — enter at your own risk” — and adding explicit no-smoking language. Ferguson said staff will check for existing no-smoking signage and can revise verbiage if the commission or staff decide to do so.
Project manager Glenn Cromwell told the board staff will research whether grant conditions (including any FEMA requirements) impose permanent public-access constraints and return with findings and proposed language. “Let us do all the research, bring back all the answers to your questions, and then you’ll be able to make a very clear recommendation to the commission,” Cromwell said.
The board did not take a formal, recorded roll-call vote on wording but directed staff to research grant or FEMA conditions that could affect public-access obligations and to prepare recommended sign language for the board and, if appropriate, to forward a recommendation to the city commission for action. Staff said they will return with findings and recommended language at a future meeting.
