Consultants outline Phase 1 Harbor Master Plan for Fernandina Beach waterfront

Moffatt & Nichol consultants presented a Phase 1 Harbor Master Plan to the Fernandina Beach Waterfront Advisory Board focused on nine parcels along the Amelia River and an 18.5‑acre study area.

Scott Legault, director of waterfront planning for Moffatt & Nichol, said the plan’s Phase 1 boundary “including water all the way up to the intracoastal waterway, is about 18.5 acres, of which 5 of that is, of course, above the waterline.” The work will inventory parcels, summarize owner feedback and generate alternatives that balance working waterfront uses, commercial activation and public access.

The consultants listed nine parcels under study — from the Simmons property and the city parcel at Alachua Street to commercial and working‑waterfront parcels near the port — and said the team had met with multiple owners to understand ambitions and constraints. Consultants emphasized the plan will be actionable: early alternatives will be accompanied by funding and implementation frameworks tied to the CRA and potential grants. They recommended a “graduated waterfront” approach that transitions from more urban, commercial character near downtown to working‑waterfront uses near the port.

Board members pressed on permitting and resiliency details — including Army Corps and FEMA constraints and where a resilience wall might be aligned — and the consultants said permitting timelines and property‑specific cost‑sharing will factor into the next phase. The consultants will refine alternatives and return to the board in the next 2–3 weeks before submitting Phase 1 materials to the city for review.