Amelia Park resident urges city to address traffic, annexation and Live Local impacts

A resident of Amelia Park raised alarms at the Aug. 14 Planning Advisory Board meeting about traffic and curb‑cut risks tied to recent annexations and Live Local implementation near South 15th Street.

The commenter said the neighborhood is not designed for commercial traffic and expressed concern about driveway access from 15th Street that could bring delivery trucks and more traffic into narrow island‑style streets. "We cannot accommodate that traffic to, ingress and egress on the South 15th Street," the resident said.

Planning staff and the city attorney responded: parts of South 15th Street are maintained by Nassau County, so driveway permits are under county jurisdiction in those segments; that limits the city’s ability to impose driveway restrictions for county‑maintained road sections. The city attorney also clarified the county passed a resolution to opt out of a Live Local Act tax‑exemption provision that applies only to very large multifamily projects (generally projects with more than 70 units), but that most site‑level requirements—buffers, parking, and many local site standards—remain within local authority. The attorney noted that certain aspects (for example height and density tied to Live Local) are constrained by state law.

Staff said the city is working on updated multifamily standards and encouraged residents to follow upcoming drafts. The board suggested residents engage their county commissioners where county‑maintained roads and driveway permits are concerned.