Opinion
By Bryn Byron
05-23-24
This past Wednesday, May 15, concern citizens of Fernandina Beach sat through over three hours of public hearings for the first time at the BOA (board of adjustments) after almost a year of meetings and over $10,000 in legal fees paid for by these concerned citizens (STOP THE DOMINO EFFECT). The BOA decided NOT to grant a variance to convert three previous single-family lots in the R2 zone (medium density) to Nine 25 foot lots capable of supporting a single-family unit on each lot consisting of triplex and duplex houses.
Currently we are fighting (NO ETHANOL FERNANDINA) incurring additional legal fees again. We have engaged legal representation from Ralf Brookes Attorney, Board Certified in City, County and Local Government Law by the Florida Bar and have recently received his legal opinion.
ETHANOL MANUFACTURING AND REFINING IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
Stating a large-scale industrial process plant for the manufacturing, production and refining of 7.5 million gallons per year of chemical ethanol has been proposed in the CITY OF FERNANDINA BEACH on a parcel that has an industrial (IN) future land use designation. An ethanol manufacturing or refining plant is inconsistent with the language of the FERNANIDA CITY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, which expressly prohibits such a use in the industrial land use category.
POLICY 1.0 7.12 INDUSTRIAL (IN)
Heavy metal fabrication, batch plants, salvage yards, CHEMICAL OR MANUFACTURING OR REFFINING, rubber, or plastics manufacturing, or other uses generating, potentially harmful, environmental or nuisance impact SHALL BE PROHIBITED.
What will it take for City and County leaders to uphold and enforce our laws as they are written?
Citizen should not have to go to court to get their leaders to follow their own comprehensive plan and LDC (Tringali, Riverstone and now RYAM). I include the county because although it is the City of Fernandina Beach that will decide to permit the building for the expansion of an ethanol plant, the County is also complicit in allowing this to come in. Last week at the county’s BOCC meeting, the County voted to award Ligno-Tech (the company that leases land from Rayonier that will produce the lignin needed in the ethanol process) over $333,000 of OUR tax dollars for a 5-yr reduction in their taxes,ie a tax credit. Yet the county commissioners claim this economic development grant award has absolutely nothing to do with the ethanol plant. Really? ! The 2 companies are absolutely necessary to work together for the production of lignin and bioethanol. By the way, this is just the first tax credit; Ligno-Tech will be able to request a 2nd award in another five years. A 10 year tax break!
Our elected officials took an oath of public office to uphold the laws of the land and serve and protect the citizens of Fernandina Beach and Nassau County. If they can’t do that, they should be voted out of office or recalled from office. Enough is enough! The future of our beloved Amelia Island and all who live here and call it home is at stake. Most importantly, our very lives are at risk!
Bryn Byron
Fernandina Beach
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida
