Author: edboner

I'm one of the vanishing native Floridians. Thank you for taking the time to read....
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Cuban Coffee and Routines

16770777308_afd34ca436_oI’m convinced!  Great restaurants and coffee shops create value and make my job easier.  I’d guess I bring at least one client to Hola Cuban Café every month.   Having a handful of small coffeeIMG_2295 shops or restaurants to take clients, knowing the owners and knowing the menu, can make a huge difference when showing off your hometown.

Real estate brokers are often tour guides…expected to know a little about almost everything in an area.   I’m a native and playing tour guide is my favorite part of the job and gives me an excuse to spend time talking with my wife over coffee.   If you’re interested in great coffee, Hola Cuban Café is on North 2nd Street, just behind the Palace Saloon.  It isn’t big, but serves authentic Cuban cuisine and excellent coffee.   IMG_1705

Since I’m thinking about routines and morning coffee, t

 

he island has something unique we all take for granted.  Almost everything I need in a day is less than 5 minutes from home.   If I need more time in the gym, lunch becomes a fast hour at the YMCA or Club 14.  If we haven’t been to the beach lately, the free parking and 5 minute drive makes the island feel like an every day vacation.   I do admit to one flaw in the island.  Budgeting time for

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work and budgeting time for play sometimes requires a schedule.   I started writing in time at the gym a few months ago, along with a daily list for my next day, before leaving the office.downtn1floyd1

By the way, if you work on the island and meals with clients are a part of work, definitely schedule time time at  a gym.  We have some amazing restaurants for such a small town!

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Silt, Silt and more $ilt

In 2011, before ruunning for the Fernandina Beach City Commission, a local attorney gave me most of the information linked below.  Everything below is public record, but reading may help in understanding the marina’s history.

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96110 ATM Feasibility Study Marina and Misc

A key to understanding silt is in seeing the features limiting a natural flow of current.  We needed to be further west and would benefit by any construction toward the Port of Fernandina, a naturally deep and minimally silted part of the waterfront.  A recent CoFB Commission discussion related to grants and marina changes is embedded below.

Hurricane Matthew damage, DOT’s attention to Front Street, Alachua, continuing silt damage and vacancy at the marina are all adding to the pressure.   Regardless, this is worth following if you live in Fernandina.

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Item 7.7 GRANT APPLICATION APPROVAL – BOATING INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM (BIG-P) –
RESOLUTION 2017-105 AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF A BOATING
INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM (BIG-P)APPLICATION TO THE FLORIDA FISH AND
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION (FWC) TO EXPAND THE EXISTING
FERNANDINA HARBOR MARINA TO THE NORTH AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL
FACILITIES FOR TRANSIENT BOATERS; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Synopsis: Authorizes the submittal of a BIG-P
application to the FWC in the amount of $1,500,000
and agrees to provide a 51.4% match in the amount of $1,585,695 for expansion northward of the
Fernandina Harbor Marina.

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Election Issues Important to the City of Fernandina Beach

I talked with a friend a few minutes ago.   During the conversation, he wanted to know why I felt a blog would have any local impact and it led to thoughts of our last “off-year” election.  Fernandina voted to change back to four year terms for commissioners, but the cycle didn’t end until every commissioner holding office for the shorter term rotated through…ending on an even year.  Anyway, I thought it would be informative to post a poll to a “locals only” social media group, requesting input into issues facing the city.   IMG_2264

waterfront master plan 2009In 2017, what are the most important issues facing the Fernandina Beach City Commission?  The answers were predictable and interesting.  Beyond all other responses, there was a great concern for the Fernandina marina and condition after Hurricane Matthew.  As of today, the questions and responses are still open.  Interesting in participating?  The direct link to the “Poll” is linked here.   You should be a local resident to choose concerns or add to the choices.   https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmeliaIsland/permalink/1339505372784359/

Moving back to the discussion of blogs and influence, we talked a little about the waterfront and how much or little might happen.  I have mixed feelings.  The marina and front street need work now.  Alachua Street opening is something we must either choose now or risk never having an opportunity to open.  The Fernandina Observer has an interesting article covering recent developments along the water and it is worth considering as we move toward an election.

 

Various Background Documents/Studies Related to the Waterfront, Alachua, Parks or Marina

Front Street Geotechnical Report (March 2012)
Vision 2000

Vision 2020
Waterfront Vision

Waterfront Park Plan

Waterfront Community Redevelopment Area Plan (CRA Plan)
Community Redevelopment Area Finding of Necessity

Community Redevelopment Area Traffic Circulation/Parking Study

Walker Downtown Parking Study

HDC Recommendations to City Commission (July 2010)

Forward Fernandina Strategic Plan

Beyond the waterfront issues, the decisions facing the city are a little more complicated in 2017.  IMG_2218After 2009 to 2012, several changes have a bearing on the decisions surrounding the waterfront.  First for many locals, we want to see a functioning marina again.   I understand, after taking the time to reach out to current commission members and the marina’s manager, it takes time to rebuild if we want federal assistance.   Rebuilding without the assistance after Hurricane Matthew would face another set of criticism.  At one point, the concern was a marina without fuel.  I’m told fuel should be back in place, hopefully, in December of 2017.  Once we receive assistance, assuming this happens, are we rebuilding a flawed design or rebuilding with a relocated channel and further north along Front Street.  A larger marina or a marina with slips north of the current location offers several advantages.  Less silt is important, but taking advantage of the recently purchased property on Front Street allows greater efficiency and consistently deeper dockage.

IMG_2219Another issue is Front Street.  Deteriorating, it is now a frequent spot for overflow parking.   Improvements along front, the water, opening Alachua or repairing the failing road, all need to consider the possibility of using the street as a one-way, not two-way street to add parking and possibly improve railway safety.  What happens with Alachua?  In 2012, it was assumed Alachua might open without any other dramatic changes required.  Quiet zones were on the wish list for Fernandina and no one seemed to think about the crossings or potential for any required closure of a street.   The world is much more complex….or the waterfront issues are more complex than they were in 2009 or 2012.

So, political leaders are faced with decisions and a snowballing rate of change.  We must have repairs to the Fernandina Harbor Marina and Front Street.   Repairs and improvements are different issues, but we should consider the likely long term planning for an area before making any change.   My hope would be to eliminate most or all the need for dredging silt, preserve parking, repair streets and drainage in a logical fashion and consider any short-term move of the marina in the plan to repair.  This appears to be happening….just not quickly.

Other issues we may face in the coming few years include an airport building at a higher than planned budget, potential changes to City Hall as the building nears obsolescence, an offer of a refurbished post office location to the CoFB and continued debate over parking.   Since I’m mentioning parking, I do think the parking will change as merchants see a problem.  With more than 20 restaurants in Historic Downtown Fernandina, certain times of the day are crowded.  Does it matter to my business?  I’m usually in the office every morning, but leave for appointments later in the day.    The change to density and encouraging diverse uses will do more to reduce the peak need for parking.   Meters or managed parking has one purpose, in my opinion….maintain fair and reasonable access for businesses or property owners.  If we see any future managed parking in terms of providing access, not revenue generation, it will be universally accepted.

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Tagging and Posting Etiquette on Social Media

Today, I want to spend a little time talking about social media behavior.  I spend a lot of time marketing to clients online and I have more than the average number of social media connections, so probably have a feel for the unspoken rules.  In short, don’t annoy people.  Think about your audience and whether you’re using your connections, let’s call that exploiting, in a way the average person would find 231c3cce-1211-4605-a973-1bc778d37c80annoying. The real world and the online world, in this case Facebook, can be remarkably similar.  SPAM, unsolicited e-mail sent to a large number of addresses, or junk mail in real world, has another meaning for me.  To me it means any communication I don’t want.   I’m sometimes “Tagged” in a post on Facebook, but occasionally the “TAGGING” moves to an entirely new level.    Have you ever been tagged in a commercial advertisement or, if you use Twitter, had an @yourusername added to an unrelated post?   Using someone’s online identity to boost traffic or hijack their connections is just annoying!  No one wants to see frequent notifications saying they’ve been tagged in a picture or post, only to see a commercial advertisement.   We have more limited SPAM filtering for social media.  I tend to remove tags the first time or two.  If the behavior continues, the only alternative is to eliminate the connection.

While I do also use social media for work, I take the time to show consideration.  Pages on Facebook are meant for commercial promotion.   I rarely post commercially in my personal feed.   Posting real estate listings in a personal feed always feels a little like exploiting my friends.  The correct and polite way to promote a product is through a page, where your followers choose to “opt in” or through a reasonable volume of advertising targeted to an audience you feel would want to buy your product.  I try to avoid two things.  I never want to force anyone to see something too often or see something they find annoying.

When should you tag someone?  They’re actually in the picture is one clue.  I never mind being tagged, when the picture shows me at an event or activity, with one exception.  If the shot is clearly unflattering, you probably should avoid tagging.  Just use some common sense and think about it this way.  Your friends or connections trusted you to publicly post pictures and share their identity.  Exploiting that connection is the height of bad manners…a little like stealing the silverware.  It also adds a picture of an unrelated something to their online collection of “Pictures you’re tagged in”…..a future reminder of someone’s poor social media etiquette.

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Hurricane Floyd….1999 and Amelia-Island.net’s History

The post below was a “pre-Wordpress” post on Amelia Island Net, back in 1999.  Time passes, but looking back at a post from nearly 18 years ago….Wow!  Keep Preparedness in mind and pay attention to emergency updates in hurricane season.  Locals may seem lax, but they know to move when a major storm is on the way.  While the old surfer in me still hopes for waves, I’d love to see storms pass a few hundred miles offshore, instead of making landfall. 

On September 15th, 1999, Hurricane Floyd passed a short distance off the coast of Amelia Island.  Although this was not a direct “hit”, it is interesting to see what happens here when a category 3 storm passes nearby.   The pictures you see were all taken before, during and after the storm.  If you have any shots you would like to add, you can e-mail them to source@amelia-island.net .

If you want to see how lucky we were this time, another storm in 1964 caused far more damage.  I think the last shot is a picture of the North Beach area of Amelia Island during Hurricane Dora.

Dora in 1964?

Anyone is welcome to use these pictures with the following stipulation.  If they are published, you must contact me for a release and I will ask for a small credit.  The last shot rumored to be of Hurricane Dora is not mine.  If you would like a copy, call Quality Fast Photo at 904-261-9600. (Closed many years ago) 

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