{"id":12252,"date":"2025-09-21T19:40:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T23:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=12252"},"modified":"2025-09-21T19:41:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T23:41:43","slug":"nassau-county-settles-beach-driving-lawsuit-agrees-to-relocate-vehicle-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/nassau\/nassau-county-settles-beach-driving-lawsuit-agrees-to-relocate-vehicle-access\/","title":{"rendered":"Nassau County settles beach driving lawsuit, agrees to relocate vehicle access"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Kate Kimmel<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
A welcome sign marks the entrance to Historic American Beach on Amelia Island. Photo courtesy Mark Dawkins<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Nassau County signed a mediation settlement Wednesday with Save Historic American Beach Inc. that will relocate the beach access point from Lewis Street to Burney Park, move \u201cno motor vehicle\u201d signs on the island\u2019s south end, add speed limit and conservation zone signage, and strengthen enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save Historic American Beach (SHAB) Board President Mark Dawkins said that while the settlement does not end beach driving, it provides additional protections and benefits for the American Beach community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lewis Street vehicular access relocation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agreement requires the county to seek permits to relocate the beach access point from Lewis Street to Burney Park. SHAB leaders said the move addresses concerns about pedestrian safety, flooding and traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re the only place in the county where people have to drive through a residential area to access the beach,\u201d SHAB member Pam Buncum said. \u201cDuring the busy season people can\u2019t even get into their driveways, and we don\u2019t have sidewalks, so I\u2019ve had to jump out of the way of cars on my walk home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dawkins said the access point on Lewis Street acts as a \u201cmassive hole\u201d in the dune system, eliminating protection from storm surges and causing flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Flooding by Lewis Street beach access after storms. Photo courtesy Mark Dawkins<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

South end signage relocation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dawkins said a major focus of mediation discussions was the improper placement of \u201cno motor vehicle\u201d signs on the island\u2019s south end. He provided images showing that signs which should have been posted at the southernmost point of Amelia Island Plantation were instead posted at the northeastern edge of Amelia Island State Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The improper signage violated Florida Senate Bill 1577 and prevented vehicles from accessing nearly a mile of beach driving area between the state park and the plantation. The county has since relocated the signs in accordance with the agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speed limit and conservation signage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The county must install and maintain four additional 10 mph speed limit signs on American Beach in response to SHAB\u2019s concerns about speeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmerican Beach is the only place that welcomes both beach parking and driving,\u201d Buncum said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen people driving at almost 30 mph, and it makes it difficult to relax when you\u2019re worried about people and turtles being run over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agreement also requires the county to install \u201cConservation Zone Do Not Enter\u201d signs every 60 feet along American Beach. The signs will be posted about 10 feet from the permanent line of native vegetation, which will be reviewed annually and adjusted if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The signage is intended to prevent vehicles from driving on vegetation and dunes, which Dawkins and Buncum said they have witnessed during high tide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enforcement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the county passed a new beach ordinance last month, SHAB members questioned whether the guidelines would be strictly enforced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat good is a new ordinance if the rules aren\u2019t being enforced?\u201d Buncum said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mediation agreement requires the county to provide its security contractor, Gilden, with written instructions mandating strict enforcement of conservation zone access, posted speed limits and driver logs. It also requires the county to hold at least one educational workshop a year at the start of turtle nesting season regarding protections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agreement requires SHAB to dismiss its lawsuit against the county, but Dawkins emphasized that the group\u2019s advocacy will continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe believe, and have photographic evidence, that endangered sea turtles have been and are likely to continue to be harmed by beach driving,\u201d Dawkins said in a press release. \u201cHowever, the judge in the case made it clear that he would not rule in our favor and instead recommended mediation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dawkins said the judge\u2019s request for video evidence of turtles being run over was unfair, as SHAB had already provided photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe judge said we needed a video of a turtle being run over to prove this was happening at American Beach,\u201d Dawkins said. \u201cThe metadata on the photos showed that they were taken on American Beach. And also, who would sit and watch a turtle get run over without stopping it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the lawsuit did not end as SHAB had hoped, Dawkins said the mediation marked a shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter 35 years of dismissal, the suit finally brought the county to the negotiating table,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will continue our efforts to end beach driving at American Beach to protect endangered sea turtles and the coastal dune system protecting our homes and community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

kkimmel@nassaunewsline.net<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kate Kimmel Nassau County signed a mediation settlement Wednesday with Save Historic American Beach Inc. that will relocate the beach access point from Lewis Street to Burney Park, move \u201cno motor vehicle\u201d signs on the island\u2019s south end, add speed limit and conservation zone signage, and strengthen enforcement. Save Historic American Beach (SHAB) Board […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[156],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12252","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nassau"},"yoast_head":"\nNassau County settles beach driving lawsuit, agrees to relocate vehicle access - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nassau NewsLine By Kate Kimmel A welcome sign marks the entrance to Historic American Beach on Amelia Island. 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