Parking along Centre Street in Fernandina Beach is currently free. | Google
Published on June 18, 2025 at 2:16 pm
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Businesses and residents in Fernandina Beach are protesting plans to charge for parking along a seven-block stretch of Centre Street in the historic district.
City officials plan a town hall meeting Tuesday to discuss the plan with residents, but opposition has already been vocal.
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A petition on Change.org says the Centre Street corridor has always been a haven for residents and tourists “seeking a taste of authentic small-town charm.” Starting a paid parking system “could threaten this atmosphere and disrupt our way of life,” the petition says.
The city predicts projected revenue of $1.5 million to $2.5 million annually from paid parking, which would begin in October.
Some of the money would be paid by 1 million-plus tourists who bring thousands of vehicles into the historic district each year, according to a City Commission report to be presented at Tuesday’s meeting.
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The report states that paid parking “manages and improves parking availability; improves turnover of spaces within the Downtown area.” It would create “a dependable revenue stream to fund downtown improvements and ongoing maintenance/repairs,” and shifts the cost of that from taxpayer to user, the report says.
The petition from opponents had more than 4,500 signatures as of late this week. It says many shops and restaurants in the downtown area survive on the ease and accessibility provided by free parking. Making a customer pay for parking would hurt eight “grab-and-go” restaurants that depend on people who “just come in,” petition founder Marisol Triana said.
“They just come in and grab a cup of coffee, or maybe a sandwich, then leave,” said Triana, who owns Hola Cuban Cafe off Centre Street. “It is hard to sell them on the idea to come in for a quick grab-and-go and pay for parking, when there is so much competition on the island that has free parking.”
The five-member City Commission set a priority during a “visioning session” in 2025 to develop other sources of revenues outside taxes. The commission pointed out that the city’s population has grown from 7,800 in the 1970s to over 13,900 now.
Local vehicle registrations have increased from 25,000 in 1975 to over 90,000 now. Tourists add almost 460,000 more vehicles on the roads as well as nine city parking lots, the report said.
The workshop report states that projected revenue would come from hourly parking fees, residential permits and parking tickets paid by tourists and residents who go downtown. That revenue would go to downtown revitalization such as sidewalk and lighting repairs, landscaping, construction of new seawalls and repairs to parking lots, park space and benches.
Opponents want the commission to reconsider its proposal and seek alternative solutions that would let downtown “flourish without introducing paid parking.”
“Possible alternatives include investing in better public transportation options to ease parking demand, establishing a more efficient parking system without fees, or developing partnerships with private parking lots to offer residents and visitors viable options,” the petition said.
City officials have taken to social media to respond to what they say are rumors about the paid parking proposal.
- The city says parking meters will not be installed on Centre Street. Instead, it would be “largely a mobile platform.” The revenue generated would not go into the General Fund but would be earmarked for downtown, it said.
- A Facebook post also says that parking downtown may appear free, but “the majority of parking infrastructure and maintenance is funded by city taxpayers.”
- Less than half the available spots would have paid parking, the city says. Concerns about having to pay to go to church or during low demand will be addressed. Hours of use have not determined yet.
The city proposes to award a contract to install the paid parking system by August, with the system going online between October and December.
Triana, who also runs tasting tours downtown, said it looks like some City Commission members who once supported free parking have flipped their positions.
There are other options to raise revenues instead of this “one big money item” of parking fees, she said. Let the voters have their say instead of just doing it by this fall, she said.
“We just want the opportunity to vote on it,” Triana said. “If you flipped on your position, that is your choice. But the people had already made a choice — we based it on what your platform was. You changed your platform. Take it back to us — it is only fair to kick it back to us and let the people decide.”
The town hall meeting is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 204 Ash St.
