Protect Height Restrictions, Jacksonville Beach!

On May 16, 2023, residents in Jacksonville Beach voted overwhelmingly (82%) in opposition to a proposed charter amendment that would increase the building height cap from 35' to 55' feet.  The Surfrider Foundation First Coast Chapter barrier island residents and volunteers were highly concerned about considerations to open up the 35' building restriction on their shores when the proposal was first considered back in 2021.

As Florida's coastal habitats experience squeeze from feckless growth and development and rising seas, growth management measures on the local level are critical to coastal preservation. That's why First Coast Chapter activists began attending city council meetings when 55' redevelopment was first proposed and began to advocate against any increase in height restrictions

Chapter members attended numerous public meetings and made public comment against any cap increase, wrote letters to the commission and mayor, and helped circulate a petition opposing this measure in the local community. The First Coast Chapter also asked the city to consider nature-based solutions for land use on the barrier island rather than commercial redevelopment. 

Surfrider Foundation's First Coast Chapter celebrates this victory for coastal habitats in Jacksonville Beach.