Hi everyone,
Despite community concerns and repeated requests for Planning Commission review, Construction has officially begun.

Heavy equipment is on site, grading is underway, and dirt is already being moved, .29 acres of wetlands are gone forever, while significant questions remain unanswered.

What we’ve learned
Over the past several days, we’ve been able to obtain and review portions of the site plans.

Based on that review, there are clear differences between what was approved in 2018 and what is being built today, particularly along the western and southern portions of the site.

👉 View plan comparison here. 

These differences raise serious concerns about:

• Changes in use and intensity (passive space vs. active field)
• Proximity of development to adjacent homes
• Whether required buffering and protections are being maintained
   

What the City has said
We have also received written responses from City leadership.

The City Manager has confirmed that:

• The City is not enforcing key conditions tied to the site
• The requirement for crossing guards is considered a “gray area”

The City will not initiate enforcement action on compliance issue👉 View City Manager response.

Access to the Planning Commission
Residents have also attempted to bring these concerns directly to the Planning Commission through the City’s Planning and Development process.

To date, the City Attorney has declined to forward or present this matter to the Planning Commission, stating that it is not appropriate for their review.

This is significant.

The Planning Commission is the body that originally approved this project and retains authority over modifications to the site plan and conditions of use.

When concerns about changes are prevented from reaching that body through normal City channels, it limits the community’s ability to have those concerns reviewed in the public forum where they belong.

At the same time, the City Attorney has declined to bring this matter before the Planning Commission, despite prior approvals requiring Commission review of any modifications.

👉 View City Attorney response.

 Why this matters
The Planning Commission approved this project with specific conditions to protect surrounding neighborhoods.

Those conditions, and the approved site plan, are not optional.

If plans change, or if conditions are no longer being enforced, the process requires Planning Commission review.

Right now, that process is not happening.

Instead, construction is moving forward:

Without full transparency
Without public review
Without clear alignment to prior approvals
 
What we are asking for
We are asking for three simple things:

• Full access to all site plans
• Planning Commission review
• A pause on construction until the community can review what is being built

Next step: City Council
We will be speaking at the Jacksonville Beach City Council meeting:

📍 City Hall
🗓 Monday, April 20
🕕 6:00 PM

If you are able to attend, your voice matters.

Even showing up helps reinforce that this is a community-wide concern.

Stay engaged
If you haven’t already, please sign and share the petition:

👉 www.15thStreetTrafficJam.com

We will continue to share updates as we learn more.

 
This isn’t about stopping a school.
It’s about following the process and protecting our neighborhood.

Thank you for staying engaged.

—Donnie