Agenda Item 2AGENDA ITEM # 2
OCTOBER 28, 2013
RESOLUTION NO. 13 -15
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, REQUESTING THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO DESIGNATE STATE ROAD A1A IN ATLANTIC BEACH,
DUVAL AND NASSAU COUNTIES AS A FLORIDA SCENIC HIGHWAY
WHEREAS, Section 335.093, Florida Statutes, authorizes the Florida Department of Transportation to
designate public roads as scenic highways in recognition of their cultural, historic and scenic value; and
WHEREAS, State Road Al A in Duval and Nassau Counties is a historically significant roadway, traversing land
that has been occupied by humans for centuries and which includes relics of Henry Flagler's pioneering efforts to
develop Florida as a tourist destination, historic evidence of early settlements, and beautiful and historic communities like
Fernandina Beach and Mayport Village that remind us of our rich heritage; and
WHEREAS, for most of its length, State Road A1A runs in close proximity to the scenic beauty of the Atlantic
Ocean and its beaches and dunes, and it detours inland around Naval Station Mayport and the road crosses the St. Johns
River via the Mayport Ferry and continues north through marshlands and parks and the natural beauty of Amelia Island;
and
WHEREAS, the portion of State Road A1A in St. Johns and Flagler Counties has been designated as the Scenic and
Historic A1A Coastal Byway, allowing for an extension of an existing route; and
WHEREAS, the City of Atlantic Beach desires the Florida Department of Transportation to designate State Road
Al A from the St. Johns County line in the south through Nassau County in the north, as a Florida scenic highway in
recognition of its outstanding scenic beauty and its link to the culture and history of an area with significant pre -
Columbian civilization and the oldest point of European contact and settlement in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the designation of State Road A1A as a state scenic highway, proposed to be named A1A Ocean
Islands Trail, will assist in the promotion of tourism and cultural exploration in the Atlantic Beach area and will assist in
marketing the City of Atlantic Beach and Northeast Florida as a premier destination for visitors and cultural explorers
from around the nation and around the world.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Commission of Atlantic Beach, Florida, that:
Section 1. The City of Atlantic Beach hereby requests the Florida Department of Transportation to designate
State Road A1A in Atlantic Beach and through Duval County and Nassau County as an official state scenic highway.
The City of Atlantic Beach stands ready to provide information and assistance when necessary to complete the
application and review process in furtherance of the designation.
Section 2. Effective Date. This Resolution shall become effective upon signature by the Mayor of Atlantic
Beach, Florida.
ADOPTED by the City Commission of Atlantic Beach, Florida, this 12th day of November 2013.
MIKE BORNO
Mayor
ATTEST:
DONNA L. BARTLE, CMC
City Clerk
Approved as to form and correctness:
ALAN C. JENSEN, ESQUIRE
City Attorney