03-15-21 Handout Mayor GlasserMarch 15, 2021
Honorable Rory Diamond
Jacksonville City Council - District 13
City of Jacksonville
117 West Duval Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Re: Access to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park
Dear City Council Member Diamond:
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
800 SEMINOLE ROAD
ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA 32233-5455
www wab.us
Thank you for engaging faithfully in dialogue with our City about issues of importance to Atlantic
Beach and neighboring areas in Duval County.
This letter requests your continued consideration to promote access into Kathryn Abbey Hanna
Park and the North Beach area from Mayport Road. Hanna Park includes many amenities and a
beautiful section of the public beaches that we all enjoy in Duval County. This fabulous park sits
in your District directly between Naval Station Mayport and Atlantic Beach.
Our public beaches are a treasure for all to enjoy, and they offer us coastal resiliency. To those two
ends, we are very grateful for continuing County efforts to replenish the beach under the Duval
County Shoreline Protection Project. With finite public parking available at our popular beach
accesses in Atlantic Beach, continued development outside of our City, and the law
enforcement/traffic challenges as a result of congestion in our beachside neighborhoods, we feel
that promoting greater use of Hanna Park would better serve County residents, visitors, and our
own residents.
As part of our dialogue, you will recall past conversations to discuss various options or ideas for
free entry, or reduced fees, at the main gate of Hanna Park for qualified groups. This could include
military families and/or those receiving assistance with valid identification. Such benevolent
actions would reap positive benefits for many residents in our County during this challenging
pandemic when they have struggled to meet their essential needs.
I am deeply appreciative that the proposed Mayport Road Park — with a bike park — is among the
projects programmed in the Capital Improvement Plan. A bike park will address what has been
identified as an unmet need in our area for the biking community. It is my continued request that
you consider installing a bike/pedestrian-only gate there at the southwest corner of Hanna Park
that would promote multimodal public access to the trail system, park amenities, and beach. I
would appreciate updates on this since Atlantic Beach has a context -sensitive Florida Department
of Transportation (FDOT) project on the List of Priority Projects with the North Florida
Transportation and Planning Organization (NFTPO) that includes a multi -use path along Mayport
Road as a proposed East Coast Greenway route through Atlantic Beach. It is my hope that our
actions can together serve as a catalyst for greater, safer pedestrian and bike travel along a safer
Mayport Road and into Hanna Park.
Again, thank you for your efforts. We in Atlantic Beach look forward to meeting with you to
discuss the path forward.
Sincerely,
Ellen Glasser
cc:
Mayor Lenny Curry
Council President Tommy Hazouri
Council Member Matt Carlucci — At Large
Council Member Terrance Freeman — At Large
Council Member Sam Newby — At Large
Council Member Ronald B. Salem — At Large
Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Daryl Joseph