Item 3AAGENDA ITEM ~ 3A
NOVEMBER 23, 2009
November 17, 2009
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Mayor
and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jim Hanso
I y anager
SUBJECT: Follow-u Report
Seaweed on the Beach; The City Commission received a complaint at the last meeting about
city contractors removing seaweed from the beach. The complaint was that the seaweed, if left
alone, would help to catch airborne sand and thereby reduce future needs for beach
renourishment.
City contractors do not remove seaweed from the beach and cannot do so due to State DEP
regulations. Instead, the seaweed has been raked up and placed on the face of the dunes. This is
for several reasons. The first is to cut down on the complaints from citizens about the smell and
bugs found in the seaweed. While the smell is still part of the rotting seaweed, it is moved to the
dune face which is away from where most of the citizens walk or sit on the beach. Secondly, the
seaweed helps to stabilize the dunes provides nutrients for the sea oats.
Directions for Public Access to Hanna Park and Naval Station Maynort; A complaint was
raked a few weeks ago by citizens that visitors often drive to the northern dead end portion of
Seminole Road thinking that they can get access to Hanna Park and Naval Station Mayport. This
creates more traffic in residential areas and frustration for the visitors. Several of the older maps
and many of the electronic mapping companies still show that Seminole Road connects with
Hanna Park. To solve the problem, the City has taken two steps. The first has been to contact all
of the major electronic mapping companies to let them know that there is a dead end on the
northern end of Seminole Road in Atlantic Beach. The second thing is to install various signs
near the southern ends of Sherry Drive and Seminole Road. There is also a brown "Hanna
Park/AlA" sign now at the northwest corner of the Five Points Intersection. Pictures of the signs
are attached for your information.
AGENDA ITEM # 3A
NOVEMBER 23, 2009