Paid parking may be coming to downtown Fernandina Beach for the first time in decades, and local residents are not holding back.
During a packed town hall Tuesday night, city commissioners opened the floor for public comment, and the message was loud and clear: the community isn’t having it.
“It will deter me from coming,” said longtime resident Sanford McAllister. “I’m not going to pay to park just to grab dinner or shop downtown. Not happening.”
Another local echoed that sentiment: “It takes away from the town, and no one will come.”
The proposed paid parking zone would stretch from Eighth Street to Front Street, and from Alachua Street to Ash Street—covering Centre Street, the heart of the city’s shopping and dining district. That’s where you’ll find businesses like Twisted Sisters Boutique, which say the change could hurt more than help.
“If we have paid parking, I think it would really push people away—even locals,” said store manager Taylor Holwell. “That’s just not how it’s been around here.”
City leaders say the move is being considered as a new revenue stream to fund local programs, but many residents aren’t convinced. Some say they’d rather walk than pay.
“I’ll park as far away as I have to,” McAllister added.
As for what’s next—commissioners will review feedback from the meeting and begin interviewing companies who have submitted bids to manage the potential parking system.
But if the public reaction is any indication, they’ve got a bumpy road ahead.
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