“Keep it Simple”
"Water’s Edge Restaurants" and Setback Rules
Circle Marks the Spot
Look carefully at the former Landing site rendering above. Circle what doesn’t belong.
That’s right.
“Future development parcel” where a “water’s edge restaurant” might be built.
The circled parcel’s location ever-so-close-to-the-rivers’ edge was subject of a recent Downtown Investment Authority Strategic Implementation Committee (SIC) discussion of a resolution that authorized DIA to publish a request for proposals for an architectural firm to design not one but potentially five eating establishments along the St. Johns River’s North- and Southbanks: a “small food and beverage restaurant or cafe” at the Friendship Fountain site; a food hall and waterfront restaurant at Shipyards West; and a temporary beer garden and “water’s edge restaurant” on the former Landing site (Resolution 2023-11-01 Architectural Services RFP).1
Securing an architectural firm in case we need one—that is to say, if DIA decides to build these eating establishments—needs to happen soon, argued DIA staff, if these feeding stations are to be available when the first two parks, St. Johns River Park (Friendship Fountain) and Riverfront Plaza (the Landing site), open to the public. DIA staff suggests securing an architect in early 2024 will save a good 3-4 months in developing the Landing site park, given the time involved to secure an architect with the requisite qualifications (see footnote 1 below for link to meeting transcript).
DIA and its SIC committee, both of which approved the resolution, never said the City will build these five establishments. They simply wish to identify an architect in the event a not yet completed restaurant market study suggests the City should build one or two or three or four or five of these establishments. Will save time to have an architect at the ready.
Fair enough.
HOWEVER, however, H-O-W-E-V-E-R
The Landing site’s “water’s edge restaurant” location is curious, what with Irma and our recent Resilient Jacksonville study telling us to retreat from the water’s edge, not to mention the City’s 50 foot setback zoning rule and the Mayor’s 2023 Transition Committee final report.
What’s a “Water’s Edge Restaurant?”
Oddly enough, it’s not a restaurant at all. It’s an exception to a rule. At least according to the City of Jacksonville’s 2022 amended downtown zoning code definition.2
Embedded in the City’s Downtown Overlay section of the municipal code is this: “Water's Edge Restaurant means any freestanding restaurant which seeks a zoning exception pursuant to Section 656.131, Ordinance Code, for all or any portion of the structure to be located within the established 50-foot setback from the river's edge (Zone A).”
Zone A is prone to flooding: A = floodplain
Why? and Why Not?
Why intentionally exempt restaurants from a rule obviously designed to protect property from flooding? why invite trouble, especially downtown, which has flooded and will flood? who bears the risk? and at what price for taxpayers? Seriously folks.
And why not follow our own recommendations? Not simply the 50 foot setback rule, not just Resilient Jacksonville, nor the 2005 JCCI study River Dance, but the brand new recommendations recently published in the Mayor’s 2023 Transition Committee Report.
Riverfront and Parks & Recreation Transition Subcommittees
For a reason, the Mayor appointed transition teams: to engage the citizenry in the public’s business.
Eight people served on the Riverfront and 10 on the Parks & Recreation transition subcommittees. They reviewed past reports, met with City entities bearing responsibility for the river’s front edge and all parks, held multiple public meetings, and heard from scores of just plain folks.
They have something to say about our downtown riverfront and our downtown park system.
Maybe we should listen to them.
Park Design and Food
When it comes to riverfront park design, these subcommittees call for increased citizen engagement, with the Riverfront transition subcommittee specifically calling for a mayorally appointed “Riverfront Taskforce” to allow “more voices” to be engaged in “the design and planning process,” specifically to “evaluate and oversee the design and implementation of . . . riverfront parks and public spaces.” 3
When it comes to food “in or near Downtown’s parks,” these folks found this:
Survey Says . . .
When asked, folks who live and work in historic downtown say they want more food options in and near downtown parks, but they explicitly say they want a farmer’s market and food trucks. And while these druthers don’t negate DIA’s building multiple feeding establishments on the Landing site, the contrast between what just plain folks desire and what DIA proposes is stark.
What to Do?
Riverfront Parks Now, a coalition of non-profit organizations that “advocates for a connected network of parks and green spaces in downtown Jacksonville,” and a group whose coalition members have spent countless hours studying successful riverfront parks, favors expeditiously “completing the [Landing site] park with the already planned café and beer garden,” and suggests that the water’s edge restaurant proposed location goes “against the recommendations” in Resilient Jacksonville.4
Keep it simple
Not only are we not listening to the people’s considered opinion articulated in JCCI’s 2005 citizen-led River Dance study, or following our 50 foot setback rule, or heeding the advice of Resilient Jacksonville and the Mayor’s Riverfront and Parks and & Recreation transition subcommittees, or listening to a coalition of nonprofits deeply engaged in our downtown riverfront, we’re overcomplicating completion of a public gathering riverfront green space in historic downtown.
Why? Whose interest is being served?
Keep it simple: as other river cities have learned, lead with landscaping. Don’t overpopulate this rather small plot of land with buildings. We can build a beer garden and a cafe sooner rather than later at less public expense while preserving openness, human connection to the St. Johns River, and planting shade trees and native plantings.
Sources:
https://library.municode.com/fl/jacksonville/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=957620
https://www.jacksonville.gov/transitionreport.aspx
https://www.riverfrontparksnow.org/
Subpart H: Downtown Overlay Zone and Downtown District Use and Form Regulations. Sec. 656.361.3. - Definitions; and ordinance 2022-383-E (https://library.municode.com/fl/jacksonville/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?)nodeId=1187267)
2023 Transition Committee final report, pp. 27, 29, and 30.
Memo introduced at SIC November 9, 2023 committee meeting
Sherry - I thoroughly agree with your insight and the wisdom it offers. As a Landscape Architect for the past 46 years, I love your comment, "Lead with Landscape".
I think we would be well served if the city would hire an experienced, practiced and accomplished LA - preferably to vision, direct, lead (and grow the staff) for future efforts in a reimagined and rejuvenated Parks and Recreation Department. A Department that has voice, authority, responsibility and design oversight - not one beholden to other "powers" - one like NY's that delivered the High Line, Pier 55's Little Island, Long Island City Promenade and other remarkable city parks and open spaces. I think one of the preferred consultant teams that continue to secure plum park design commissions has an "inside" relationship with the COJ due to a key director (I'm not naming names here - you know). That type arrangement continues to feed the parochial nature of the city's approach to many important public realm projects.
I also think that the previous Riverside Plaza design effort winnowed down prospects to 3 highly competent teams. Each were awarded a $125,000 design stipend. The winner was chosen, in large part due to their inclusion of an "iconic" identity sculpture and soft, riverine-styled river edge.
Then - all hell broke loose - the city commenced bulkhead and dock repairs thus fixing the river edge and eliminating one of the features of the awarded design; the city demolished the south Main Street Bridge ramp and its all-important pedestrian link which afforded direct access into the park (to enlarge the footprint area for the residential tower); the first thing that the city's new resiliency officer said was "the park design will change"; the iconic sculpture design stubbed its toe, doesn't have public funding and presumably will be redesigned; one corner will await a signature NY architect's 44 story "midtown Manhattan" residential tower; the playground, presumably to save space, will be built atop a multi-purpose building; the street intersection of Water St/Hogan St/Independent Dr has been recently demolished, presumably to expand the northwest corner of the park (probably for another restaurant) - and now the DIA wants to carve out more space for a riverside restaurant. Let all that happen and we'll have nothing more than a park and dogwalk (synthetic turf anybody?) for the residents fortunate enough to live in the luxury tower plus a series of outdoor dining venues - and you can kiss good-bye to any functional flexibility for civic functions.
In a former life, I've know design teams that would have demanded the city enable a "do-over" after seeing how an awarded design was so substantially changed, before implementation. There's no fairness in that kind of bait-and-switch. Worse, it sends the absolute wrong message to the regional and national design community who look upon Jacksonville as simply not having its act together.
I will strive to keep hope alive and remain optimistic - looking forward to the days when smart decisions are made, decisions are kept and projects get built as envisioned and promised.
Thank you very much - Rick
PS - I do like Mr. Anderson's "Buffoons" - because our current project approaches seem very clown-like.
One other thing regards Riverside Plaza (to accompany my other comment) - since the DIA has said that the 44 story residential tower would not be "due" until 2029 (likely longer) - it means that effectively, the Park will remain a construction site for another 10 years - on top of the 5 years since the Landing's demolition.
15 years to create the City's Central Riverfront Park and Civic Space - and who knows now to what $$$$ extent.
Thank you very much - Rick