NEPTUNE BEACH | Rising property values along with new construction are buoying the Beaches financially, although the need for more and better parking to accommodate growth remains a challenge, said the mayors of the three cities.

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham along with counterparts Carolyn Woods of Atlantic Beach and Harriet Pruette of Neptune Beach discussed their cities accomplishments and the road ahead during an annual joint State of the Beaches program last week hosted by Beaches Watch, a nonprofit nonpartisan citizen advocacy organization. Eighty-one people packed the community room at the Beaches branch library in Neptune Beach for the program.

Latham noted USA Today named Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach among the best and most accessible beach communities to vacation in Florida. Fernandina Beach in Nassau County also made that list published Jan. 30.

That popularity and attention translates into more people wanting to live at and visit the Beaches. The mayors say that is good news, but it also increases parking demand, pretty much limited year-round, and on infrastructure.

While parking may be the big issue, Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach also will undertake major road and sewage projects including a large swath of First Street in both communities.

Property values in Jacksonville Beach have increased 7.9 percent in the last year. That leads any other Florida city north of Orlando, Latham said of his city, the largest of the three Beaches municipalities.

Increased property values generate more revenue, which can be used for public works projects and other improvements, he said. So were making good decisions. Were growing responsibly and were a desirable place to be, he said. When you make it a really nice place to be, people want to come.

Latham said city staff constantly review ordinances or policies that might restrict businesses as part of its effort to attract and retain businesses. He emphasized any changes first would have to be OKd by the Jacksonville Beach City Council before being implemented.

Among issues being examined are ways to alleviate parking woes in the downtown business district. One possibility the city is looking at would be to reduce the number of parking spaces a restaurant is required to have at its site, Latham said.

Right now, there is a certain number of spaces that each restaurant is required to provide, or pay into the [city] parking fund, and that has somewhat of a limiting factor to new businesses that enter the market, he said.

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As Beaches grow, so too, parking woes, revenues, projects