Nassau County Adopts Western Nassau Vision Book

Nassau County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has adopted by resolution the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Vision Book. The adoption of the Vision Book is the culmination of a community-driven process to proactively plan for the future of western Nassau County, including all of the County west of I-95.

In response to a Fall 2017 Urban Land Institute report on the impacts of growth on Western Nassau, the Nassau County Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) formed a subcommittee, the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee (WNHPC). Five PZB members who live in Western Nassau served on the WNHPC. The committee was charged with discussing the future of Western Nassau, and to work with the Planning and Economic Opportunity Department to determine how they can best assist in planning efforts. The Committee’s logo “Our Heritage, Our Future” echoes the historic Hilliard Poultry Association signage as a nod to the County’s past.

During the process, Nassau County Department of Planning and Economic Opportunity (PEO) facilitated an extensive public outreach campaign to gather input from residents, property and business owners, and state and local agencies to craft their vision for the future. On March 26, 2019, after a full year of community engagement, the WNHPC adopted the following mission statement: The Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee exists because there is a genuine desire on the part of our citizenry to ensure what our name implies–Preservation! We enjoy a rich heritage in Western Nassau County. Through purposeful community engagement, we are driven to gain perspective and insight for inevitable growth. The underlying impetus of our goal is to maintain a high quality of life, preserve rural character, and ensure fiscally sustainable and appropriately controlled development.

The Committee and PEO staff then translated community input into the Vision Book’s goals, objectives, and strategies to be implemented over the planning horizon through 2045. Objectives and strategies relate to community goals including history, natural resources, health, quality of life, recreation, jobs and education, and public spaces and infrastructure. Community partners and other related planning efforts such as Vision 2032 and the County Comprehensive Plan are also included in the Vision Book.

The Vision Book was approved by the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee on October 22, 2019. The full County Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval to the BOCC in November 2019. Last month, the County PEO staff received the Outstanding Public Participation award from the First Coast Chapter of the Florida Planning and Zoning Association for efforts related to the Western Nassau Vision Book. The WNHPC and County staff extend many thanks to the numerous citizens who took time to attend meetings and events, or stop to talk to staff during community events. The Vision Book is truly a citizen-led plan and would not have been possible without their time and interest.

More information on the work of the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee and the Vision Book can be found at: www.nassaucountyfl.com/westernnassau.

The Nassau County Planning and Economic Opportunity Department is charged with leading long-range and current planning for the community, with a focus on technical planning, implementation and management of the Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, development and site plan review, and assistance to citizens, the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager and other staff, advisory boards, government agencies, and the private sector regarding growth and development in Nassau County. For more information on our Plan, Code, or current initiatives, visit www.nassaucountyfl.com/planning, call (904) 530-6300 or email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com.

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