ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. — At the Embassy Suites Hotel in St. Augustine Beach Wednesday, right next to Anastasia State Park, elected officials from all over Northeast Florida spoke out against developing state parks.
"Developing a state park that is so pristine and has been a part of so many families for so long is absolutely ridiculous," said Neptune Beach Mayor Elaine Brown.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is proposing to build golf courses, hotels and pickleball courts inside nine state parks, including Anastasia State Park which would have the biggest hotel of the plans.
"This is an egregious overreach," St. Johns County Commissioner Sarah Arnold said. "The state government's plan sought no local input whatsoever with public meetings that were hastily scheduled and just as hastily canceled."
St. Augustine Beach Mayor Dylan Rumrell said the project could "potentially cause irreversible damage."
As he stood with the Neptune Beach mayor at the podium, Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford said, "You can imagine this really matters to us with what happens here at Anastasia State Park. Because the same thing could happen in Hannah Park if we are not vigilant as mayors. We stand absolutely united."
When the elected officials were asked if they knew who was behind a proposed 350-room hotel on state park property -- which would be bigger than the hotel where they were holding the press conference -- they said they did not know.
Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond responded by saying, "We’ve been chatting amongst us. Unless somebody knows something I don’t know, it’s a mystery."
Noting the strength of their stance, First Coast News also asked what the plan was to do with their concerns.
Diamond answered, saying, "Well, this is step one. Right? To stand up." He went on to say, "To get local control over permitting is another step. And by the way, a community united together can file lawsuits."
"I have been on the phone almost 24 hours a day with our lobbying team and our friends up in Tallahassee," Arnold said.
"Carrying out the preservation of land and protection of our natural resources is dependent on the vote of the people," Florida House Rep. Cyndi Stevenson said.
The voices of the people could be heard in the distance. Because the press conference was on private property and it was for the press only, concerned residents were turned away, but they gathered just off-site and within view of the press conference.
Desiree Sanders was one of those residents proudly wearing a shirt that stated "Keep Florida Wild."
She told First Coast News, "We're just trying to make our voices heard. We do want to say thank you to those who are opposing it up there," she pointed to the lawn where the press conference took place.
Some elected officials did speak to those who were turned away.
Ford told them, "All of the Jacksonville Beaches support you. We are with you. We'll fight to the end on this one. We will keep Anastasia State Park the way it is."
The small crowd responded with cheers and 'thank yous.'
"This is a wake-up call because if this [proposed project] is okay, there needs to be additional legislation," Stevenson added.