AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — At the heart of the debate is the home pitch where hundreds of children play soccer.
The city of Fernandina Beach is considering replacing long-standing soccer fields at the Ybor Alvarez Ball Park with private aviation hangars.
The battle between youth sports and airport expansion is now heading to a community workshop on March 3. At the center of that conversation are hangars like the ones currently at the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport.
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For up to 2,000 children, these fields are more than just grass. Families say it is a home for youth sports — now potentially on borrowed time.
“This is where we primarily practice for recreational and competitive soccer programs,” said Amy Crawford, secretary of the Amelia Island Youth Soccer Board.
Crawford’s 13-year-old daughter, Reagan, also plays on these fields.
“We see all kinds of sports come out here, like flag football,” Crawford said.
The soccer fields at Ybor Alvarez Ball Park are owned by the city of Fernandina Beach, but they sit on municipal airport property, which the FAA gave to the city.
And all land designated as airport property is still regulated by the FAA.
“The fall season is in jeopardy because there is no field space,” Crawford said.
Several options are on the table ahead of the March 3 community workshop with the city, including working with the county to expand field space, moving forward with the original plan to purchase the Ybor softball fields, or converting a portion of the nearby golf course into playing fields.
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“We want to find a way forward with the city, the city commissioners, and all the other youth sports that are involved,” Crawford said.
In an email response, the city manager said regulation-size fields off the island could serve as an interim solution.
But parents argue that could mean a 60- to 90-minute commute for some families.
The city also said purchasing airport land and constructing new soccer fields would be a nearly $6.6 million project.
“It’s also a space for families to come out and watch their kids play and grow,” Crawford said.
The future remains uncertain: preserve the fields where these kids grow, or allow airport expansion plans to move forward.
The president of the Amelia Island Soccer Club told Action News Jax in part that if the airport moves forward with the current timeline, it would significantly reduce access and have a much larger impact on all youth sports on the island if facilities must be shared.
The club is pushing for people to pack into City Hall on March 3 from 5-7 p.m.
The city also said, in response, it will be holding another community workshop on March 3 to discuss the best path forward.
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