In summer 2021, the Atlantic Beach City Commission asked City staff to conduct a community visioning process, beginning in the fall and wrapping up before the end of the year. Planning for Atlantic Beach’s future is proceeding full-steam ahead.

What is a community vision and why is one needed?

A community vision is an image of the city’s future – a place where residents and business operators want to journey together. It’s an ideal statement that goes beyond today’s political or economic boundaries to a picture of life as it could be in a community in the future.  For the purpose of the City of Atlantic Beach’s exercise, the future that is being defined is almost 20 years from now – the year 2040. Further:

• By laying out what the community wants Atlantic Beach to look like in the year 2040 physically, socially and environmentally, the community will have a litmus test to define the direction of its future plans and projects. When the community sets annual or longer term priorities, residents and City leaders will be encouraged to ask, “Will this plan or project bring us closer to our community vision?”
• A community vision is a positive mindset – the success residents look forward to rather than the obstacles that might be faced. The visioning process focuses on the future without being hindered by the past.
• Community visions are inspirational. They motivate, inspire and excite people as they come together, establish trust, respect diversity, and listen respectfully.  
• The community vision will provide a baseline for staff to establish a Mission Statement, which is expected to provide a roadmap of actionable steps city government will take to carry out the community’s vision.

 How will the community do this?

• Step 1 (Completed – September-October 2021): City staff distributed a questionnaire in utility bills, at committee and advisory meetings, city commission meetings, on the city’s website, newsletters, social media outlets, and at the customer service counters. The idea was to gather thousands of ideas from every neighborhood and business in Atlantic Beach; we are very pleased to have received 785 questionnaires.

Here is the questionnaire

Question 1 responses

Question 2 responses

Question 3 responses

Question 4 responses

Question 5 responses

• Step 2 (completed – October-November 2021): Identify themes. Staff (assisted throughout this process by AB resident Linda Lanier) reviewed the questionnaire responses and identified a drumbeat of what seems to be resonating from the community members (via their survey responses) – what they love, what they are worried about, etc. 
• Step 3: (Completed – November 2021): Members of the City’s committees and advisory boards were called upon to help with this stage of the process by completing a new survey that emanated from the results of the citizen questionnaire responses. This exercise assisted staff in reality-testing, prioritizing themes and drafting a proposed Vision Statement. Indeed, staff feels that our community – not staff – fashioned this proposed Vision Statement. We are pleased to report that 28 of 38 (74 percent) of board and committee members participated in the survey. 

Board and committee member survey

Survey responses

Proposed vision statement

• Step 4: Development and approval of the finished product (under way): The City Commission will finalize and approve the community vision and announce it to the citizens. The target date is Dec. 13. 

For information on the City's community visioning project, visit www.coab.us/vision; or contact Deputy City Manager Kevin Hogencamp at khogencamp@coab.us or (904) 247-5804.