William Burgess Overlay District

WBD Blueprint CoverThe PEO Department updated the William Burgess Overlay District in 2019 to include all the lands east of I-95, West of US-17, South of SR-200 and North of the Nassau River through creation of the William Burgess District Context and Connectivity Blueprint. The Board of County Commissioners approved the William Burgess District Context and Connectivity Blueprint on July 8, 2019 via Ordinances 2019-19 and 2019-20.

Click here to see the FINAL William Burgess Context and Connectivity Blueprint Document.

Click here to see the Appendices for the William Burgess Context and Connectivity Blueprint Document.

The Overlay District is also available to view through the Nassau County Property Appraiser's map tool. Select "Map Layers" at the top, then "Planning and Growth Management," then "William Burgess District Transect."

View past outreach presentations on the District:

Nassau Crossing PUD

The Nassau Crossing PUD was the first Planned Unit Development approved within the William Burgess District. It expands on the theme and aesthetic of the William Burgess Vision Book. The Nassau Crossing PUD was unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners on December 11, 2017. 

Pages from PUD Document 12-11-17

View the Nassau Crossing PUD Document here.

Origins of the Overlay District

Prior to the expanded William Burgess Overlay, the County started with a smaller land area to address development standards. The William Burgess Overlay District was imagined as a railroad community reinvented through a vibrant and engaging built environment that captures the essence of the railroad's heritage and applies that in a modern way. The aesthetic is intended to create an engaging and creative place by incorporating old styles with a new feel. 

In order to create the theme and aesthetic of the William Burgess District, the County created a Vision Book. The Vision Book and design standards were unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners on December 11, 2017. The ideas captured in this original Vision Book have been incorporated into the expanded William Burgess Context and Connectivity Blueprint.

View the original William Burgess District Vision Book here. 

On November 21, 2019, First Coast APA presented: Development & Form-Based Code Within the William Burgess District. During this presentation, Nassau County staff and local developers offered insight about developing in one of Northeast Florida's first form-based codes. The William Burgess District Context and Connectivity Blueprint (WB CCB) is the implementation tool of the award winning William Burgess District (WBD) Vision Book. The WBD encompasses 5,400 acres and is a hybrid form-based code focusing on quality, compact urbanization and multi-modal connectivity to facilitate the formation of an inclusive community where people can live, work, play, and stay. The WB CCB ensures that civic facilities, such as parks and schools, are available for, and integrated into, the community which will be served by a robust, multi-modal transportation network.