St. Augustine Report

Published by the Department of Public Affairs, City of St. Augustine. Florida April 26 2011

Parking/Traffic continuing priorities

Enforcement of parking hours around the plaza, designs for reconnecting the Castillo and Bayfront, horse carriage routes, the ParkNow marketing program.

They're among the city's continuing parking and traffic concerns, and they'll be on Thursday's Parking and Traffic Committee (PAT) agenda at 8:30 a.m. in the Alcazar conference room adjacent to the City Commission chambers.

The committee is appointed by the City Commission. Former Mayor Len Weeks is current chairman. Its monthly meetings are public.

Among Thursday's topics: scaled back plans to improve traffic flow along the bayfront, horse carriage routes including a possible reverse direction, and progress in efforts to promote the use of ParkNow cards that cut parking expenses in half.

Hemingway

at Markland

The Ernest Hemingway era in Key West and Cuba will be recast May 21 in A Hemingway Night at Flagler College's Markland House.

Island-inspired hors d'oeuvres, mojito tasting, and a Hemingway look-alike contest are planned for the Florida Heritage Book Festival-hosted event, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Reservations $60 per person here or 904.940.0194

Federal 450 panel named

A federal 13-member St. Augustine Commemoration Commission has been named which includes local officials Mayor Joe Boles, Father Tom Willis of Cathedral Parish, and Gordie Wilson, Superintendent of the Castillo de San Marcos.

Details on the city website.

The Master Plan for

parking and traffic

The city's Parking and Traffic Committee in 2003 developed a seven-point Master Plan to address major traffic flow in an historic city with a 400-year-old town plan.

The Heritage Tourism Signage Program - Highway signage to direct traffic to parking areas (completed), and historic district wayfinding signage for pedestrians (a work in progress).

Visitor Information Center Transportation Facility - Completed in 2006, the 1,200-vehicle facility has formed a point of entry for visitors as well as convenient location for all-day parking for downtown workers and Flagler College students.

Downtown Shuttle - A free shuttle ran a looped route from the Visitor Information Center to the Plaza, but was discontinued after one year with lack of ridership. Future shuttle plans continue to be studied.

Parking Disincentives for Downtown Area - What began as a negative was developed into a positive, scientifically designed parking meter and terminal system to balance supply and demand of parking spaces. An increase in parking fees was negative, but finding a parking space open near a patron's restaurant or shop has become a positive.

Residential Parking Decal Program - Several neighborhoods have taken advantage of a program allowing them, by petition, to designate a number of parking spaces for residents only with decals.

Parking at San Sebastian Harbour - A parking facility was incorporated with plans to develop Sebastian Inland Harbor at US 1 and King Street to share, as a key entry point, traffic burden with the visitor center facility.

Remodel the Lightner Parking Lot - with the abandonment of plans ten years ago to build a parking facility behind the Lightner Building, businesses in the area continued demands for improved parking, suggesting removal of the former fire station and reconfiguring existing parking. The former station has since been remodeled to house the city's Financial Services Department, while reconfiguration of existing parking and development of two new parking lots have expanded parking.

FSDB, neighbors meet Thursday

Difficulties between the Nelmar Terrace neighborhood and Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) have resurfaced and prompted a meeting of the two bodies Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in The Alcazar Room at City Hall.

Recently, the FSDB began construction on the Collins House at 30 Nelmar Avenue. Resident Melinda Rakoncay has led a years-long battle with the school to prevent changing the use of the property from residential to institutional.

Planning and Building Director Mark Knight hopes this conflict between a state school and local neighborhood can be smoothed out in Thursday's Meeting.

New StAR on St. Johns horizon

"The Chamber promotes St. Augustine to businesses. The Visitors & Convention Bureau promotes to visitors. No group is actively pursuing individuals who may be contemplating a move to Florida, but have not heard of or considered St. Augustine."

On this premise, StAR, the St Augustine Regional StAR's Jenness and Flagler team Council, Inc. has been formed by a group of regional professionals.

Their website is www.movetoflorida.org. Why no reference to St. Augustine?

"People who know to search for St. Augustine already know about it," says Barbara Jenness, a Realtor and StAR president. "We want to target people thinking about moving to Florida but with no idea what we have to offer."

After listing the special attributes of this region, the website suggests, "So, go ahead and visit Tampa, Orlando, and Miami, but settle in St. Augustine. You will be glad you did."

StAR's most recent get-together included a marketing plan produced by Flagler College students Jenny Caldwell, David Miller, and John Larsen, advised by the Business Department's Ernie Driscoll.

StAR boasts a membership of 60, with room for more.

Quite simply stated, "StAR is open to anyone who is affected by the economic condition of St. Johns County."

Spengler Island burns again

The smoke visible across the San Sebastian from Ponce de Leon Boulevard last week came from Spengler Island - once again victim to fire. Spengler fire 2011 (Randolph Weedman photos)

The island - winter home and failed resort venture in the late 1800s of John Francis Whitney, grandson of cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney - had a more notable fire in the early 1900s: the abandoned Whitney estate (Report October 26 2010).

Photographer / Floral Designer Randolph Weedman caught the recent fire scene (flame detail inset) and did a bit of research.

"Spengler Island is a pine-covered island in the San Sebastian River just north of King Street. The County purchased Spengler for wetland mitigation to offset wetland impacts from County projects.

"In order to get mitigation credit, part of the management for the island includes invasive species removal. When purchased, Spengler Island had a thriving population of both Chinese tallow and Brazilian pepper trees.

"Since 2008, County staff has removed the species manually and through the use of herbicide. The island continues to be monitored and removal activities are on-going, but the majority of the invasive plants are gone."

Article Headline

'The sea . . . rose to the very clouds'

4 years, 4 months, 14 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary

From the 10,000-word Memoir of Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, principal priest with Pedro Menendez de Avilés on his voyage to Florida June 28 - August 28, 1565.

Up to Friday, July 20th, we had very fine weather, but at ten o'clock that day a violent wind arose, which by two in the afternoon had become the most frightful hurricane one could imagine. The sea, which rose to the very clouds, seemed about to swallow us up alive, and such was the fear and apprehension of the pilot and other sailors that I exerted myself to exhort my brethren and companions to repentance. Ship battling high seas

Very often the sea washed completely over the deck where we were gathered, one hundred and twenty men having no other place to go, as there was only one between-decks, and that was full of biscuit, wine, and other provisions.

We were in such great danger that it was found necessary to lighten the vessel, and we threw a great many barrels of water into the sea, as well as our cooking apparatus and seven millstones which we were taking with us. Most of the reserve rigging and the great ship's cable were cast overboard, and still the waves continued to break over us.

The admiral then resolved to throw all the chests of the men into the sea, but the distress of the soldiers was so great that I felt constrained to throw myself at his feet and beg him not to do it. Like a true Christian, he showed confidence in God, and spared the luggage.

When the tempest arose, our five vessels were sailing in company, but during the night the hurricane was so violent that they were driven in different directions, and we lost sight of one another for three days.

On Thursday, August 9, about noon, we came in sight of Porto Rico, and entered the port on Friday, St. Lawrence's Day, at about three in the afternoon. On entering the harbor, we discovered our first galley anchored there, with the San Pelago, which had become separated from us in a storm.

We remained four days in port, during most of which time it rained. On Wednesday, the 15th, more than thirty men deserted and concealed themselves around the harbor, among them three of the seven priests who accompanied the expedition. It was impossible to find them, dead or alive, which distressed the general very much, and me, too, as it added greatly to my labors.

The St. Augustine Report is published by the Department of Public Affairs of the City of St. Augustine each Tuesday and on Fridays previewing City Commission meetings. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, former St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a longtime newspaper reporter and editor. Contact The Report at gardner@aug.com