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Published by former Mayor George Gardner October 6 2012
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George Gardner 57 Fullerwood Drive St. Augustine FL 32084
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|  Flagler College's plan for a 20,000 square foot classroom complex at Cuna and Cordova streets goes to a public hearing and final action before the City Commission Monday, and judging by more than two dozen comment sheets sent to the city, it could be a long hearing.
Those comment sheets, returned by immediate neighbors of the project, are summed up in one submitted by Rhonda Carter: "Save our historic area."
The commission meeting begins at 5 pm in the Alcazar Room at City Hall.
The hearing is on an amendment to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) approved through a first reading months ago. Public outcry forced it back through the city's Historic Architectural Review and Planning and Zoning boards, where modifications were approved by HARB but the plan was rejected by PZB, arguing that neither classrooms nor PUDs are appropriate for the Historic Preservation District.
Boles: Educate neighborhoods on codes
Classrooms in an Historic Preservation District, a 7-Eleven at a congested intersection, and student rental housing in a residential neighborhood prompted Mayor Joe Boles two weeks ago to suggest commissioners "take a neighborhood or two and do a neighborhood educational instructive" on city zoning and threats to neighborhoods.
"Too many times the horse gets out of the barn, then we try to close the door," Boles said. "We need a way of controlling it."
Among his suggestions: overlay zoning which overlays existing zoning with specific restrictions, and Historic Preservation District zoning.
Commissioners promised to consider the idea at future meetings.
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Gina donates
trees to city
Three palms and two Crape Myrtles have been planted along San Marco Avenue between Ballard and Williams streets through the generosity of Gina Burrell, a North City resident and member of the city's Street Tree Advisory Committee.
The site was selected by the advisory committee, and students of the neighboring ABLE school will tend to watering during the three-month transplant stabilization period.
Burrell has long been active in city beautification efforts, including a program to recognize residential and business landscaping throughout the city.
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Mini golf procedure
will go to workshop
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Plans to determine the future of the bayfront mini golf course on city land through an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) process will be reviewed by the City Commission in a workshop - the date to be set Monday.
City Manager John Regan told commissioners two weeks ago that the ITN process is governed by state statute, and he wants to make sure that's what commissioners want.
Vice Mayor Leanna Freeman was quick to endorse the workshop plan. "I'm not comfortable with the process," she said, echoing her concerns more than a month ago when Mayor Joe Boles called for an ITN after current property tenant Ripley's Entertainment and Historic Tours of America went through a bid process.
"I felt the process was followed," she said at the time, supported by Commissioner Bill Leary who added, "When we put out a number of criteria on which people rely, it's wrong to say, 'never mind. It makes us look arbitrary; it makes us look bad."
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Mobility ideas rev community
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Shuttle system - good idea; roundabouts - great idea; one-way streets - not so much.
 Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline, a member of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO) which funded last week's Mobility Institute, noted it "had strong community interest with participation by over 200 citizens in five sessions, with over 50 written comments as well."
She said a final report will be submitted to NFTPO, then to city officials. That final report will be available in a digital format for posting on City and NFTPO web sites, Sikes-Kline said.
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450 nonprofit community's job
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A nonprofit 501.c.3 "organically derived and self-directed from within our community," in City Manager John Regan's words, was endorsed by the City Commission in a 450 workshop last week.
The question was raised by Commissioner Bill Leary, who said the commemoration development "is a perfect storm of difficulty for us. How much of that dream (early commemoration goals) can we afford?"
Mayor Joe Boles, who's resisted taking 450 management out of city hall's hands and had proposed top-down management - funding first, then projects and programs, said, "I don't want to put a moment's thought into sanctioning a nonprofit group," and Commissioner Errol Jones added, "the community can get involved on their own. They don't need our direction."
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Riberia Pointe for reef building?
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 A potential environment-friendly business is being courted for the recently filled south end of Riberia Street, but commissioners want community input and more details before deciding on it.
Michael Barr, general manager for Applied Coral Technologies, described cultivating tanks offering diving and viewing for the public while producing coral for reefs and ornamentation. The proposed site would be four inland acres of the ten-acre site, and could be opened within a year of approval, Barr said.
The business is seeking a long-term lease.
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Father Camps statue restored
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 | Left, Pellicer descendants, with Torcoletti and Segal.
Mullet Wrapper photo |
Some blasting with crushed walnut shell, washing with conservator's soap, and sealing with a wax mixture applied to the metal while it was heated, all applied with the skill of sculptors Joe Segal and Enzo Torcoletti, and the Father Camps statue in the west courtyard of the Cathedral Basilica looks as fresh as when it was originally set in 1974.
Reporting in the Mullet Wrapper newsletter of the Menorcan Cultural Society, Carol Lopez-Bradshaw said the restoration was made possible, "through the donations of our members and others who are dedicated to preserving our history."
On hand at the completed effort were Ted Pellicer, X.L. Pellicer, Jr., and Patricia Danahy - all children of X.L. Pellicer, Sr., who commissioned the statue with Dr. Fernando A. Rubio I Tuduri in 1974, and Segal and Torcoletti.
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History's Highlight
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Father Camps Menorcan shepherd
2 years, 11 months, 3 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
The Mullet Wrapper, a newsletter of St. Augustine's Menorcan Cultural Society published by Society President Carol Lopez-Bradshaw, summarizes the life and dedication of Father Camps to the Menorcan community in the late 1700s, when Menorcans recruited to a New Smyrna indigo plantation escaped miserable conditions to settle in St. Augustine.
Father Camps came from the island of Menorca with the group in 1768 now known as The Menorcans. Father was born in the city of Es Mercadal, where many of his family's descendants still live today. 
During his years here in Florida, Father tended to his group. He married them, baptized their children and laid many to rest. Through those years he suffered their pains, and thought of leaving and going back to Menorca, but he could not leave them.
When they finally were given permission to leave New Smyrna and go to St. Augustine, he stayed behind with the sick and dying. He closed his parish on the 7th of November in New Smyrna and opened it the same day in St. Augustine in 1777.
Finally a replacement was sent for Father Camps to return to his home in Menorca, but he felt no one knew their language and no one knew their needs as he did, so he stayed with them.
Father Camps died in 1790 and was buried in the Tolomato Cemetery, the same cemetery he had opened to bury his people in. It was in 1800 that his body was removed and reburied in the Cathedral (now Cathedral-Basilica) under the main altar at that time.
This past year, thanks to Father Tom Willis, pastor of the Cathedral-Basilica, a bronze plaque has been placed at the foot of the main altar noting that Father Camps is buried in the church.
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The St. Augustine Report is published weekly, with additional Reports previewing City Commission meetings as well as Special Reports. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com |
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