|
West Augustine sewer plan hailed
|
|
Published by former Mayor George Gardner August 28 2013
The Report is an independent publication serving our community.
Contributions are greatly appreciated.
or mail to
George Gardner 57 Fullerwood Drive St. Augustine FL 32084
Click to order St. Augustine Bedtime Stories -
two sets of twelve, $15 each set
|
|
West Augustine leaders
Hail $16 million sewer plan
"Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney said economic development stops at the end of the sewer line," St. Johns Housing Partnership Director Bill Lazar noted as he and a host of West Augustine leaders praised a long range plan to continue sewer line expansion along and around West King Street.
That $16 million plan was approved Monday by St. Augustine's City Commission, beginning with a $1.5 million set of projects along West King and Volusia streets.
West Augustine Community Redevelopment and Weed and Seed Chair Greg White, CRA Economic Development Chair Robert Newman, Ben Coney of the St. John Housing and Economic Development Authority, and former County Commissioner Ken Bryan were among those seeing a successful end to years of planning.
City Manager John Regan said loan repayment for the work "will be spread across all (utility) payers," but Lazar is confident "if you put it in, people will build" to increase the funds in the city's utility system.
The county will seek funding through an Urban County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to provide assistance for property owner connection fees, one of the funding strategies developed by consultants Black & Veatch, charged with planning and finding innovative funding for the major plan.
The city's Assistant Public Works Director Todd Grant said the county will be responsible for enforcing hookups to available sewer lines, but anticipated CDBG funding will help.
Regan said, "Projects like this can't be done without city and county cooperation," and commissioners called for a jolting meeting to cement that relationship.
|
|
|
|
Ringing in
Fifty years ago today, at 3 pm on the mall in Washington DC, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. concluded his "I have a dream" speech with a call to "Let Freedom Ring."
St. Augustine will join cities across the nation today at 3 pm in ringing bells "that affirm the unity of people of all races, religions and nations," said King Center Director Bernice A. King.
"My father concluded his great speech with a call to 'Let freedom ring,' and that is a challenge we will meet with a magnificent display of brotherhood and sisterhood in symbolic bell-ringing at places of worship, schools and other venues where bells are available from coast to coast and continent to continent."
|
|
If you're seeing news in the Report you haven't seen elsewhere, please consider making a contribution in support.
|
|
|
Paint it brick,
Call it sidewalk
|
 Developers hoping for a permit to build a 7-Eleven store and gas pumps at busy San Marco Avenue and May Street are proposing painting a driveway section brick pattern and calling it a "crosswalk" to get around driveway width restrictions.
The section along San Marco Avenue is critical to provide tanker truck access, but the city's entry corridor code restricts driveway widths to 24 feet to maintain low impact commercial development.
"I'm disappointed that the city's intent of downscaling the development along the San Marco corridor continues to be ignored," Nelmar Neighborhood Association Vice President Matt Shaffer said of the plan. "This latest proposal essentially takes a large commercial-scale entranceway and paints a picture of a more appropriately-sized driveway over top of it."
The Florida Department of Transportation requires a turning radius that allows tanker access. The turning radius spans some 81 feet along the FDOT right of way, which the city can't control. But greater width extends into the city-controlled area and its entry corridor guidelines.
After final plans, under review by a variety of city agencies, are complete, Planning and Building Director Mark Knight will decide whether a permit can be issued.
|
|
Parking under Francis Field?
|
Consultant Jeremy Marquis of Marquis Halback Design suggests that a deck of underground parking beneath Francis Field and a four deck parking facility adjacent to the Flagler buildings on Malaga Street can provide a necessary 1,400 additional parking spaces for peak visit times during the year.
Presenting a preliminary plan for a federally funded program to improve Castillo traffic flow, Marquis said the Francis Field deck could provide 880 spaces, the Malaga Street facility 600.
"Castillo visitation is around 700,000," he said, "and in the first five months of 2013 is up 20%."
Among ideas presented to the City Commission Monday:
Making Spanish Street one-way north and Charlotte Street one-way south
Breaking Treasury Street from through traffic on St. George as is Cuna
Curbless historic district streets with brick traffic area and coquina sidewalk area
Marquis suggested a process of determining priorities, gathering public input, permitting and building.
|
|
|
|
|
Contracts quick and slower
|
City commissioners Monday quickly approved an after the fact agreement for an art exhibit at the Visitor Center, but the Tourist Development Council (TDC) earlier in the day was not so quick to approve a Visitor Center contract between city and county.
Approved was an agreement with Mayor Joe Boles, who bought a series of Ordinary People paintings by local artist John Trousdell as a contribution to the 450th commemoration. The free exhibit, already installed, continues through October 27.
The TDC earlier Monday called for a more complete contract between the city and county, which is providing funds for county services at the center. The county provided $200,000 in 2008 shortly after the city's upgrading of the VIC, then cut it to $160,000 in 2010, where it has remained since.
TDC Director Glenn Hastings told the TDC board Monday requirements in the contract "reflect some of the changes made to the VIC." Over the past year half the center has been converted into an exhibit area.
Among provisions, the city is "to provide on-the-street hosts on an annual average of four days per week dressed in period costume throughout primary tourist areas within the City's Historic Preservation District for the purpose of greeting visitors and providing visitor information," as well as a "secret shopper" program to assure accurate, positive and fair information is provided to visitors."
|
|
News & notes
|
Alcohol and murals
City commissioners Monday called for a "full risk assessment report" on its recently passed
ordinance to allow alcohol sales within 100 feet of churches, even as Exchange Bank owners, who originated the ordinance change, go before the Planning and Zoning Board Tuesday to seek a Planned Unit Development (PUD) "to allow an events venue hall with alcohol sales and consumption."
 The board meeting begins at 2 pm, and includes an application by Ice Plant Distillery developer Phil McDaniel to modify its PUD to include a mural, a new handicap ramp and new fencing around outside equipment. Mumford team offers details Ten days before 25,000 descend on St. Augustine for the Mumford and Sons Gentlemen of the Road Stopover, the city will hold a an open house Tuesday, September 3 from 4-7 pm at the Casa Monica Hotel "to meet one-on-one with members of the local GOTR leadership team with questions regarding public safety, traffic management, ticketing, the transportation shuttle, satellite parking, and business opportunities associated with the event." Multimodal plan public meeting A public meeting Thursday, August 29, from 6-8 pm in The Alcazar Room at City Hall, will seek public comment on a North Florida Transportation Planning Organization study for a multimodal transportation center in the St. Augustine area. Among potential future developments, restoration of Amtrak regional commuter rail and Jacksonville-St. Augustine commuter rail. |
|
History's highlight
Priest's account of founding
|
2 years, 12 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
Days before setting foot on land himself, Pedro Menendez had sent two companies of infantry ashore to find a suitable location for fortification, while he continued searching the coastline for the French. 
His troops were well received in the Indian village of Seloy, the chief offering his timber and thatch house to them. Around this immense house, capable of holding 300 persons, the troops built an entrenchment with a slope of earth and facines (timbers).
From the memoir of Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, principal priest to Menendez:
"On Saturday, (September) 8th, the general landed with many banners spread, to the sound of trumpets and salutes of artillery. As I had gone ashore the evening before, I took a cross and went to meet him, singing the hymn Te Deum laudamus.
"The general marched up to the cross, followed by all who accompanied him, and there they kneeled and embraced the cross. A large number of Indians watched these proceedings and imitated all they saw done.
"The same day the general took formal possession of the country in the name of his Majesty, and all the captains took the oath of allegiance to him, as their general and governor of the country.
"When this ceremony was ended, he offered to do everything in his power for them, especially for Captain Patino who ... I think, will be rewarded for his assiduity and talents in constructing a fort in which to defend ourselves until the arrival of help from St. Domingo and Havana."
University of Florida Distinguished History Professor Emeritus Michael Gannon established through research that, following the landing and a Mass of Thanksgiving, a feast was ordered by Menendez, at which Seloy's tribe took part - the first Thanksgiving in these lands.
Image: The Founding, Mission of Nombre de Dios
St. Augustine Bedtime Stories -
Dramatic accounts of famous people and events in St. Augustine's history - in booklets designed for quick reads before bed. Information here.
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
