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Published by former Mayor George Gardner January 22 2014
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or mail to George Gardner 57 Fullerwood Drive St. Augustine FL 32084
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7-Eleven Denied
Project has until Monday to file appeal
A permit for a 7-Eleven store and gas pumps at May Street and San Marco Avenue has been denied, with a two-week appeal period ending next Monday.
The appeal would go to the city's Historic Architectural Review Board, which replaced an earlier review panel of Planning and Architectural Review board members.
Planning and Building Director Mark Knight, in a letter to project Engineer Andrew Peterson, said, "This determination to deny the plans (is) based on Sections 3.1.3 and 3.3.9 of the Design Standards for Entry Corridors."
Peterson, contacted at his Melbourne FL office Tuesday on whether there will be an appeal, referred the inquiry to Charley Carpenter of Creighton Development in Cape Coral, who did not respond to a call.
Knight listed four items in the denial:
The San Marco driveway is shown to exceed 24 feet in width.
The San Marco turning radii is not between 10 and 20 feet.
The wall mounted light fixtures are not compatible with traditional commercial architecture.
The knee wall does not have a decorative cap and is not composed of concrete and coquina aggregate.
Key is the San Marco access. The Florida Department of Highways controls its right of way and allows wider driveways, but the city-controlled area limits driveway width to 24 feet under the Entry Corridor Code. The submitted plan shows 30 feet.
The Entry Corridor Guidelines were enacted into law in 2003 to preserve the historic character of the city's entry corridors and discourage major developments, as often occurs in strong tourism cities.
There were fears that the code would result in lawsuits over property rights, and the review panel was created to handle disputes. City Planner David Birchim said of the hundreds of permits since issued for the San Marco, King Street and Anastasia Boulevard corridors, only six denials had been contested, and those resolved without going to court.
The City Commission last year decided to send future reviews, which had been largely architectural, to the Architectural Review Board.
Aside from entry corridor concerns, residents and commuters have protested adding more congestion to the already traffic-heavy intersection.
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Valdes to run
for commission
John Valdes, a building contractor specializing in historic restoration, has announced his candidacy for City Commission to "preserve (St. Augustine's) historic character" and tackle "the pivotal challenges we face today that, if not properly addressed, could forever change the character and appeal of the city we love."
He'll run for the seat vacated by Bill Leary and now held by former Commissioner Don Crichlow, who stepped in with assurances he wouldn't be running to retain it.
Valdes has been outspoken as a member and past chair of the city's Planning and Zoning Board, noting recently, "All the things we talk about on the Planning and Zoning Board but don't have the tools to deal with." He's also chaired the Code Enforcement Board and served on the Historic Architectural Review Board.
Two other candidates have declared for this commission seat - retired lead railroad engineer and project manager Ron Berben and certified public accountant Todd Neville.
Former Planning and Zoning Chair Grant Misterly, a professional engineer, has declared for the seat currently held by Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, and Joe Boles is so far unopposed for a fifth term as mayor.
Candidates can file at any time, with qualifying from noon, June 16 to noon, June 20. Primary Election will be August 26 and General Election November 4.
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Only a few cities have arborists on staff, but few cities have the volume of trees we do.
St. Johns County Senior Forester Greg Dunn
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"Old Senator" live oak in the parking lot at Howard Johnson's Motel on San Marco Avenue is a prime example of majestic tree canopy.
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A certified arborist is now being sought by two city bodies to protect the city's trees.
Last week the Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) in workshop session agreed an arborist on city staff could better assess trees developers want to remove than uncertified code enforcement officials.
At a Street Tree Advisory Committee meeting last November, Public Works Director Martha Graham said she would seek a certified arborist to fill a foreman position in her Parks Division to oversee tree trimming.
At that meeting Advisory Committee Chair Chuck Lippi, a certified arborist, urged that "every tree over 30 or 36 inch diameter (measured at DBH or breast height) require a certified arborist" to oversee trimming. Last week the plan board's focus was on applications for complete removal for building footprints.
Graham Tuesday noted a problem anticipated during the PZB workshop: "There were no certified arborists who applied. We selected an individual on probationary basis so that he can get the certification within six months."
The workshop also tackled stormwater management, street lighting, and submission requirements for applications, and scheduled another workshop for April in what could become a regular feature of the board.
City Planner David Birchim outlined criteria code enforcement officials currently use to assess preserved trees threatened with removal:
- Condition re: disease, insects, danger of falling, proximity to existing or proposed structures and interference with utilities.
- Necessity for construction to allow reasonable economic use of the property.
- Effect of removal on erosion, soil moisture retention and diversion.
- Number and density of trees in the neighborhood, and effect of removal on property values in the neighborhood.
- Whether the tree has been designated a preserved tree.
- Impact upon the urban and natural environment, including ground and surface water stabilization, ecological impacts, and wildlife habitat.
- Ability to alter or revise plan to accommodate existing trees.
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Rice Building demolition denied by review board
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Demolition of the historic Rice Building at King Street and Markland Place was denied last week by the city's Historic Architectural Review Board, member Randal Roark calling it "a historically significant building."
Marian Rice, widow of Fred Rice who died in 2008, made the appeal through a trust. In a three-hour discussion before a large audience, conflicting architectural reports put renovation of the long vacant building between $300,000 and $600,000.
Rice Attorney Jeremiah Mulligan anticipated an appeal to the City Commission.
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DOCUMENTING AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY - A display of four black teenagers at Woolworth's lunch counter and an interactive panel, being tested by a youngster, are among elements in the exhibit Journey: 450 years of the African American Experience, open at the Visitor Center through July 15.
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African-American Folk Art from Florida
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African-American vernacular art, interspersed with objects lent by members of St. Augustine's African American community, including paintings, quilts, dolls and ceramics, and artwork by elementary school students, are featured in a Crisp-Ellert Art Museum exhibition through February 28.
"By illuminating and celebrating the ties between what is widely held as "folk art" and the objects and artwork lent by St. Augustinians," curators say, "we hope to create a lasting conversation about the significance of objects - individually and collectively - intimately or within a museum setting."
French in maritime archaeology
Dr. John de Bry, Director of the Center for Historical Archaeology and historian focused on translation of colonial French and Spanish documents, joins Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) Director Chuck Meide Sunday afternoon at 3 pm to display artifacts from a French shipwreck excavated in 1997-1998 at the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean and discuss
The French Fleet of 1565: Collision of Empires, the clash between Jean Ribault and Pedro Menendez which resulted in Ribault's fleet being destroyed in a hurricane. The event is free with museum admission.
LAMP plans to begin a search for the lost ships of Jean Ribault's fleet of 1565 in July.
Uptown Saturday Night
The popular strolling along San Marco Avenue the last Saturday monthly 5 - 9 pm offers live music, refreshments, new exhibits, book signings and more among its galleries, antique stores and unique shops between Ripley's Museum and the Mission of Nombre de Dios. The Mission provides free parking.
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History's highlight
The Nation Robbing an
Indian Chief of His Wife
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1 year, 7 months, 18 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
Excerpts from Art in Florida, Maybelle Mann, Pineapple Press, 1999.
Depicting the legendary kidnapping of Osceola's half-black wife, this engraving from The Anti-Slavery Almanac of 1839 mocks American principles of liberty, noting that while "monarchical" Spain sheltered fugitive blacks, "republican" America placed their children in chains.
Osceola was a strong leader of Seminole resistance against the whites. Born in Alabama around 1804, he denied having white blood. However, his lineage has been traced back to trader James McQueen, a Scottish highlander.
Osceola's mother, Polly Copinger, a Creek of the Tallahassee group, was McQueen's granddaughter and the wife of a white trader named William Powell. Osceola was their only child.
His tall, erect stature and expressive countenance showed his pride. In his dealings with whites, Osceola was proud to the point of arrogance. Although he was not a chief and, according to Native American custom, had no voice in the councils of his tribe, his natural leadership ability soon asserted itself.
The unfair treatment of Osceola's wife, Morning Dew, was one of the main reasons for his open hostility toward whites.
Her mother was the daughter of a Native American chief and a slave. This gave Morning Dew the status of "free-born." Although the couple was married long enough to have four children, Morning Dew's trace of African blood gave white settlers an excuse to carry her off as a slave.
She was seized as a slave by a person holding the claim of her mother's former master. Osceola never forgave the whites for what he considered an insult to both his people and himself. The incident was pictured in The Nation Robbing an Indian Chief of His Wife and written about in the Anti-Slavery Almanac, 1839.
Osceola became the most successful leader of the Seminole resistance. When the Second Seminole War broke out in November 1835, Osceola led the fight against Andrew Jackson's plan to move the tribe to the West.
He was captured by the whites under a false flag of truce and was eventually moved to Fort Moultrie, an island off Charleston, South Carolina. Already in poor health from repeated bouts of malaria, he died there. His capture made Osceola famous, securing his place as the most romantic figure of the Second Seminole War.
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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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