Streetscape bids over $2.7 million estimate
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Published by former Mayor George Gardner March 8 2014
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Streetscape bids over
$2.7 million estimate
Following bids of $3,463,041 and $3,800,500 for the city's estimated $2.7 million historic street-scape program, and a rebid lowering the number to $3,241,032, city staff will tell city commissioners Monday they are working on project reductions to make the numbers work.
"The City made adjustments and requested both (bidding) contractors to provide a new bid along with their schedule of values to allow staff the ability to analyze the contractor's pricing," Public Works Director Martha Graham writes in a memo to commissioners.
The low rebid, by J.B. Coxwell of Jacksonville, was still high, so staff is considering such tweaks as reducing the number of new light fixtures and "removing the sister-city garden plantings, which can be accomplished by a volunteer group," Graham wrote. Savings could be about $115,000.
The project, to beautify Spanish, Hypolita and Treasury streets, as well as an assessment district for neighboring property owners, is scheduled for public hearing at Monday's City Commission meeting, beginning at 5 pm in the Alcazar Room at City Hall.
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St. Augustine's
new fire chief
James "JC" Costeira is St. Augustine's new fire chief replacing recently retired Mike Arnold.
He's been with the fire department for more than 27 years, a captain since 2008.
"The St. Augustine Fire Department has a long tradition of total commitment to the people of our city and I am confident that JC will continue that tradition," said City Manager John Regan in making the announcement.
Costeira grew up in St. Augustine, graduated from St. Joseph's Academy, and is the son of former City Commissioner James Costeira.
Photo: Costeira 'pinned' at earlier event. Historic City News
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Why price escalated
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"We are attributing the price escalation to two factors," says Graham:
Contractors are getting busier, development is picking up and consequently we are finding price increases,
In the contractor's view, this is a high risk job; engineers can't estimate the price contractors build in to reduce their risks.
"Obviously, this is a high risk project because of the narrow streets and heavy commercial/retail and pedestrian traffic," says Graham. The contractors have built into their prices close to $500,000 to cover unknowns and high risks - the two highest mobilization and demolition ($300,000) and maintenance of traffic ($225,000).
"We are negotiating with the low bid contractor now and hope to have better pricing to reduce some of the costs and some of the contractor's unknowns."
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Screening utility boxes
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Screening sample
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City commissioners Monday will look at utility screening requirements for such as the electric panels in one corner of the Plaza de la Constitución - which raised hackles as they obscured the city's War Memorial.
City Planning and Building Director Mark Knight will present requirements used in Orlando and Anaheim CA.
City General Services Director Jim Piggott says the memorial will be moved "hopefully mid next week" after City Archaeologist Carl Halbirt studies the move site on the north side of the plaza market building. Knight will present requirements used in Orlando and Anaheim CA.
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Wendler, Whetstone lawsuits
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City commissioners have an hour of work before their regular meeting Monday at 5 pm in the alcazar Room at City Hall.
Litigation on two lingering cases, Wendler v. City and Whetstone v. City will be discussed behind closed doors at 4 pm as City Attorney Ron Brown updates commissioners on the current status.
Wendler wants compensation for city denial of demolition of eight properties on King AND Oviedo streets for a boutique hotel, and the Whetstones challenge the city's claim to own bottomlands where they want to construct a dock.
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Consent agenda
7-Eleven appeal, dredging, boat ramp repairs
The Consent Agenda at Monday's City Commission meeting - usually read and acted on without comment, includes a finding of legal sufficiency to appeal denial of a building permit for 7-Eleven, and resolutions for grants to repair the Lighthouse Boat Ramp and dredge Salt Run. There's also an interlocal agreement with the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District for the dredging.
7-Eleven appeal 'sufficient'
Years back the City Commission authorized a two-step process to block what officials called "frivolous" appeals. So rather than going directly to the City Commission, appeals are reviewed by the city attorney's office for legal sufficiency as they always have been, but then brought to the commission to bless the findings before coming back another two weeks later for the actual appeal.
Hearing on the appeal of a permit denial for a proposed 7-Eleven store and 12 gas pumps at San Marco Avenue and May Street goes to the commission at its March 24 meeting.
The permit was denied by City Planning and Building Director Mark Knight, primarily because driveway width on San Marco failed to meet entrance corridor guidelines. An appeal to the city's Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) which reviews guideline disputes was rejected.
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Profile
The distilling of Phil McDaniel
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McDaniel at the distillery
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Once in his craw, it won't let go.
Phil McDaniel moved from project SWING, a community developed kids' park adjacent to Francis Field, to Upchurch Park on Red Cox Drive in Davis Shores, to an even more daunting task - the adaptive reuse of the historic ice plant on Riberia Street as St. Augustine Distillery.
You'll be able to punch in your time card on an original time-stamp machine, then browse the museum corridor with displays of ice making, spirits making, and all that goes into each, then tour the distillery and wrap it up in the tasting room.
The distillery is open 10-6 today and 11-6 Sunday, beginning regular 10-6 hours Tuesday. Follow it on Facebook.
It wasn't the idea of being a distiller that drove Phil - it was boredom. "I told Ryan (Detra, a close friend and associate on various projects) I needed something to do. After a week or two, he suggested, 'How about a craft distillery?'."
Between then and now, Phil and team scoured the county and nearby for growers of elements that go into spirits, snapped up the former master distiller at Maker's Mark, got a bill through the state legislature to allow sales of craft distillery spirits, and courted Florida Power and Light to allow parking on its land that surrounds to distillery.
Along with renovating and outfitting the ice plant for new life. All the space has found use. One section now houses the Ice Plant Bar and Restaurant, open daily at 5 pm and already boasting a number three ranking for new restaurants in the south by Garden and Gun magazine.
Phil sees the venture as the saving of a long-vacant historic building and both a business and tourist attraction, with the emphasis on local - ingredients, products, and jobs.
Photo: Yoshitaka Hamada, Jacksonville Business Journal
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Ponce Day to greet Espiritu
What's growing into an annual event since last year's 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida, Ponce de Leon Day unfolds Saturday, April 5, at and around the Vilano Town Center.
El Espiritu de Santiago, a volunteer conversion of a shrimp boat, will make its inaugural run to Vilano in a day including a sea battle between the Black Raven and Queen Anne's Revenge, entertainment by the St. George Players, vendors and living history demonstrations.
The name El Espiritu de Santiago - the Spirit of Santiago - pays respect to Ponce's flagship, the Santiago - a caravel.
Ponce de Leon Day at Vilano is just fine with the Vilano Main Street team, who developed Saturday Sunset Celebrations over the past two years. "We know once you're here to watch the sun go down on our intracoastal beach, you'll want to come back," says Vilano Town Center's driving force Vivian Browning.
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History's highlight
Menendez prepared for Ribault return
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1 year, 6 months, 1 day to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
Pedro Menendez wrote to his King Phillip II after seizing the French Fort Caroline in September 1565 of his plans if the French Captain Jean Ribault's fleet survived a hurricane and attempted to return. Ribault was among 263 shipwreck survivors found and executed by Menendez a month later at Matanzas.
 If the vessel (Ribault) was on was not lost he will make every effort to come by sea. Should he do so I await him, and with the help of God, he will be lost.
He might also go inland with one of the Casiques, his friend, who lives thirty leagues from here, and is very powerful. Should this be the case I will seek him there, because it is not convenient that he and his companions should remain alive.
Should he come by sea to the Fort (Caroline) I have the entrance to the Bar mined with two savage cannon and guns, so that should they succeed in making an entrance, we can sink them. A brigantine is kept in readiness to capture the people and I shall do all in my power to prevent his escape.
The things found in the Fort were only four pieces of brass of about five tons, the cannon and guns which had come from France were dismounted and carried to the galleons when they went in search of me.
There were found besides twenty-five bronze muskets and as much as twenty tons of powder and ammunition for these pieces, about one hundred and sixty barrels of flour, twenty casks of wine.
The balance of the supplies had not been unloaded, as they were hesitating whether they should fortify this Port, fearing I should land here, which I could easily have done.
Since their arrival they had spent most of their time in debaucheries over the joy felt at the news they had received that northeast of Santa Elena was a range of mountains coming from the Zacatecas where there were great mines of silver.
The Indians from those parts had brought them many pieces of silver to the amount of five and six thousand ducats. We found to the amount of three thousand ducats, more or less, in clothes and all kinds of valuables; some hogs, male and female; also sheep and asses; all this was ransacked by the soldiers; nothing escaped them.
Menendez is in St. Augustine Bedtime Stories - Dramatic accounts of famous people and events. Details here.
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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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