Published by former Mayor George Gardner February 7 2015
The Report is an independent publication serving our community
|
|
|
 It's not so much the dispute between clay and concrete brick pavers going before the City Commission on appeal Monday as the fact it finally got there at all.
The commission meeting begins at 5 pm in the Alcazar Room at City Hall and is broadcast live at CoSATV.
The patio at David & Catherine White's O.C. White's restaurant at Avenida Menendez and Marine Street is paved in brick - but concrete rather than clay brick which the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) says is required in the historic district.
The matter went before HARB in February 2014 - and March, April, May, June and July. In August the restaurateurs filed an appeal.
The hearing was scheduled before the commission in September, and rescheduled at the owners' request to December, and rescheduled at the city staff's request to January, and rescheduled at the owners' request to February 9 - Monday.
At issue is whether the historic architectural guidelines actually specify clay over concrete material and a web of confusion over whether timely notifications were made between city staff and the Whites.
HARB is serious
The Historic Architectural Review Board takes its responsibilities seriously.
From the August 2004 minutes: After much discussion regarding the green color, Mr. Barnes noted that Mr. Weaver's shirt was the shade of green desired.
MOTION Mr. Rumpel moved to approve the application with the condition that ... buildings #3, 8 and 18 be painted in a color as indicated on Mr. Weavers' shirt.
Mr. Weaver seconded.
[Mr. Weaver allowed staff to cut off a portion of his shirt in order for the applicant to obtain the correct green paint color for the buildings.]
White is serious
David White is equally serious about his businesses.
In 2005 White sought HARB approval to install plate glass windows on a Marine Street building near O.C. White's. He argued the windows were necessary for a business, and that the structure had such plate glass windows in the past.
HARB, later upheld on appeal to the City Commission, denied the request.
White took it to Circuit Court and won. The plate glass windows today have inset mullions for the appearance of older-style multiple pane windows.
|
|
|
|
Learning through
living history
St. Augustine's Men of Menéndez, "a re-enactment organization committed to the preservation of St. Augustine and Florida's History," presents authentic history in its School of the 16th Century today 9 am - 6 pm at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.
"This is the only Historic Florida Militia event at which visitors in non-period clothing (clothing must be made of all natural fibers for safety reasons) are welcomed to participate in educational and weapons training," organizers say.
"It is an opportunity to learn how to fire a crossbow, fire a musket or even a cannon. It also presents the opportunity to learn about clothing, cooking, and other skills in use in the 16th century."
Photo: Youngsters try pike drill at School of the 16th Century.
|
The Report is now online at
| |
|
|
|
Lighthouse seeks OK
on Maritime Use zoning
|
An ordinance to rezone the St. Augustine Lighthouse property from Government Use to Maritime Use zoning goes to a public hearing and final action at Monday's City Commission meeting.
St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum Executive Director Kathy Fleming says the zoning change is necessary because the county conveyed the property to the Lighthouse and so Government Use zoning is no longer allowed.
Some Lighthouse Park neighbors remain unconvinced and concerned it will mean expansion of Lighthouse museum activities and visitor traffic.
The ordinance specifies "restricting use to maritime museum with internal ancillary and subordinate restaurant use, and providing a maximum lot coverage of 25%."
|
|
Event management
|
 The city's event management policies, including such as submitting scheduling requests eight months before an event and pricing for city facilities and services, will be reviewed by city commissioners at Monday's regular meeting.
"Because of ... occasional need to address what may be a larger need," City Manager John Regan writes in a memo to commissioners, "the Commission has asked for a concentrated discussion regarding the policies and how those policies might be reviewed and revised to better reflect the city's current environment.
"To initiate the discussion, I would like to ask the Commission what specific areas, broadly, it would like to have reviewed and recommendations returned for its consideration."
Future fee waivers are uncertain after city commissioners in 2013 waived fees totaling $15,915.50 for St. Augustine's Easter, Christmas St. Patrick's Day and British Night Watch parades. The waivers were sought after the commission adopted an event pay-as-you-present policy for necessary city services.
|
|
From vision to action
|
Livable City, Fiscally Responsible, Communications and Historic Preservation/Construction.
St. Augustine's four central principles, developed by the Vision 2014 & Beyond Steering Committee and endorsed by the City Commission, will begin transformation to action at Monday's City Commission meeting as City Manager John Regan and department heads report concepts based on community discussions.
Infrastructure assessment is also on the agenda, Public Works Director Martha Graham to present what she calls a "Report Card" on the city's roads, water, sewer and stormwater.
"This document presents in simple, high level terms the health of city's assets, the value of the asset, the 'backlog' of needs in financial terms, and the proposed improvement projects for a three to five year period," says Graham.
|
|
|
|
St. Augustine's finest doing the finest
 St. Augustine's Police Department does more than serve and protect the city's residents and property - for example:
Officer Alina Shirshikova was called in recently when four motherless baby raccoons were found and Animal Control could not respond.
Shirshikova, an animal advocate, took charge, purchasing animal milk formula and supplies and, after more research, Pedialyte to keep them hydrated.
After her shift, she located and brought the babies to Jacksonville's Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida (http://wildlifecoalition.com).
Officer Chris Miller, a six-year veteran of the department, is one of only fifty Yellow Ribbon/Post 9-11 GI Bill scholarship winners nationally, and has enrolled at Harvard University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Physics. He qualified as a veteran of both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army.
He says he became the instructor at one point when it was learned he's a full time law enforcement officer and he was asked to field questions from law students.
|
Noche de Gala - Grande Kick-Off
Any reenactor that does this that isn't getting paid to do it will continue to reinforce the image that we have no value to the City, and that we will show up to enhance their events no matter how crappy they treat us. Remember that when you do your next event that you don't get your "waiver" on and have to curtail when you get their bill!
Paying to denigrate people by class makes me wonder what would have happened if those who agreed to this embarrassing, ego-stroking adventure, had just said, "no"?
This is the BEST we get from YEARS of planning and WAREHOUSES of money? It is pitiable. What has Dana Ste. Claire and his "450th Commemoration TEAM" been doing? ... Go and spend the evening entertaining the "elite"? That is NOT what reenactors do. Unless, of course, they are planning to reenact one or more of the attacks on San Agustin...
|
Project SWING to get sprucing
Project SWING, the community-built St. Augustine's Wish for Its Next Generation, is showing its age, so it will be getting a "spa treatment" in late February and early March.
"While lots of touch-ups are likely, the primary re-build is the playground's centerpiece, the pavilion," says city Public Affairs Directory Paul Williamson.
Unique features of the popular playground adjacent to the Visitor Center parking facility include a fort, space shuttle and lighthouse.
Williamson says the playground will be closed during the renovation.
'The truth, the light'
An exhibit of pictures and documents on St. Augustine's 1960s civil rights movement will be displayed during this Black History month at The St. Augustine Community Theater in The Ponce Mall. Contact Gerald Eubanks trgee@aol.com for exhibit times.
The Civil Rights Memorial Projects Committee will unveil a commemorative marker February 21 at 3 pm at Zion Baptist Church on Evergreen Avenue in West Augustine, representing its "local history and authentic contribution to the civil rights movement in St. Augustine's relatively recent history," says Committee Chair Gerald Eubanks.
Keynote speaker will be Marine Lieutenant General Ronald L. Bailey, a native St. Augustinian.
|
|
|
History's Highlight
Our historic black sites
214 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
For Black History month, this is the first of two highlights on St. Augustine's historic black sites, drawn from Florida Black Heritage Trail, a Florida Heritage Publication of the Florida Division of Historical Resources.
Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose (Ft. Mose),
Saratoga Boulevard two miles north of St. Augustine off U.S. 1.
 In 1693, King Charles II of Spain decreed runaway slaves were to be given sanctuary in his colonies. Black fugitives from the British Colonies made their way south and fought against a British retaliatory attack on St. Augustine.
In 1728, the territorial governor abolished the slave market and freed any remaining soldiers who were slaves. Ten years later Governor Montiano established Fort Mose as the first free black settlement in North America and the northernmost outpost protecting the capital of Spanish Florida.
The Spanish encouraged enslaved Africans to flee English settlements in the Carolinas, promising them freedom if they converted to Catholicism. Fort Mose was a diverse community made up of people from widely varied backgrounds: Nandingos, Congos, Carabalis, Minas, Gambas, Lecumis, Sambas, Gangas, Araras and Guineans.
The fort and village were abandoned in 1763 and for more than 175 years the remains of this first free black town lay forgotten in a salt marsh north of St. Augustine. Although nothing remains of the fort, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994 and is a tangible reminder of the people who risked and often lost their lives in their struggle to attain freedom.
A festival is held annually to reenact the journey to freedom, as well as a reenactment of the Battle of Bloody Mose.
St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church and School, 78 Martin Luther King Avenue.
 This block of property in the Lincolnville District is owned by the Catholic Church and contains historic buildings important to St. Augustine's African American heritage. It was part of the "Yallaha" orange grove plantation before the Civil War and was conveyed to the church by the Dumas family in 1890.
The first building constructed in 1898 was the school, originally called St. Cecilia, later St. Benedict. It is the oldest surviving brick schoolhouse in St. Augustine (now under renovation). With a tower and original wraparound porch, it is a landmark of Victorian architecture.
It was the gift of Saint Katharine Drexel, a wealthy Philadelphia heiress who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People and established more than 60 Catholic parochial schools around the country. The Sisters of St. Joseph who came from Le Puy, France, in 1866 operated the school.
They were involved in a civil rights case in 1916, when three Sisters were arrested for violating a 1913 Florida law that made it a criminal offense for whites to teach black children. They were released when a judge ruled the law did not apply to private schools.
St. Benedict the Moor Church, located on the north end of the property, designed by Savannah architects Robinson and Reidy, was completed in 1911. The rectory was built in 1915 and housed the Josephite Fathers out of Baltimore, who pastored here for many years.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited the rectory in 1964.
Photos: Fort Mose interactive exhibit and Black Catholic Heritage marker at St. Benedict Church
|
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 a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com or gardnerstaug@yahoo.com
|
|
|
|
|
