Published by former Mayor George Gardner May 13 2015
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City buys 7-Eleven site
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(7-Eleven) came to the conclusion based upon the City administration's overtures that agreeing to sell the property to the City was the right result.
7-Eleven Attorney James Whitehouse
This is a great outcome for the City. It gives us certainty and opportunity to do what is best for St Augustine.
Mayor Nancy Shaver
The City of St. Augustine will purchase the contentious 7-Eleven site at May Street and San Marco Avenue, ending a 3-year struggle by neighbors to block the proposed convenience store and 12 gas pumps.
Price: $1,458,000 with closing costs estimated at $30,000.
The decision came at a special meeting Monday afternoon before the regular City Commission meeting, and followed a closed session of the commission.
"Two lawsuits were proceeding based upon the City's initial denial and subsequent revocation of a building permit for commercial development," 7-Eleven Attorney James Whitehouse said in the aftermath. "I was able to bring the City administration and the decision makers at 7-Eleven together and to further a productive discussion regarding an amicable resolution. It would attempt to reasonably compensate my client for all of the monies that they had expended in working with the City to meet all of the requirements for development and for the amount they paid to purchase the property."
The purchase is the third significant city real estate transaction in recent history - each defended as an action to prevent unwanted development or improve the city's streetscape.
A car wash at US 1 and King Street was purchased out of foreclosure in 2010 for $233,000 and landscaped by the city, while the former M&M Market at Bridge Street and ML King Avenue was purchased by the city in 2010 for $305,000 to protect it from criminal activity and sold last year to David Corneal for $225,000. Corneal has since moved the historic building and rebuilt it.
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Saturday
World-class dancers Margit Peguero Rodriguez as Tinkerbell and Daet Rodriguez as Peter Pan join 14-year-old Kali Lee as Wendy in St. Augustine Ballet's
Peter Pan Saturday with performances at 2:30 and 7 pm in Lewis Auditorium.
It's part of the 2015 Romanza Festivale.
Both guest dancers trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba in Havana and have danced with Cuba's Ballet de Camaguey and Teatro Centro de Arte-Leon Febres Cordero in Ecuador.
Tickets $25 with reserved seating. Call (855) 222-2849 or visit the website.
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City purse tight
on vets parade
Despite noting numerous contributions to the city's 450th commemoration and independent raising of some $500,000 for 450th events Ric Erkelens, president of Military Officers Association, couldn't pry $20,000 from the City Commission Monday for the city to "own a very special Veterans Day Parade" November 11.
"A mere $20,000 of the 450th $938,000 (budgeted for 2015) which is spent on what? Erkelens argued. "Culture? A few songs?"
Commissioner Todd Neville responded, "If every event requested $20,000, you're talking $20 million dollars."
Erkelens said a decision is needed quickly to arrange for foreign delegations planning to participate.
City Manager John Regan said, "there are certain latitudes (the Tourist Development Council) has for funding 450th events." He also suggested private sources have come forward since actual events began developing. "Money follows events, now that things are getting realistic" he said.
Regan promised to check possible funding as quickly as possible for the parade planners.
(Ed note: the total 450th budget of $3,649,525 distributed at $20,000 per event would have produced 182 events).
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PUD faces more tests
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A split-vote decision to recommend approval of planned unit development zoning for the former Dow Museum of Houses now faces three more expected lengthy hurdles.
A Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) decision last week came after three hours of public comment and discussion with organized forces for and against the zoning.
It next goes to the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) for recommendation and then City Commission first and second readings, Planning and Building Director David Birchim says.
Public comment will be allowed at the HARB hearing, and while there's no public comment on the first commission reading, expect advocates and opponents to argue their cases during public comment as well as on second reading.
The plan board's recommendation includes modifications of what they saw as hot buttons in David Corneal's plan to develop a multi-unit inn, inserting conditions for special events for guests of the inn only, public tours once a week, and meeting notices to Lincolnville residents concerned with traffic and parking impacts.
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Weak bandwidth keeps
community in dark age
It is apparent that many broadband customers in the historic downtown areas of St. Augustine are forced to live with subpar internet connection speeds and fair to poor reliability for high-bandwidth internet uses, including digital streaming.
Computer Technician Jerry Ray
 Hazel Henderson's Ethical Markets internet-based media outreach and regular videocast lectures are not likely the only business hampered by what she calls "woefully deficient broadband access" in St. Augustine. "It seems that St. Augustine is caught in this kind of broadband 'backwater' of towns which have been monopolized by major carriers which then refuse to provide the upgraded services and broadband needed," she says. "We also discovered that the new Communication Center of Flagler College ... is similarly missing any kind of acceptable broadband! We checked with the Casa Monica and they are in the same situation." Reuben Franklin, the city's project supervisor for the recent streetscape improvements downtown, says, "The city invited all utilities to design meetings and encouraged them to participate to upgrade their infrastructure while the roads were under construction. "As far as communications, AT&T and Comcast attended the meetings. AT&T stated their facilities were adequate. Comcast has installed new conduits along Hypolita, Spanish and Treasury in order to provide better service. As far as their service levels you'll have to ask the individual provider." Henderson called on local Computer Technician Jerry Ray to summarize "Key Barriers and Remedies to Improved Internet Bandwidth in the Historic Downtown St. Augustine Area." Read his report here.
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City tackles event management
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 Livability and mobility - and maintenance of event venues - are the focus as City Commission and staff sort out ways to handle event planning.
Public Affairs Director Paul Williamson Monday outlined for commissioners impact measures for events based on attendance, time of year - peak or off-season, and time of day impacts on street closures.
He suggested the $300/day fee for use of Francis Field might be adjusted depending on impact - high one and a half times the fee, and low half the fee.
Commissioners admitted difficulty in quantifying impacts with community benefits such as local organizations raising money for local charities. Using funds to make improvements, like re-sodding Francis Field, is also on the table as Williamson was asked to bring some hard figures to a later meeting.
Special events venues ordinance
An ordinance to regulate special event venues was passed to public hearing at a later date after commissioners suggested some tweaking, such as timing to remove temporary tents after an event.
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Help refresh historical markers
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 There are 45 state historical markers in St. Johns County, 28 of them in St. Augustine.
The Division of Historical Resources is calling on residents to "visit our historical markers in your jurisdiction and report their physical condition to us" as it begins a statewide effort to repair and/or restore damaged or badly weathered markers.
St. Augustine Historic City Planner, Jenny Wolfe and Dr. Kelly Enright, Assistant Professor of History at Flagler are coordinating the effort in the city.
You can sign up to help in the documentation during May and June by sending your name, email address and phone number to Becky Greenburg nolanbecky@hotmail.com.
"Our state historical markers are the most visible public history program of the Division of Historical Resources, and are visited by Florida residents and visitors alike," Historic Sites Specialist Michael Zimny says. "They help promote the state's rich archaeological and historic resources. Thank you in advance for assisting with this important project."
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119 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
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First of two parts on Indian attacks on missions in and around St. Augustine, 1597.
From Bloomfield's Historical Guide, Antiquities of St. Augustine Florida, 1882
Among the converts at the mission of Tolomato was the son of the Cacique, of the province of Guale, a proud and high-spirited young leader, who by no means submitted to the requirements of his spiritual father, but indulged in excesses which scandalized his profession.
 Father Corpa, after trying private remonstrances and warnings in vain, thought it necessary to administer-to him a public rebuke. This aroused the pride of the young chief, and he suddenly left the mission, determined upon revenge. He gathered from the interior a band of warriors, whom he inspired with his own hatred against the missionaries.
Returning to Tolomato with his followers, under cover of the night, he crept up to the mission house, burst open the chapel doors, slew the devoted Father Corpa while at prayers, then severed his head from his body, set it upon a pike-staff; and threw his body out into the forest, where it could never afterwards be found.
The scene of this tragedy was in the neighborhood of the present Roman Catholic cemetery of St. Augustine.
As soon as this occurrence became known in the Indian village all was excitement, some of the most devoted bewailing the death of their spiritual father, while others dreaded the consequences of so rash an act, and shrank with terror from the vengeance of the Spaniards, which they foresaw would soon follow. The young chief of Gaule gathered them around him, and in earnest tones addressed them.
"Yes," said he, "the Friar is dead. It would not have been had he allowed us to live as we did before we became Christians. We desire to return to our ancient customs, and we must provide for our defense against the punishment which will be hurled upon us by the governor of Florida, which, if it be allowed to reach us, will be as rigorous for this single friar as if we killed them all. For the same power which we possess to destroy one priest we have to destroy them all."
His followers approved of what had been done, and said there was no doubt but what the same vengeance would fall upon them for the death of one as for all.
He then resumed: "Since we shall receive equal punishment for the death of this one as though we had killed them all, let us regain the liberty of which these Friars have robbed us, with their promises of good things, which we have not yet seen, but which they seek to keep us in hope of while they accumulate on us, who are called Christians, injuries and disgust, making us quit our wives, restricting us to one only, and prohibiting us from changing her.
"They prevent us from having our balls, banquets, feast celebrations, games, and contests, so that being deprived of them we lose our ancient valor and skill, which we inherited from our ancestors. Although they oppress us with labor, refusing to grant even a respite of a few days, and although we arc disposed to do all they require from us, they are not satisfied; but for everything they reprimand us, injuriously treat us, oppress us, lecture us, call us bad Christians, and deprive us of all the pleasures which our fathers enjoyed, in the hope that they would give us heaven, by their subjecting us and holding us under their absolute control; and what have we to hope except to be made slaves?
"If we now put them all to death, we shall destroy these excrescences, and force the governor to treat us well."
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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 a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com or gardnerstaug@yahoo.com
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