Published by former Mayor George Gardner February 24 2016
The Report is an independent publication serving our community
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'Unintended consequences'
gain approval for Madeira
Unintended consequences showed up in force Monday as many of the 74 residents of the Madeira development on the former Ponce de Leon golf course pleaded with the City Commission to approve planned unit development amendments allowing the proposed 749-home project to continue.
And an hour later the commission did, unanimously.
"I think that this has been a process that has had a lot of pieces to it and I think that we all learned a great deal," said Mayor Nancy Shaver after the vote. The mayor had previously voted with a 3-2 majority to deny, then called to rescind the vote for further negotiation after City Manager John Regan spoke of unintended consequences leaving 74 sold homes and negotiations on others up in the air.
"For me and I think for all of us sitting here that the public good is what we were concerned with from the outset, and I appreciate the work that the developer did to acknowledge that, and I think that we're all benefiting from a timeline that I think everyone realizes is one that the city expects to be adhered to."
That timeline will extend completion of the development to January 1, 2027, "and get rid of all the phasing language; the project will be completed in one phase," project Attorney Ellen Avery-Smith explained.
The developer has spent $36 million to date, putting in roads, water and sewer lines, developing those 249 lots" which have so far been readied, Avery-Smith said. "The city will have revenue from water and sewer services and an increased tax base."
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Cathedral Fest
in 31st year
Cathedral Parish hosts its 31st annual Cathedral Festival this weekend at the Mission of Nombre de Dios, featuring midway rides, silent auction, super raffle, bingo, Saturday night fireworks and Sunday fried shrimp dinner.
Adults $5; children 11-17 and adults 65+ $3; children under 10 and active duty military admitted free.
Hours 5-10:30 pm Friday, noon-10:30 pm Saturday and noon-9 pm Sunday.
Proceeds from the festival benefit the Cathedral Parish School and Early Education Center.
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Special event tweaking
to include PUD bypass
City commissioners Monday had no problem adjusting requirements to allow "grandfathering" preexisting wedding venues, but one venue required an extra measure of support.
Planning and Building Director David Birchim told commissioners only seven of more than 70 venues had signed onto the new city regulations, and the easy fix is to have financial documentation voluntary rather than mandatory.
The Villas de Marin on the bayfront had a different problem. It had been hosting wedding events for five years, and couldn't sign up for the new regulations because its planned unit development ordinance did not include wedding events.
A PUD amendment process would take 180 days. City Attorney Isabelle Lopez said an easy fix "is to have the applicant provide information and place it on the consent agenda for commission approval.
HARB, Lincolnville CRA
appointments finalized
Commissioners Monday named current member Toni Wallace and Barbara Wingo to the city's Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) and Nathan Baer, Reverend Rory Michael Hermann, and Carolyn Wright to the Lincolnville Community Redevelopment Steering Committee (LCRASC). Seven had applied for the HARB seats and four for the Lincolnville steering committee seats.
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An update on a proposed bypass labeled SR 313 from SR 312 to US 1 north, long in the planning and longer in the execution, will bring the idea turned issue to the forefront April 11 when the Florida Department of Transportation makes a presentation to the community.
City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline, member and former chair of the Northeast Florida Transportation Planning Organization, told fellow commissioners Monday the highway department will have an updated traffic study.
While it's been off the public radar, residents of neighborhoods in the path of the proposed road have kept it up front, frequently appearing before the city and county commissions to challenge its need and note how it will disrupt their lives.
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One of the things that is different about St. Johns County as compared to other communities in Florida is the very high number of (homeless) people who are totally unsheltered, people living outdoors. In most communities it might be 75 percent are sheltered, 25 percent are unsheltered; here 10 percent are sheltered and 90 percent are unsheltered.
Susan Pourciau, Director of Homeless Training and Technical Assistance,
Florida Homeless Coalition, in a presentation to the City Commission Monday
Maybe tourism growth will seem more manageable if we can continue to emphasize authenticity. If tourists want to eat and shop at the same places that local residents do, that seems like a win. If tourists want to partake in festivals and traditions that local residents love, that seems like a win.
But if tourists come to Savannah for manufactured events, food, activities and history that have little to do with authentic Low country culture, then we will likely find ourselves, as Becker warned, overbooked and overrun.
Savannah Morning News Columnist Bill Dawers, after visit by Elizabeth Becker,
author of Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism.
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In the mailbag
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Just wanted to say "thanks" for featuring the Ajacan Martyrs in the history section of your Report!
I have been active in the "cause" for beatification of these Jesuits, and more widespread knowledge of these martyrs would certainly help.
To emphasize two points:
1. Fr. Segura rejected the usual military accompaniment, saying they would corrupt the natives and be a form of coercion.
2. The Jesuits kept the axes under their control. The way I heard it was that Don Luis asked for them, and Fr. Segura gave them to the natives, knowing full well what would happen.
That the party was devoted to nonviolence and non-coercion are major points in their case for beatification, as these graces were very rare in the bloody 16th Century!
Bob Ulanowicz
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Solar Stix exec a Gator100
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 Although Stephanie D. Hollis, MD, graduated the University of Florida's College of Medicine and its residency training program in Anesthesiology at Shands, "I never saw myself practicing medicine for my entire career," she says. Her alternate choice was a good one, co-founding and now chief operating officer for St. Augustine-based Solar Stik, a global marketer of portable power systems.
Stephanie is a 2016 Gator100 award winner, honored last Friday in Gainesville with fellow University of Florida "elite entrepreneurs" whose companies are ranked as the 100 fastest-growing, Gator-owned or Gator-led businesses each year.
Caisson song's Friedlander to be honored
Outside of their sacrifice for their nation, many at rest in the St. Augustine National Cemetery played a role in historic episodes in our nation's history.
First Lieutenant George Friedlander, World War I Artillery Officer, for example. First Lieutenant Friedlander of the 306th Field Artillery, 6th Battalion, 17th Regiment, had lunch with John Phillip Sousa late in 1917 along with Navy Secretary Josephus Daniels, and asked the band master to create a march for the Field Artillery Corps.
The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society will honor the memory of First Lieutenant Friedlander, an instigator of the Army Official Song, The Caissons Go Rolling Along, March 17 at the national cemetery.
Sousa took a Civil War melody called "Caisson Song," changed the key, harmony, and rhythm and renamed it "U.S. Field Artillery."
Inaugural cat show this weekend
 Ancient City Cat Club presents its inaugural cat show Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 4 pm at the Solomon Calhoun Community Center.
125 pedigreed and household pets are expected and will be judged in each of six rings each day. Spectators are welcome to walk through the benching area and talk to the owners of the cats.
Look for vendors selling cat related items, a fundraising raffle and a local food truck for lunch.
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History's Highlight
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St Augustine in World War II
From the Florida Division of Historical Resources Florida Heritage series, excerpts from Florida World War II Heritage Trail.  Hotel Ponce de Leon - The Great Depression caused guest occupancy to decline 10 percent by 1932. Fundraisers for British relief efforts were conducted there prior to the United States entry into the war. With the virtual collapse of Florida tourism after Pearl Harbor, the owners of the Ponce de Leon were willing to lease the facility to the U.S. Coast Guard as a training facility. From 1942 to 1945, 2,500 recruits trained and resided in several St. Augustine resort hotels. The Hotel Monson and the Hotel Bennett also served the Coast Guard. With the Allied victory in August 1945, the Ponce de Leon returned to service as a luxury hotel. Flagler College tours include an exhibit which recognizes the United States Coast Guard training that took place there during WWII.
St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum - During World War II the United States Coast Guard stationed armed lookouts at the site, keeping one man on watch at the top of the tower at all times. The beacon's light was dimmed to prevent friendly ships from being silhouetted in the beam when German U-boats patrolled the Atlantic. A WWII Coast Guard barracks building on site serves as offices and an archaeology laboratory.
St. Augustine National Cemetery - World War II soldiers are buried at this site, including some veterans who were disinterred in Belgium for reburial here.
World War II Memorial - Plaza de la Constitución. In memory of citizens of St. Johns County who gave their lives in military service during World War II, the St. Augustine Pilot Club presented this memorial to the city in 1946. The six-foot-square masonry shaft, finished in shell-dash stucco, originally listed the names of only those who died during WWII. Bronze plaques have been added to include those who died in Korea and Vietnam. Most recently the memorial was moved to a more prominent location in the Plaza and plaques commemorating Afghanistan and Iraq war dead added.
Image: World War II Memorial in the Plaza de la Constitución
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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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