Guest column: Proposed Fish Island marina will harm environment

Guest column: Proposed Fish Island marina will harm environment By BILL LEARYSt. AugustinePublication Date: 02/07/07
Editor: The proposed private marina at Fish Island immediately south and east of the Mickler-O'Connell Bridge on State Road 312 is wrong for St. Augustine. The marina is intended for the exclusive use of the future residents of the already approved 177 condominiums and of the planned 35 estate homes to be built on this undeveloped property.
To reach the Intracoastal Waterway, the developer would build an enormous boardwalk nearly 1,300 feet long and at least 10 feet wide across unspoiled tidal marsh to form a "T" with a floating dock measuring an incredible 1,080 feet of its own. The dock will house 100 large yachts and sailboats for residents of this gated community. To reach it, the owner of a yacht located at the end of the marina will have walked 1,800 feet, more than a third of a mile.
The Planning and Zoning Board voted a resounding 6-1 "no" and the developer is appealing that decision to the City Commission. The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26.
Among the reasons to uphold the PZB decision:
1. In nearly all of Florida, the state owns the submerged lands beneath tidal marshes. But in St. Augustine, the submerged lands are owned by the city. This tidal marsh is enjoyed by many for its beauty and as fishing grounds. The public needs more water access, not less. This marsh should not become the exclusive playground of a few.
The property right at stake is that of the citizens of St. Augustine to one of the few remaining expanses of natural beauty still in the city limits. The applicant must have our permission to build on it. As owner of the marsh, the city can and should say "no."
2. The city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan provides that permits for structures such as this private marina must "benefit the public as a whole" and "avoid blocking and disrupting vista and scenic opportunities." Indeed, marinas must "enhance those vistas and scenic opportunities which are determined to benefit the public as a whole." Anyone who enjoys just looking at this beautiful and unspoiled expanse of tidal marsh from the bridge, Flagler Hospital or the waterway will have that pleasure destroyed by a marina of this size at this location.
These vista concerns are really no different from those used to control height in this city. In this case, it is length and width. If the height of these condos was one-twentieth the length of this marina or boardwalk, the howls would be deafening.
3. Even in granting the developer his permit, the St. Johns River Water Management District determined that this marina would harm these delicate wetlands. But, rather than prohibiting or minimizing those harms, the district imposed mitigation requirements. And the mitigation for harming these tidal wetlands was essentially a promise not to destroy even more upland wetlands.
But that decision does not turn our commissioners into potted plants. The city's comprehensive plan declares tidal marshes to be "the most environmentally sensitive areas of the city." The plan recognizes the particular harm that marinas can cause to wetlands and tidal marshes.
The City Commission has the responsibility and authority to render its own judgment on these matters. A boardwalk 10-feet wide running east to west across the entire expanse of marsh will block the sun from the marsh below every hour of every day. It will kill the marsh below that already will have been harmed from the construction. That loss will sever habitat for the web of life and undermine the marsh's cleansing and erosion protecting benefits.
Other potential adverse environmental harms include turbidity from boat props and release of waste and other contaminants, especially with no pump-out station. The City Commission can and should determine that this marina in this location will generate too much harm to a fragile treasure that is worth protecting.
4. The legacy of our nation's oldest city is more than protecting historic buildings. Our beautiful and endangered natural environment also attracts tourists and enhances the quality of life of its residents. When the expanses of unspoiled tidal marsh in our community dwindle to a few, they become more precious. Our leaders hold them in public trust and must protect them for our children and our grandchildren.
n
Leary is a member of the St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board. Click here to return to story:http://staugustine.com/stories/020707/opinions_4384189.shtml © The St. Augustine Record