City to renovate old fire station

City to renovate old fire station

By PETER GUINTA
Assignment Editor
Publication Date: 03/09/04

St. Augustine's former main fire station at 50 Bridge St. will soon become a drive-through utility customer service annex and offices, the City Commission decided Monday night.

The 4-1 vote saw Commissioner Bill Lennon dissenting.

City Comptroller Mark Litzinger presented the final floor plan to the commission, saying that the station's 6,000-square-foot first floor would cost about $228,000 to renovate.

"It would give us dramatic improvement in customer service and improve the parking situation, because at least 100 customers a day must park and walk up to the fourth floor to pay their bills," he said. "It will also have a training and meeting room."

Installing an elevator to the second floor and renovating that section kicks the total cost up to $371,000. The commission wanted to wait until the new budget year before looking at that part of the project.

In that new annex, residents would be able to pay utility bills and parking tickets and secure vendor permits and occupational licenses.

Moving those functions from City Hall would allow the purchasing and code enforcement departments to expand.

City Manager Bill Harriss said, "It's not a tremendous increase in space, but it will be helpful."

However, historic district and Lincolnville residents strongly opposed the project, saying it was too expensive and that 30 parking spaces could be gained in the Lightner lot if the building were razed.

Lennon said this commission had already eliminated the Lightner Garage and thrown away that $500,000.

"So now, in the same area, we'll spend another $300,000 and not get one additional parking space," Lennon said. "This board ran on a platform of listening to the people."

Peter Romano, president of the Lincolnville Neighborhood Association, said a drop-off box for utility bills already exists.

He called the project an "insult" to the residents.

"That fire station once protected the community. Now it's an architectural albatross," Romano said.

Dan Holiday, an Aviles Street businessman, said the commission reminded him of the federal government, always growing itself.

Commissioner Don Crichlow said that the building was sought by many nonprofit agencies in town and many of those ideas were viable.

"But now it appears that this excess space can better serve the community this way," he said. "It will make the parking situation better."

Burk said the city needed the space and the city already owned the building.

"It's a brilliant idea," she said of the proposed annex.

Mayor George Gardner said the plan "makes excellent sense at this time."

Commissioner Errol Jones said he realizes the need for additional parking, but the fourth floor customer service center is not "customer-friendly. You almost need a map to find that department," he said. "And many times people have questions about their bill. They can't ask a drop box questions. There's a need."

After the vote, Elizabeth Holiday, vice president of the Historic District Neighborhood Association, said this vote spells the end of the idea of a parking garage on the Lightner lot, one of the aims of the Aviles and King street merchants.

"The neighborhood association said, 'No, we need parking.' They took public input and they threw it out the window," she said.

In other action:


City commissioners voted unanimously to allow the sale of St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains to Ripley Entertainment of Orlando. The commission was required to make its decision to allow the sale of the franchise based on only two factors -- first, if the sale was "in the public interest," and second, if the buyer had enough resources to fulfill their financial obligations.
Vice Mayor Susan Burk said both factors were evident and moved to approve.

"It'll breathe a little bit of new life into the business," Burk said.

Scott Line, vice president of legal and business development for Ripley's, said all the current employees would be retained.

"Ripley's Entertainment's connection to St. Augustine dates back to the 1940s, when Robert Ripley visited the city. We opened here in 1950," he said. "We are very excited to continue that tradition."

The details of the sale were not public record, and Line declined to release information about the selling price.

His company bought St. Augustine Trains business and rolling stock, but not its real estate, which it will lease.


Commissioners agreed to explore the legalities of an ordinance allowing cafe tables on St. George Street.
Similar ordinances were brought to the commission in 1999 and 2000, but never passed.

Burk brought it up again during commissioner comments Monday night, but City Attorney Jim Wilson warned that allowing tables might threaten the legal viability of the city's ordinance prohibiting street performers there.

Crichlow said tables would be a nice asset to St. George Street, "But we'd be absolutely crazy to go near the street performer issue again."


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