Boat storage plan sunk

Boat storage plan sunk



PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 01/03/08


St. Augustine's Planning and Zoning Board on Wednesday scuttled a 300-slip boat storage complex on the Sebastian River, a decision helped by the complaints, petitions and testimony of Lincolnville residents.

Oasis Marina, owned by Charlie Spires of Beta Two of Alachua LLC, at 256 Riberia St., wants to build four 35-foot high buildings that would contain 300 dry boat slips.

But the residents and, later, the board said they would be too massive and block the vista and sunlight from nearby homes.

Lincolnville resident Judith Seraphin said the Lincolnville area had been improving until now,

"But that section is still zoned industrial," she said. "To have industrial use on Riberia Street is a total slap in the face (to Lincolnville residents)."

She had circulated a petition that gathered 51 signatures opposing the project.

The application had been tabled Dec. 4, 2006. It consists of four buildings, one 3,568 feet long, one 325 feet long, one 74 feet long and one 100 feet long.

The area is already zoned Industrial Warehouse with a land use designation of Marine Warehouse. The applicants wanted to place their buildings diagonally to provide some vista for residents and drivers on Riberia Street.

But that higher location put them into a conservation zone.

Now, without PZA approval, Oasis still can build along that waterfront, outside the conservation zone, but the limited vista would be gone.

Some residents testified that there would be more traffic and noise. There would be less sunlight, slighter breezes and a narrower view of the river.

They also believed that property values would drop and the marsh and shellfish would be harmed by the additional and unnatural amount of shade cast by the buildings.

But attorney Ellen Avery-Smith of Rogers, Towers of St. Augustine, called expert witnesses who testified that the wildlife would not be that affected, there would only be 12 more cars per day than now, the marina would seek Clean Marina status from the state and there would be an upland buffer created for wildlife where now there's only a shell parking lot.

"We haven't started the design aspect yet," Avery-Smith said. "The legal basis (for approval) is the code itself."

Vice Chairman John Valdes took the gavel on this item after Chairwoman Deltra Long recused herself because she lives close to the project and would be affected by it.

Valdes said the PZA often dealt with property issues under a code written in 1975 and "not what the code-writers thought we'd be dealing with."

He called for a workshop to update the code.

He also seemed to lean against approval.

"An old boat yard like that is as much a part of the community as the old houses I rehabilitate every day," he said. "I just can't get past the vista issue. Lincolnville has always been pushed aside. We'd never think of putting this property on Water Street." Misterly didn't say why he voted against the denial. But he also noted the vista issue.

"I wouldn't want it in my neighborhood, but other parts of the city aren't zoned industrial warehouse," he said.

PZA member Carl Blow said this area was the original waterfront of St. Augustine and had fishing and shrimping businesses there before those industries went bust.

"There's a shortage of deep water slips," he said, but he also cited the vista issue.

"I'd like to see drawings of what the vista would look like when you drive down Riberia Street," he said.

Bill Leary said city codes say a project must offer "no significant negative impact" and must "enhance vistas."

"We pay a great deal of attention when we consider impacting conservation zones," Leary said. "We need an environmental assessment."

On a motion to deny by PZA member Leana Freeman, the board voted 4-1 with member Grant Misterly dissenting and member Jerry Dixon absent to turn down the application.


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