Neighbors Heard and Heeded, Unanimously

Frequent flooding near 262 St. George Street in Historic District Would be Worsened by New Developments

St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board members voted unanimously March 2, 2015 to reject a proposed plat shoe-horning six homes on one lot in the historic district, ruining the historic home and property at 252 St. George Street.
The plat and construction would have destroyed trees and the character of our historic district, while increasing Biblical floods on local streets seen with pert near every rain.
The plat did not meet technical requirements, would have created a "nonconformity," was contrary to the "public interest," and was opposed by every single one of some nine (9) public hearing witness, as PZB member Matthew Shaffer pointed out.
The advocate for the misguided proposal was MARK ALAN KNIGHT, fired City Planning Director, once again practicing law without a license before a city board.
The perennial enabler of MARK KNIGHT -- controversial City Attorney ISABELLE LOPEZ -- predictably gave ethically-impaired, pro-developer putative legal advice, to wit: "you have to" approve it. "Listen to your lawyer," she barked.
"Listen to your board," Cathy Brown responded.
The Planning and Zoning Board rightly disagreed with LOPEZ, who contended that PZB had "no choice" but to allow the plat to carve up our historic area: veteran PZB member Jerry Dixon said, "Let's go to court and find out."
The vote was unanimously rejected the plat.
Good work!
Three cheers for PZB for doing its job and for standing up to mendacious miscreant MARK KNIGHT (whose overbearing attitude gets his clients nowhere).