Creating Two New Parks: Unanimous

Mayor Nancy Shaver and City Commissioners created two new parks on January 11th -- one at the south end of Lincolnville and the other in Lighthouse Park.  Thank you.
Environmental justice has consequences.



Ordinance passes for park at Riberia Pointe
In other business
Posted: January 12, 2016 - 12:06am | Updated: January 12, 2016 - 5:06am





By SHELDON GARDNER
sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com


The City Commission has moved Riberia Pointe one step closer to opening as a park.

An ordinance amending the Future Land Use Map designation of the property passed unanimously Monday night.

The ordinance changes about 11 acres from Open Land to Recreation and Open Space — a move that was part of making the land a passive park. No zoning change was necessary.

The Lincolnville-area property is at the south end of Riberia Street and is adjacent to the Matanzas and San Sebastian rivers.

A passive park is primarily an open space used for recreation, and bicycling and walking trails would be allowed.

The property is not yet open for public access. More work needs to be done, but a dedication of the park will happen, said David Birchim, planning and building department director.

The fight to decide the property’s future has been heated in the past couple of years.

The Lincolnville-based group Keep Riberia Pointe Green fought against development on the property. One proposed development was a children’s museum, which is now being built on a U.S. 1 site.

“This project was begun as a grassroots, neighborhood initiative,” Birchim said.

While Monday’s vote helped solidify the park’s future, plans for a park had already been agreed upon by commissioners.

In September 2014, commissioners passed a resolution in support of creating an 11-acre park at Riberia Pointe, according to the city. The site is a former landfill.

The Planning and Zoning Board recommended the land use change in December, and that month the City Commission passed the item on first reading. On Monday, the City Commission voted to adopt the ordinance, marking the final commission action needed for a park.

“Historically, this property was a dump. ... Here, we right a wrong,” Ed Slavin said during public comment.

Mayor Nancy Shaver said she has been involved for a few years in the effort to keep the property green.

“I’m delighted to see that we have as a community, as a commission, come together to, as Mr. Slavin said, give a gift to the community. It’s a wonderful place. .... The views, the birds are just extraordinary,” Shaver said.

In other business

■ Commissioners unanimously passed other ordinances related to green space. Two ordinances, one a Future Land Use Map change and another a rezoning, allow for a public park to be created on Lew Boulevard between Santa Monica and Altadena avenues. Another ordinance passed Monday creates a definition of “Undeveloped Conservation Park Lands” in city code.

■ Commissioner Todd Neville and Shaver exchanged comments at the end of the meeting. Neville cautioned commissioners about engaging the opposition in the city’s court cases.

One case involves four artists who are challenging the city’s rules on the sale of art. That lawsuit is in federal court.

Neville did not specify a case in his comments.

“I just want to remind everybody that let’s let our lawyers engage with the other side. We should not be doing that. ... It’s a touchy subject,” Neville said.

“I think we all understand that,” Shaver said.

“Well, mayor, you’re the one that I’m specifically talking to,” Neville said.

“And I would suggest that you understand that I’m extremely aware of it, and everything I have done has been cleared with Isabelle [Lopez, the city attorney]. ... I don’t really need instruction on it, Mr. Neville. Thank you so much,” Shaver said.

“Standing with people who are suing us and having your picture taken. ... You might not have done anything wrong, but the appearance of it is not good,” Neville said.

“Mr. Neville, I go many places,” Shaver said. “I have my picture taken doing many things, and I appreciate your interpretation of it. And I think you should understand that I have many years of experience dealing with complicated legal issues, and that my behavior reflects that. Thank you.”

■ Commissioners approved rezoning 1 Nelmar St., part of land formerly owned by 7-Eleven, from a commercial designation to a residential designation. They also approved a Future Land Use Map change. The city plans to sell the property as well as another part of the former 7-Eleven property.

The city bought the entire property in 2014 for more than $1.4 million as part of a settlement with 7-Eleven, which had planned to build a 12-pump gas station at the intersection of May Street and San Marco Avenue.

■ Commissioners passed a resolution opposing separate bills in the Florida House and Senate related to “citizen archaeology permits.”

■ Mark Litzinger, director of the city’s finance department, shared plans for a “National Citizen Survey” to get opinions from a few thousand St. Augustine residents about the city. Feedback will be used in budgeting and strategic planning, he said.