St. Augustine mission plans withdrawn, under review (SAR)

On May 14, 2019, Diocese of St. Augustine withdrew its application to construct a three-story parking garage and amphitheater at our Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios

On May 11, 2019, I reported the Diocese to the Property Appraiser, asking that any such project be subjected to ad valorem property taxes.

On April 29, 2019, I filed a motion to cross-examine the Bishop and his representatives, and to deny the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios/Applications for Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Large-Scale Rezoning/Revised Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment because there was no evidence that Pope Francis or the Vatican had ever authorized this request, which is inconsistent with canon law and the Pope's landmark environmental encyclical, Laudato Si. 

Kudos to all of the fine people who activated, organized and testified. 

This is yet another dubious project proposed by the deeply conflicted firm of MARQUIS, LATIMER & HALBACK, developer puppets and testaliars who also get paid to do work for the City of St. Augustine.  

JEREMY MARQUIS was a HARB member when he and HARB member PAUL M. WEAVER, III were hired by DAVID BARTON CORNEAL, resulting in their recusal when HARB approved, 2-1, demolition of Carpenter's House, one of the worst delectations of historic properties ever to occur in the City of St. Augustine. The fact that the itty-bitty-city keeps hiring MARQUIS to write its plans while allowing him to testify before the City for other plans reflects, at best, blurred ethical lines and an insidious, incestuous relationship between developers and City "Manager' JOHN PATRICK REGAN, P.E., who thinks he's a developer and needs to retire.  Now.

 Click here to read the letter from ROGERS TOWERS lawyer Ellen Avery-Smith withdrawing the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios/Applications for Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Large-Scale Rezoning/Revised Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment, followed by my May 11 and April 29, 2019 motions and request

https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2019/05/another-victory-historic-catholic.html

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Visitors walk from the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche on the grounds of the Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine earlier this year. The Diocese of St. Augustine has withdrawn applications it had sought for land changes to build an amphitheater and other features at the Mission Nombre de Dios, saying it wants time to review the plans. [PETER WILLOTT/THE RECORD]

By Sheldon GardnerPosted May 16, 2019 at 7:20 PMUpdated May 16, 2019 at 7:20 PM
The Diocese of St. Augustine has withdrawn applications it had sought for land changes to build an amphitheater and other features at the Mission Nombre de Dios, but the future of the proposal remains unclear.

The diocese withdrew the requests for a Comprehensive Plan amendment and rezoning because Bishop Felipe Estevez wanted to review the plans with his project team before moving forward, according to diocese spokeswoman Kathleen Bagg.

When asked if the bishop might cancel plans for the amphitheater, Bagg wrote in an email to The St. Augustine Record that he hasn’t made any decisions.

“It is all under review,” she wrote.

Church officials originally said they wanted to build an amphitheater next to the mission’s church on San Marco Avenue, which is near the site where St. Augustine founder Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed. The earthen structure, which was designed to be about 9 feet tall at its highest point, was planned to provide seating for visitors to the shrine for religious purposes. Church officials also said they wanted to build a parking garage on top of their existing parking lot.

But locals and residents in the area pushed back against the plans. Concerns included added congestion and noise and potential commercialization of the property, though shrine Director Joanna Stark has said any event on the site would be in keeping with the mission’s character. 

The bishop wrote in an ad in the Easter edition of The St. Augustine Record that plans for a parking garage at the site are off the table “for the foreseeable future.” In the interim, the church plans to use its green space to accommodate parking for larger pilgrimage groups.

“We are committed to being good citizens and good stewards of this historic property,” he wrote in the ad. “We join our neighbors and other members of the community to work together to find constructive solutions for the challenges and to celebrate the beauty and history of our very special city.”

• 1 hour ago

Pope Francis never ever authorized project, which would have desecrated shrine, mission and grounds. On April 27, I asked PZB to cross-examine Bishop and witnesses. I reported apparent commercial nature of parking garage proposal to Property Appraiser Eddie Creamer May 11 for possible property tax appraisal. Thanks to all who organized, activated, testified and helped defeat this turkey. Enough destruction of our history and nature in St. Augustine. 

• 1 hour ago

No more corruption, wetland filling, wildlife killing, clearcutting and ugliness. DOW PUD, destruction of Ponce de Leon Golf Course for housing, ugly condos like those on Matanzas River (Antigua) are unholy abortions and a badge of fraud and corruption by secretive undisclosed investors.