Sunday, November 03, 2019

PRO-DEVELOPER LAND DEVELOPMENT RULES: St. Augustine Beach Weights Half-Baked Amendments

Come speak out at St. Augustine Beach City Hall, 6 pm, Monday November 4, 2019.

I await a response from the City of St. Augustine Beach about the origins of its latest proposed land development rule changes, urged by one BRIAN WILLIAM LAW, Building and Zoning Director.

LAW would increase the amount of allowable impermeable surface area, decrease setbacks, increase McMansions and deny an opportunity for a workshop with the Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) and the Sustainability and Environmental Planning Advisory Committee (SEPAC), as requested by PZB and SEPAC members.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin
To: comugeorge ; commengland ; commkostka ; comdsamora ; comdrumrell ; mroyle ; jpwilson ; braddatz ; blaw ; dfitzgerald
Sent: Fri, Nov 1, 2019 4:08 pm
Subject: Request No. 2019-498: St. Augustine Beach City Commission: Brian William Law's dubious proposed revisions to Land Development Regulations


Dear St. Augustine Beach Mayor George, Vice Mayor England, Commissioners Kostka, Samora and Rumrell, Messrs, Wilson, Royle, Law and Ms. Raddatz and Ms. Fitzgerald:

1. For each pending proposed change in St. Augustine Land Development Regulations, please provide every single one of the lobbyist requests, memo(s) etc. explaining the background, alleged need, pros and cons and all documents on developer, builder and other lobbying contactsex parte contacts or meetings, etc.

2. If no such background documents or evidence of any need exists, please vote at your November 4, 2019 meeting to table each of the proposals, especially decreasing setback requirements and increasing impermeable surface areas.
3. Justice Felix Frankfurter said the purpose of an administrative law decision is to trace the route of the decision maker, "through the fog."
4. Here, we don't even have the fog, do we?
5. Mayor George: will you please swear in all legislative hearing witnesses, including  Building and Zoning Director Brian William Law?  Please allow more than two (2) minutes per person on these important issues and apply the seven-generation test" I discussed in the September 8, 2019 St. Augustine Record.
https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2019/09/county-city-should-pass-seven.html
6. St. Augustine Beach Commissioners, will you please vote to order a workshop with the Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) and Sustainability and Environmental Planning Advisory Committee (SEPAC), as requested by PZB and SEPAC members.
7. Like his predecessor, the SAB B&Z Director requires oversight.  Mayor George, you told me to address questions about Embassy Suites to Mr. Law. His refusal to speak with me in response to questions about Embassy Suites shows an imperiousness ("Beat It") that is unAmerican.  You suffered and permitted his smug incivility.  Why? 
8. Reducing setback requirements and increasing permeable surface ratios -- I detect no coherent policy basis in a beach town in the midst of ocean level rise.
9. SAB B&Z Director Brian William Law appears to be yet another cat's paw for developers. Commissioners: please do NOT let him presume to dictate policy, as is implied when he expresses possessory interest over the City Code, e.g., when he says, "I'll amend my ordinance."  L'etat, c'est moi, Mr. Law?
10. Upon receipt of the complete legislative history items that I requested in #1, I would like to interview Brian William Law, and to question him under oath during expanded public comment at the November 4, 2019 St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting.  Enough secrecy.  As Justice Brandeis said, "Electric light is the best policeman.  Sunlight is the best disinfectant."
11. Ms. Raddatz, Ms. Fitzgerald: please forward this e-mail to SEPAC members and kindly share their e-mail addresses with me and on SEPAC's website.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
www.edslavin.com


BRIAN WILLIAM LAW is the hobbledehoy in St. Augustine Beach City "Manager" BRUCE MAX ROYLE's employ, a developer puppet who has refused to answer my questions about the EMBASSY SUITES fiasco, saying, "Beat it!" despite Mayor UNDINE CELESTE PAWLOWSKI GEORGE stating that he would answer my questions. "(You're not a resident, you're not a contractor," emitted the overtly hostile to journalists' questions Building and Zoning Director, pictured below looking bored, and holding up a document to avoid being photographed.)












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