John Muir, denouncing destruction of nature, said, "These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and, instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the mountains, lift them to the Almighty Dollar.
On May 23, 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed State Senator Tom Leek's bill SB. 582, providing for higher fines for illegal demolitions of certain historic structures. Thank you, Senator Leek and thank you, Governor DeSantis.
This new law would help halt illegal demolitions of historic structures. Our Nation's Oldest City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County, have a sordid history of demolitions of historic structures, to include:
o Henry Flagler's Kirkside mansion.
o Echo House.
o Carpenter's House.
o Don Pedro Fornells House.
o Several dozen Victorian homes.
These historic buildings were destroyed by unjust stewards, misguided people and influential organizations.
Update: June 9, 2025 St. Augustine Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, again named a "Home Rule Hero" by Florida League of Cities, was interviewed by former Folio Weekly Editor Anne Schindler, host of WJCT.org "First Coast Connect" on the legislation. www.wjct.org
St. Augustine's Temple Destroyers included some churches that demolished historic homes for parking, and also former St. Augustine Mayor and then-Chair of the Historic Architecture Review Board, construction contractor CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR., who has a Master's Degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Florida, the man who demolished Don Pedro Fornells House, a 211-year old Spanish colonial building working without permits on September 25, 2014, fined only $3700 by St. Augustine's Code Enforcement Board, whose proceedings were neither videotaped nor televised. (After the hearing, St. Augustine City Attorney ISABELLE CHRSTINE LOPEZ hugged WEEKS, after calling me sexist, stating that she can hug anyone she wants.)
ENROLLED
2025 Legislature SB 582
2025582er
1
2 An act relating to unlawful demolition of historical
3 buildings and structures; amending s. 162.09, F.S.;
4 authorizing a code enforcement board or special
5 magistrate to impose a fine that exceeds certain
6 limits for the unlawful demolition of certain
7 historical buildings or structures under certain
8 circumstances; providing that such fine may not exceed
9 a certain percentage of just market valuation;
10 providing an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
15 section 162.09, Florida Statutes, to read:
16 162.09 Administrative fines; costs of repair; liens.—
17 (2)
18 (e) For the demolition of a building or structure that is
19 individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places
20 as defined in s. 267.021 or is a contributing resource to a
21 National Register-listed district, a code enforcement board or
22 special magistrate may impose a fine that exceeds the limits of
23 this subsection if the code enforcement board or special
24 magistrate finds, based on competent substantial evidence, that
25 the demolition of the building or structure was knowing and
26 willful and was not permitted or the result of a natural
27 disaster. A fine imposed pursuant to this paragraph may not
28 exceed 20 percent of the fair or just market valuation of the
29 property before demolition of the building or structure, as
30 determined by the property appraiser.
31 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
SB 582: Unlawful Demolition of Historical Buildings and Structures
GENERAL BILL by Leek
Unlawful Demolition of Historical Buildings and Structures; Authorizing a code enforcement board or special magistrate to impose a fine that exceeds certain limits for the unlawful demolition of certain historical buildings or structures under certain circumstances; providing that such fine may not exceed a certain percentage of just market valuation, etc.
Bill History
| DATE | CHAMBER | ACTION |
|---|---|---|
| 2/10/2025 | Senate | • Filed |
| 2/20/2025 | Senate | • Referred to Community Affairs; Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Rules |
| 3/4/2025 | Senate | • Introduced |
| 3/6/2025 | Senate | • On Committee agenda-- Community Affairs, 03/11/25, 4:00 pm, 37 Senate Building |
| 3/11/2025 | Senate | • Favorable by Community Affairs; YEAS 7 NAYS 0 |
| 3/12/2025 | Senate | • Now in Governmental Oversight and Accountability |
| 3/20/2025 | Senate | • On Committee agenda-- Governmental Oversight and Accountability, 03/25/25, 1:30 pm, 110 Senate Building |
| 3/25/2025 | Senate | • Favorable by Governmental Oversight and Accountability; YEAS 6 NAYS 0 • Now in Rules |
| 3/27/2025 | Senate | • On Committee agenda-- Rules, 04/01/25, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building |
| 4/1/2025 | Senate | • Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 25 NAYS 0 • Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading |
| 4/3/2025 | Senate | • Placed on Special Order Calendar, 04/09/25 |
| 4/9/2025 | Senate | • Read 2nd time -SJ 381 • Read 3rd time -SJ 381 • Passed; YEAS 34 NAYS 0 -SJ 381 • Immediately certified -SJ 392 |
| 4/9/2025 | House | • In Messages |
| 4/28/2025 | House | • Bill referred to House Calendar • Bill added to Special Order Calendar (4/29/2025) • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version) |
| 4/29/2025 | House | • Read 2nd time • Placed on 3rd reading • Added to Third Reading Calendar • Read 3rd time • Passed; YEAS 115, NAYS 1 |
| 4/29/2025 | Senate | • Ordered enrolled |
| 5/16/2025 | • Signed by Officers and presented to Governor | |
| 5/23/2025 | • Approved by Governor | |
| 5/27/2025 | • Chapter No. 2025-87 |
11 comments:
Rope in another ten thousand votes and ten thousand more people register Republican over this action. Hip hip hooray. Three cheers. Thank you Ed for advertising for the Republican party on this website. I will go register as a Republican today.
Huh? Non sequitur. This is not about donkeys and elephants. Some of my best friends are Republicans. No, I politely declined their invitations to change my party registration to run for County Commissioner.
My late friend Alice Compton and her husband John moved here as Ponte Vedra was being built out, and ten of thelve countywide elected officials were in line, changing their voting registration from Democrat to Republican, at the Supervisor of Elections office Courthouse, then located in Casa Monica Hotel. Then SJC political boss, NEIL PERRY, told them to change their voter registration to appeal to new County residents from Ponte Vedra.
"Anonymous" sounds like one of those other "Anonymice" posters, afraid to identify themselves. Silly twit.
Expensive tv, print and Postcards from the Edge ads called Tom Leek "liberal Tom Leek." I happen to like Tom Leek. So glad that Tom Leek defeated cynical, developer-directed, corrupt ex-Sheriff DAVID SHOAR, who legally changed his name from "HOAR" in 1994. Who among us would disagree?
JFK said, "sometimes party loyalty demands too much."
David Shoar was a lifelong public servant who helped everyone he possibly could. David Shoar would have made a great state senator. He even kept Ed Slavin safe and sound his who career. Ed Slavin should be greatful to David Shoar.
"Liberal Leek" was just an uncreative slogan to try and differentiate other candidates from Leek. There's no actual truth value to any of it. In fact, it backfired and I wouldn't be surprised if someone put that stuff out to benefit Leek.
Covering up the September 2, 2010 murder of Ms. Michelle O'Connell in the home of deputy JEREMY BANKS was a sin, a crime and a tort. So wrong. Thanks to Walt Bogdanich, The New York Times and PBS Frontline for exposing the evil, wrongful actions of DAVID SHOAR, who legally changed his name from "HOAR" in 1994. SHOAR issued an unhinged press release accusing the O'Connell family of "molesting" Michelle's body after they had her exhumed and autopsied. Michelle's jaw was broken. She was a victim of officer-involved domestic violence. SHOAR actually bragged to Patty O'Connell that he paid for her funeral. What a monster. The coverup is documented beyond peradventure in 2013 and 2017 New York Times articles.
St Augustine used to be such a nice, quiet little town with no so many people... until a hoard of apes descended onto the town like locusts... now it's a miserable wreck of a mess.
https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2011/04/sheriff-david-shoar-lawyer-george.html
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