Mosquito Board clears vote for new headquarters

By PETER GUINTA

Anastasia Mosquito Control District officials looked more tired than joyful Tuesday morning after the St. Johns County Commission, in two votes, approved a zoning and land use change that clears the way to build the district's proposed $2 million, 8,000-square-foot headquarters on 9.2 acres off State Road 16.

But that positive result for the district didn't come without twists and turns.

It took the commission four votes to reach a conclusion. Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson first voted against the rezoning, then voted against denying it, then ultimately made the motion to approve and voted for it.

After the approval, attorney Douglas Wyckoff, representing AMCD, said, "We've got the land use change and rezoning. We're happy about that. We're looking to move ahead."

AMCD staff had been stressed by a months-long standoff with the county over a side issue -- the district's efficiency -- as well as trying to blunt a nasty, public campaign by board member John Sundeman, who wanted to tank the headquarters project.

Sundeman said Tuesday that AMCD didn't need a new headquarters and accused board and management of approving a long-term budget that is "a travesty and a brutal waste" of $17 million over the next five years.

Teresa Bishop, long-range planning division director, said the Planning and Zoning Agency recommended the change in a 6-0 vote on July 2.

The application seemed closer to approval when Sundeman said AMCD planned to eventually fly two helicopters from the property, which lies in a Residential B area.

He said AMCD would operate the aircraft at night, with pilots using night-vision goggles.

"We don't need helicopters," he said.

That led to a 2-2 vote on the rezoning, meaning the motion to pass had failed.

Stevenson -- probably envisioning pesticide-loaded helicopters flying low over a residential neighborhood nearby -- voted against, citing safety reasons.

Mays voted across the board to deny both the land change and rezoning. His motion to deny failed when Stevenson voted against it.

"It's clear to me that if (the rezoning) fails, we go right across the street to the courthouse," she said.

The district had threatened suit against the county if the land use change rezoning were rejected, because the county had signed a memorandum with the district that it would approve both when they came before the board.

Stevenson suggested modifying the rezoning ordinance to remove the helicopter, and when the appropriate language was inserted, she made a motion to approve it if the helicopter would be allowed only by a special use exemption.

That passed 3-1 with Mays against and Mark Miner, who is in Fort Dix, N.J., for military training, absent.

Mays said he voted against it due to the project's lack of compatibility with the surrounding area, which now is only woods.

At one point, discussion veered toward the county's past head-to-head relationship with AMCD.

Stevenson said, "This is a land use decision. It's not a policy decision on the role of government."