Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Parking Garage for Anastasia State Park?

Controversial County Commissioner RONALD SANCHEZ wants to erect a parking garage adjacent to the St. Augustine Amphitheater. He said so at this morning's St. Johns County Commission meeting. He wasn't laughing.
This bizarre idea is a non-starter. Hint to St. Johns County Commissioner RONALD SANCHEZ: "Drop the oyster and leave the wharf," as my Irish grandmother would say.
St. Johns County government operates the St. Augustine Amphitheater subject to a lease with the State of Florida.
The amphitheater and parking lot are both located in Anastasia State Park, a treasure that will one day become part of the St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore.
There are NO parking garages located in any of the 161 state parks in the entire state of Florida, a Florida State Parks spokesman revealed today.
NONE.
Let's keep it thataway.
Anastasia State Park Superintendent Paul Crawford was never contacted by SANCHEZ before SANCHEZ spoke.
Why?
City of St. Augustine City Manager John Patrick Regan, P.E. was never contacted before SANCHEZ spoke.
Why?
So much for SANCHEZ' respect for intergovernmental cooperation -- he contacted neither our State Park Superintendent nor our City Manager.
The late United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, J. William Fulbright, called this syndrome "The Arrogance of Power."
SANCHEZ offered in Commissioner comments today his errant opinion about building a parking garage in a State park, which would be the only one in the State of Florida (out of 161 state parks).
We don't want golf courses in our state parks.
We don't want parking garages in our state parks.
We don't want environmental destruction in our state parks.
That's why they're called "parks" (instead of golf courses, parking garages or toxic waste dumps).
We can halt the people whom John Muir called "temple destroyers" forever.
How?
1. By telling SANCHEZ to knock it off.
2. By electing a replacement for SANCHEZ (whose part-time Commissioner job paid him $65,967.28 last year, the Times-Union reports).
3. By embracing "America's Best Idea" -- our National Parks.
The St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore, first proposed in 1939, will combine some six current state parks, water management district land, preserving and protecting them forever. www.staugustgreen.com
Yes we can!

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