In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
3-2 VOTE on 108 Bridge Street Rezoning
DAVID CORNEAL won a Pyrrhic victory July 27 at City Commission, rezoning 108 Bridge Street. He got approval to build apartments. CORNEAL appealed to "Native St. Augustine" nonresidents; KKK-style hatred of renters in pushing his $500/night hotel for the former DOW MUSEUM OF HISTORIC HOMES. In winning approval for permantizing rentals right down the street, the steatopygous Pennsylvanian showed the emptiness of his arguments -- that if Commissioners did not support a DOW PUD, he would rent out the buildings to "anyone." Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline and Mayor Nancy Shaver both both voted "no" twice, against rezoning and against a comprehensive plan amendment.
You and your readers don't seem to understand that you live in a Tourist destination, as well as a college town. Without the hoards of people visiting the City each year your taxes would soar. Tourism is what brings the City and local businesses revenue. That requires support staff. Many are young people who live and work downtown. They do not drive and need a place to live near by. Then of course you have Flagler's nearly 3,000 students - many live off campus - and many don't drive.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the property appraiser map showed that the surrounding properties to 108 Bridge are now and have historically been multi-family. H-E-L-L-O! The demand, the need, is there. Plus, they changed the zoning back in the 1970's. These huge houses were never meant to be single family homes. David Bircham was right, they should never have changed the zoning back then, THEY GOT IT WRONG! 108 Bridge has 11 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The type of square footage you would find in a mansion. It's not a mansion.
You cannot choose to live in a small, tourist area and expect to turn it into a quaint, quiet residential area. It DOES NOT COMPUTE either financially or logistically!
Why is it OK to scream "don't change the zoning" now when it was wrongly changed in the 1970's. This is simply correcting what should never have taken place to begin with.
You mean "hordes," not hoards? You seem emotional, Mike. We spend extra money on tourists. We're glad to have them. Some of them fall in love with St. Augustine and move here. We did. Don't let your knickers get in a twist over St. Augustine residents exercising our God-given rights to regulate thoughtfully. This is a democracy.
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