Some 22 residents testified against allowing dormitories in residential neighborhoods today, January 5, 2016 at the St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board, which agreed, banning dormitories in the RG-1, RG-2 and CL-1-1 zoning categories.
They included Mike Doyle, Elisa Neville, Melissa Bashore, Janice Williams, Patricia Reilly, John Versaggi, Leonard Pellicer, Thomas Day, Judith Seraphin, Joseph Lavallee, Lee Geanouleas, Patricia Merritt, Isabel Dickson, Jay Piriz, Cecile Nusbaum, Gina Burrell, Martha Mickler, Ronald Mickler, B.J. Kalaidi and Ed Slavin (that would be me).
Only Flagler College's haughty hired gun, Ellen Avery-Smith of the ROGERS TOWERS law firm (the late GEORGE MORRIS McCLURE's understudy), spoke, haltingly, in favor of dormitories in residential neighborhoods, showing her encyclopedic ignorance by accusing the residents of "Flagler College bashing."
We, the People, won again.
Happy New Year!
During the PZB's careful discussion DAVID BIRCHIM, City Planning and Building Director, actually said in response to PZB questions, "I don't want to over think this."
Watch the video at www.cosatv.com
And the Record's article actually managed to report on some of what happened, actually quoting a couple residents. Miracle of miracles, mirabile dictu!
St. Augustine residents to PZB: Keep dorms out of residential areas
Posted: January 5, 2016 - 11:18pm | Updated: January 6, 2016 - 12:31am
By STUART KORFHAGE
stuart.korfhage@staugustine.com
There could be no doubt about the collective sentiment of those who live in downtown St. Augustine when it comes to the topic of dormitories: Not on my street, please.
About two dozen people spoke out — and more sat in but did not address the board — at Tuesday’s meeting of the St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board about changing the city’s zoning codes for dorms and other categories.
It was the issue of where dorms could be placed that dominated the two-hour discussion. And every local resident who spoke made it clear that he or she was against allowing dorms in places with residential zoning designations.
An early draft of the zoning changes called for dorms as a use by exception — which means they are allowed only if approved by the PZB at a public hearing — in zones designated Residential, general-one (RG-1) and Residential, general-two (RG-2).
Those areas currently allow houses, multiple-family dwellings, bed and breakfasts, and rooming houses and boardinghouses, among other things. They also allow small hotels (30 rooms), professional offices and restaurants as uses by exception.
But people who live in and around the areas with that zoning expressed strong and unified opposition to the idea of dorms.
John Versaggi, who lives on Valencia Street (zoned RG-1 and RG-2), summed up the feelings of many who attended Tuesday’s meeting.
“I do oppose use by exception of dormitories being permitted in RG-1 and RG-2,” he said. “Forget about Rs and Gs and just take a spin through the neighborhoods. I don’t think you would suggest that an institutional building belongs there.”
Others said large dorms with their accompanying parking lots would disrupt the livability of the neighborhoods.
Janis Williams, another Valencia Street resident, described dorms in RG-1 or RG-2 as an “onerous intrusion.”
Many people complained that the school has already “encroached” too much into residential areas. But some PZB members were quick to point out that the zoning would apply to any college that might want to build housing in the future.
Representing Flagler was attorney Ellen Avery-Smith, who emphasized that the school did not ask for the zoning changes. She did say that the school was in favor of being allowed to build housing in RG-1 or RG-2 if approved by the PZB.
Flagler recently received approval to add to its student housing complex on Malaga Street, but that is a district with Commercial low-two (CL-2) zoning.
Avery-Smith said the college is looking to stay at about 2,500 students and that its leaders have no intention of growing so large as to overwhelm city residents.
“Almost 50 years Flagler College has been in this town, in the Model Land neighborhood along King Street,” she said. “It’s a little disconcerting to me that this has become a Flagler College bashing session because we are not recognizing the contributions this college has made to our community.”
Several PZB members said they didn’t see the neighbors’ complaints as being against Flagler as an institution but as simple concern that they might be squeezed out of their neighborhoods.
“I think overall I heard a lot of positive comments about Flagler,” PZB member Matthew Shaffer said. “I also have a tremendous amount of respect for the residents. We need to take extra special care of our residents.
“Dormitory use is a very intense use. I don’t see the need to leave those in (RG-1 or RG-2).”
That was the consensus of the board, with every member expressing some degree of concern at the idea of having dorms in RG-1 or RG-2.
“If we open these unknown floodgates in having dormitories by exception ... it becomes a question of when will the rain cease?” PZB member Deltra Long said. “I’m a firm believer in protecting the rights of residents. I think it is in all of our best interests to protect what little bit of the city for residency that we have here.”
The PZB eventually voted 5-1 in favor of a number of mostly minor tweaks to the zoning code, but they all agreed to keep dorms out of residential areas and allow them only in CL-2.
There was some disagreement about simply allowing dorms or making them a use by exception. It was decided to make them a use by exception in the formal recommendation.
Final adoption of the zoning code changes must be done by the City Commission, but the commissioners won’t have to ask about where their constituents stand on the dorm situation.
COMMENTS
sponger2 01/06/16 - 08:39 am 21It's like Melanoma
It' starts out small and spreads until it overwhelms you. That's what Flagler is about. If they didn't want unfettered expansion, this item wouldn't be on the table, period. I challenge anyone to tell me different.
PS: Didn't they just acquire the railroad building at the entrance to town not so long ago, and immediately gate it?
MPiriz 01/06/16 - 08:56 am 10PZB
The word Hostel by its high density use no matter the size could become a Dormitory. We must guard against increase of density without provisions for parking in our historic city center. Currently there are a hand full of hostels in Hp zoned areas of town and those establishments to be fair should be grandfathered in with their current governances but new applications or conversions need new restrictions in order to address the increased congestion and use of old infrastructure in the historical downtown areas.
As our city and residents struggle to define existing ordinances, we should remember the goal of a "livable" and of a less congested environment, and to that end parking and density in center city should always be part of the conversation.
beefeater 01/06/16 - 09:21 am 11While "we should remember
the goal of a 'livable and... less congested environment," we have to make that goal a reality... by electing those who will see to it... and removing/eliminating those who have very different goals which impact the life of the city and its residents. And, as residents of an old city which exists in modern times, there has to be a readiness and willingness to change with the times.
I know... that can be a dirty word here!
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