Monday, June 4, 2018, 6 PM, St. Augustine Beach City Commission considers EMBASSY SUITES' latest overbearing demand.
The Planning and Zoning Board hearing resulted in a unanimous PZB vote. NO water slide park. AKERMAN corporate law firm and KEY INTERNATIONAL corporate lackeys were sent packing by unanimous votes of all seven St. Augustine Beach Planning and Zoning Board members May 15, 2018. The vote was unanimous: NO. There will be NO Monstrous, obnoxious water slide park at St. Augustine Beach Embassy Suites Hotel, unless SAB Commissioners reject the vote.
Good fit for the beach?
By Sheldon Gardner
Posted Jun 1, 2018 at 9:09 PM
Updated at 6:31 AM
St. Augustine Record
St. Augustine Beach commissioners will decide the fate of a water park at the oceanfront Embassy Suites hotel on A1A Beach Boulevard, a proposal that has resurrected concerns about structure height.
Property owners want to install $600,000 worth of water playground equipment for guests. The request will go to the City Commission on Monday for a vote because it would be a change to development plans. The hotel, with more than 170 rooms, is expected to be finished this year.
The city’s Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Board reviewed the proposal in May and recommended that the City Commission turn the request down, with concerns that included height of the equipment.
In a memo to the board, Building Official Brian Law noted that the city’s Land Development Regulations don’t specifically address things such as the water park. He recommended the park be allowed because the overall height of the equipment will be less than 35 feet — a height limit for buildings in the city — and it meets city setback requirements.
But planning board Chair Jane West said the height calculations concerned her.
The equipment itself will be, at its tallest point, about 28.5 feet tall. But it appeared the equipment would actually stretch over 40 feet tall because it would be built starting at a higher elevation because of flood regulations.
She also said the original plans called for a peaceful resort setting, a description that doesn’t fit a children’s water park.
“I really want you to stick with what was originally proposed and not tackify our beach,” West said.
Thomas Ingram, agent for owner Key Beach North, pointed out that there’s a splash park next door in St. Johns County’s Pier Park.
“People come here to recreate, including kids, and this is an attempt on the part of the developer to provide a great experience for children,” Ingram said.
One person in the crowd pointed out that the county’s park is much smaller than the hotel’s would be.
A charter amendment that residents voted for in 2014 limits building heights in the city to 35 feet, with an additional 10 feet allowed for “architectural features.”
The planning board approved the original development plan for Embassy Suites in 2015. At the time, officials argued that the 35 feet limit for the hotel should be measured from the first floor of habitable space because the building had to be elevated for flood insurance purposes. That led to the approval of a more than 50-foot tall building.
Since that decision, the city has been updating its codes and regulations to tighten up references to building height to avoid further exceptions.
8 Comments
Ed Hutchins
Yes, what IS going on here? How could they be allowed to come in and ruin this beautiful corner of our (formerly) beautiful beach? Now they want to add a Disney like park atmosphere to it? Where is the outrage??!?
Edward Adelbert Slavin
Unanimous vote. NO water slide park. AKERMAN corporate law firm and KEY INTERNATIONAL corporate lackeys were sent packing by unanimous votes of all seven St. Augustine Beach Planning and Zoning Board members last night, May 15, 2018. The vote was unanimous: NO. There will be NO Monstrous, obnoxious water slide park at St. Augustine Beach Embassy Suites Hotel, unless SAB Commissioners reject the vote.
AKERMAN corporate law firm counsel THOMAS INGRAM, leaning into the podium like a drunk holding on to a lamp post:
o stumbled and bumbled in attempting to justify building a noisy 48 foot tall water slide at the massive hotel, being built next to Anastasia State Park and endangered species.
o falsely implied the $600,000 water slide park was inadvertently omitted, then said it was the result of a "focus group" by the DIEGO ARDID family in Miami. Then he said it wasn't a mistake.
o falsely claimed the $600,000 water slide park was a swimming pool.
o falsely claimed that one of the "two swimming pools" was a "jacuzzi.:
o falsely characterized the water slide park as being similar to the splash park at St. Augustine Beach pier park
o admitted that there would be no lifeguard on duty to render assistance if a child fell 42 feet« less
Edward Adelbert Slavin
THOMAS INGRAM:
o admitted that the $600,000 water slide park was part of something he called "Phase II," but never answered about the discrepancy in the number of rooms for the hotel between the St. Augustine Record's page one article on May 13, 2018 (212 rooms) and the number allowed in the development order (175 rooms), explained by City Manager BRUCE MAX ROYLE as being part of future plans in a "Phase II."
o said "that's interesting," when one of the board members pointed out that "Embassy Suites" was misspelled on some seventeen pages of documents.
o took umbrage at audience members laughing at his misbegotten $600,000 water slide park and his irritating irrelevant prevarications and improvisations.
PZB member members were not deterred by THOMAS INGRAM's illogic, or the tieless AKERMAN corporate lawyer's flummery, dupery, nincompoopery, tomfoolery and pettifoggery.
PZB members were unimpressed by mendacious, efforts of City Attorney James Patrick Wilson and Brian Law to help the ARDID family's AKERMAN mouthpiece to muddy the water,.
PZB members all rightly agreed with Chair Jane West that the addition is not covered by the Final Development Order and must not be allowed.
Three cheers for the PZB.
PZB is not unlike the "Little Engine That Could" at St. Augustine Beach, which knows the difference between a swimming pool and a water slide park (and right and wrong).« less
Edward Adelbert Slavin
Does the developer covet our Pier and Pier Park? What is "Phase II"? We have a Right to Know.
Embassy Suites property owners, the ARDID family from Miami, twice toured Pier Park with County Administrator MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK and two successive Mayors of St. Augustine Beach (ANDREA SAMUELS and RICHARD BURTT O'BRIEN). No lawyers or journalists were there. No documents exist? Really? WANCHICK says Embassy Suites needs "more parking." Don't let corporation steal our park. Last year, then-PZB member David Bradfield allegedly told Rose Bailey that a $60 million investment in a "public private partnership" was in the offing. O'BRIEN has used the same phrase. Hotel is ugly and too big. Enough garishness. What's going on here? http://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2018/05/embassy-suites-hotel-phase-ii-rears-its.htm.
http://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2018/05/unanimous-no-monstrous-obnoxious-water.html« less
Edward Adelbert Slavin
What "crowd?" Did "one person" have a name?
Edward Adelbert Slavin
Yes. Ed Slavin
Edward Adelbert Slavin
Record did not attend PZB meeting. Shallow excuse for a news story.
Edward Adelbert Slavin
Thinly sourced page one puffery.
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