City should reject flooding land purchase (HCN)

Without a plan, without a clue, the City of St. Augustine City Manager wants to spend money buying a property susceptible of flooding from clients of politically connected TROY BLEVINS.

This smacks of favoritism, like the $229,000 purchase of a carwash at King and U.S. 1 from NORBERT TUSEO in 2010.

It's our money.

Come speak out against this deal.

How much would you pay for this Coquina Avenue property?

January 10, 2019

Would you buy it for $250,000?

This property, approximately 0.64 acres total, is conveniently located next to a city sewer lift station on a street that Public Works Director, Michael Cullum, says is susceptible to tidal flooding.

In a land grab already underway, you will pay $459,000, or more, if St Augustine City Manager John Regan has his way.  And you’ll have absolutely nothing to say about it.  This dilapidated family estate stands almost the same as it did in the 1950’s — never improved, modernized, it doesn’t have air-conditioning, and arguably it shouldn’t be occupied given its state of disrepair.

Basically, it’s a teardown.

The property appraiser, Eddie Creamer, has judged the fair market value of the .46-acre lot and 1959-era, 968sf wood-frame house, at $222,758 and the .18-acre vacant lot at 91 Coquina Avenue at $137,270.  Total appraised value for both is $360,028, according to his office records.

But before Christmas, with no public notice or hearing and with no advance notice before the commission, Regan took it upon himself (which he has no authority to do with obligations of this size) to write an offer to purchase the property located at 91 and 93 Coquina Avenue for $459,000.00.  He wrote to the listing agent, “The property is of high interest to the City for a variety of reasons,” but the commission and the public do not know about it.

The Estate of Jo Meldrim is administered by her daughter, Carolyn Moore, and she has hired multi-talented radio personality, A.D. Davis foreman, and Coquina Coast Realty LLC real estate mogul, Samuel “Troy” Blevins — at least for a couple of months until his license expires.

Before her death in 2016, Meldrim and Moore made property tax payments for the two properties totaling $7,633.04.  If the City buys the property, that recurring revenue will stop.

If you would like to be heard, this item comes up on the January 14th agenda and is under 

ITEM 7-B ITEMS OF GREAT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

• 7.B.1. Program update for the ongoing Resiliency, Adaptation and Sustainability Program. (M. Cullum, Director, Public Works).
• 7.B.2. Discussion of potential Coquina Avenue land acquisition. (M. Cullum, Director, Public Works).

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If you plan to attend, the commission meets in the Alcazar Room of City Hall, located at 75 King Street, on Monday, January 14, 2019, beginning at 5:00 p.m.  Speaker cards are available at the back of the meeting room.  Complete one and return it to the Clerk if you would like up to be heard before the commissioners for 3-minutes.