Saturday, March 11, 2023

80 Acre Old City Reservoir Site, Crime Scene of Illegal City Dumping, Cleaned Up, Will Become Affordable Housing

 


Another day. 

Another victory.   Thanks to citizen activists, the National Response Center, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and St. Johns River Water Management District, working together:

  • The once-contaminated coquia pit lake site at 450 Holmes Blvd., where Ms. Sherry Badger, Dr. Dwight Hines, Ph.D., the late David Thundershield Queen, et al. and I caught the City red-handed illegally dumping some 40,000 cubic yards of contaminated solid waste in 2006 was finally cleaned up.   

  • The City was fined some $31,000 and it entered into a consent decree. 

  • Rebarbative City Manager WILLIAM BARRY HARRIS (1998-2010) "retired."

Mutatis mutandis, the former illegal dumping site will soon become affordable housing.

Yes we can!

As the late Harris Wofford said on Inauguration Day 1961, after President John F. Kennedy complained to him of the all-white Coast Guard contingent in Inaugural Parade, and Mr. Wofford (later a U.S. Senator) desegregated the Coast Guard, "We can do anything with these phones!"

City of St. Augustine press release: 

CityStAug Communications info@citystaug.comHide

March 10, 2023

Public urged to attend affordable housing site visit

Design workshop scheduled for public input

On Saturday, March 18, from 9:00am until 12:00pm, in conjunction with its architectural design consultant, Brooks+Scarpa, the City of St. Augustine will host an open site visit at 450 N. Holmes Blvd., in St. Johns County, for the purpose of introducing the proposed future site of an affordable workforce housing community to the public.

Those who attend will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to representatives from Brooks+Scarpa and the City, as well as walk the property and view land surveys.

Following the site visit, on Monday, March 20 from 1:00pm until 5:00pm in the Alcazar Room of City Hall, 75 King Street, Brooks+Scarpa will host a design workshop, or “charrette”. The public is urged to attend to provide input and feedback for considerations such as:

      Overall project design

      Pricing accommodations for future residents of all income levels

      Potential additional services that could be provided to future residents within this community include, like:

  • On-site recreation, such as an exercise room, fishing, and walking trails
  • A community center that acts as an emergency (hurricane) shelter
  • Day care services
  • Education services, such as space available for classes or tutoring
  • Health care services, or space set aside for on-site health care visits
  • Transportation features, such as a bus stop, pedestrian access to the public sidewalk on Holmes Blvd., and bike racks

In addition, project feedback may be submitted via email to AffordableHousing@CityStAug.com.

All media inquiries may be directed to Melissa Wissel, Communications Director, at 904.293.3307.

_____________________________________________

CityStAug Communications

City of St. Augustine

Communications Department

Phn: 904.825.1053

P.O.Box 210 | St. Augustine, FL 32085-0210

www.CityStAug.com   |  info@citystaug.com

 

 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Some shady character will still be grifting the people to a husk with the affordable housing. You go out and work.. bring the rent capitalist your money. He will do nothing but smoke cigars all day and eat while you go work and bring him your money. The money will most likely end up in New York or New Jersey. Republicans approve of these schemes.