Sep. 19, 2008 - Eastbound Detour on King Street in St. Augustine

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Public Information office just announced the following detour on King Street which will affect most of us in our Nation's Oldest City.

"Traffic on eastbound King Street at the U.S. 1 intersection near the Seabreeze Carwash will be routed onto a new detour that will be in place for approximately six weeks beginning September 24.  The detour will route eastbound King Street traffic north onto U.S. 1 returning to King Street at Cordova Street. This will allow construction crews to realign the turn lane at the southeast corner of the intersection and replace the signal.

All eastbound King Street traffic will be detoured north on U.S. 1, east on West Castillo Drive, south on South Castillo Drive, west on Cathedral Place, south on Cordova Street and back to King Street, just less than two miles. 

        A westbound detour that is currently in place will be completed prior to eastbound King Street being closed."

The work on the King Street and U.S. 1 intersection began June 9th and began affecting westbound traffic on King Street on August 5th.  This $1.1 million safety project is expected to be completed by early 2009. The project includes adding a new traffic signal at King Street and Malaga Street/Sebastian Harbor Drive, reconfiguring the dedicated turn lanes at King Street and U.S. 1, replacing the existing signal and sidewalk at King Street and U.S. 1, replacing and adding pedestrian signals with new signals that have a crossing time countdown display, replacing drainage pipes to meet current standards, adding wheelchair accessible ramps, and making minor modifications to the median at Daniels Street two blocks south of King Street on U.S. 1.

        For additional information regarding this project, contact the Public Information Office at 800-475-0044 or monica.reifeiss@earthtech.com.  For information about FDOT projects around Northeast Florida, visit www.northfloridaroads.com/goto/KingStreet.

Sep. 14, 2008 - Beach Renourishment Funding Request

On Tuesday, September 16, 2008, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners will review funding and budget requests for beach restoration. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the county auditorium at 4020 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL.

According to the agenda for the meeting:

“The St. John County Annual Funding Request and Local Long-Range Budget Request to use Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) consists of the following elements:

1. South Ponte Vedra/Vilano Beach/Summer Haven Beach Restoration
2. St. Johns County Shore Protection Project
3. South Ponte Vedra/Vilano Beach Restoration”

Here are the supporting documents.

Sep. 13, 2008 - Coastal Cleanup at Porpoise Point September 20th

As President of the Friends of A1A, I am proud to announce that the Ocean Conservancy Beach Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, September 20^th.  This annual event, taking place in seventy-five countries around the globe, will see Friends of A1A doing a cleanup of the beach  and dunes at Porpoise Point from 8AM until noon.

We will be at the beach access located at Porpoise Point Drive and Genoa Street. Call or e-mail me and I will send you directions if you need them.

There will be a number of trash ‘grabbers’ available and ice water for all volunteers. You should wear closed shoes, gloves, and sun protection. An adult must accompany volunteers under sixteen.   

Please join us and encourage your neighbors and friends to assist in keeping our community and beaches a wonderful and clean place. Please let me know if you are coming so I can let Bernie Gay, our Friends of A1A Volunteer Coordinator, know. Thanks!

Fact Sheet

Aug. 31, 2008 - A1A & Mickler Road Intersection Improvements

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)  has begun work on the much needed intersection improvements at A1A (AKA S. Ponte Vedra Blvd.) and Mickler Road. The improvements include adding a light and a turn lane. These improvements should help this accident-prone intersection.  The FDOT will be holding an open house on Thursday, September 4th to discuss the improvements. All are invited. Here are the details:

FDOT Open House

When: Thursday, September 4, 2008, 1-2 p.m. and 5-6 p.m.

What: Open house to discuss a road construction project at Florida A1A and Mickler Road

Who: Transportation officials will be available

Where: Crosswater Community Church at 1050 Florida A1A N.

The $2.2 million project, which was set to begin Tuesday, will involve resurfacing portions of the road and installing a traffic signal at the intersection.

The work will include resurfacing A1A from Gnarled Oaks Drive to Mickler, widening the road for new left turn lanes from A1A North to Mickler Road and Ponte Vedra Boulevard, replacing and realigning portions of the sidewalk from Gnarled Oaks to the Overlook business complex, constructing pedestrian islands at the intersection and constructing three drainage ponds. During construction, a temporary pavement and barrier wall will be on A1A, Mickler and Ponte Vedra Boulevard for traffic shifts and to protect workers and motorists. Daytime lane closures will occur during construction, but not from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call, toll-free,(800) 475-0044, or e-mail monica.reifeiss@aecom. com.

Aug. 27, 2008 - Benefits of Being a St. Johns County Resident

There are many benefits to being a St. Johns County resident.  We enjoy a wonderful lifestyle, beautiful sights, and great attractions. Many new (and some old) residents to our county don't realize they can take advantage of many of St. Augustine's attractions at a discounted rate and in some cases free simply by showing their driver's license. When I have guests visiting me, I take them on the trains and I get to ride free (I think it's a two for one charge, but I like to think I ride free).

The St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau wants you to know that:

St. Johns County residents with a valid ID are always admitted free of charge to Government House Museum, the Lightner Museum, the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, the Fountain of Youth, the Ximenez-Fatio House,  and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse.  The daily tours and wine tastings at the San Sebastian Winery are free to everyone. Also, admission is free to everyone at the Authentic Old Drug Store, Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Photios Chapel and the Peña-Peck House (donations are welcomed).

So get out an explore your hometown. Your senses and pocketbook will thank you.

Aug. 27, 2008 - Vilano Streetscape Completion Ceremony

The streetscape is complete in the Vilano Beach Town Center. So, that means a party, right? Right!

October 17, 2008 from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the Beach Pavilion on the beach end of Vilano Road, the community is invited to celebrate the completion of the road and streetscape improvements to the Vilano Beach Town Center. The Ribbon Cutting ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. with music and food from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

If you wish to help plan this event, please attend the next meeting on Wednesday, September 3 at 4 p.m. at the North Shores Improvement Association's building at 120 Meadow Avenue.

Please contact me if you would like to be a sponsor.

The community has much to celebrate. We look forward to seeing you on the 17^th of October!

Aug. 12, 2008 - Vilano Resident Wins $2 Million in Lottery

If any of you know who the winner is, please let me know. A man bought a lottery ticket at the Kangaroo Express in Vilano Beach on A1A and verified his winnings yesterday. See, we live in a very nice and lucky place!

Jul. 30, 2008 - Paving Vilano Beach Town Center

Finally! And yes, I am saying this as an impatient person that lives in the area and am tired of the "speed bumps".  The crosswalks are so nice and now will be able to be seen as crosswalks and not speed bumps. The roads in the Vilano Beach Town Center are now being paved. The work should be done within a week.

So, we will now be able to drive over the roundabout that is really a drive-over at the intersection of Coastal Highway and Vilano Road.  It should all be obvious to us soon.

Thanks to St. Johns County for all they have done for us!

Jul. 28, 2008 - FDOT DUI on August 8, 2008

There are so many interesting things happening on August 8, 2008 (yes, the Olympics begin to name one). I thought you'd be interested in knowing that the Traffic Safety Office at FDOT announced plans to  promote "8 hours of DUI enforcement in every jurisdiction in the State of Florida beginning at 8:00 PM on 08-08-08".

Interesting that only 4 of the 8 hours will actually occur on August 8th. Be good!

Jun. 27, 2008 - Vilano Beach Roundabout

At the intersection of Coastal Highway and Vilano Road a new Sea Turtle/Dolphin "roundabout" has been installed. I use the term "roundabout" as it is actually a driveover roundabout to enable emergency vehicles to get into the community. However, let's drive around it, okay? Let me know what you think. I think it's lovely.

 June 27^th a.m. picture

 June 27^th p.m. picture (cones removed):

Jun. 19, 2008 - Utility Poles Coming Down in Vilano Beach Town Center

It seems everywhere you look in the Vilano and North Beach areas utility crews are working. A couple of weeks ago I noticed Powercon digging trenches along the west side of A1A around Villages of Vilano north to about 15th St. They said they are laying conduit to bury the overhead electrical lines. I have not gotten this information verified by FPL, however. Powercon did not know when the actually burial of the lines would occur, but the conduit is in place.  They were contracted for 6000 ft. along A1A. They are not doing the east side due to safety issues of being able to have their equipment off A1A while doing the work.

AND... the big news:  The poles are coming down in the Vilano Beach Town Center as I type this. This has been happening this past week and will continue. It shouldn't be long now. The Vilano Beach Town Center is looking good.

UPDATE- we've got a small snag to removing the poles---AT&T. Hopefully AT&T will get going soon and we can get the poles removed.

The grand opening of the streetscape will be in mid September. We'll know more in July as to the actual date. Stay tuned for more info or call me at 904-823-0027 or e-mail me at Barbara@BarbaraJenness.com

May. 24, 2008 - Vilano Beach Town Center Update

May. 6, 2008 - Bury Utilities By the Coast?

As chair of Scenic & Historic Corridor Management Council and President of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, I am frequently asked about burying utilities along our scenic highway. We get push back from Florida Power and Light (FPL). So in an effort to once again understand this issue, I went to FPL's website and found:

http://www.fpl.com/environment/lines/brighter_future.shtml

FPL maintains, "The reliability of overhead and underground lines is comparable...The key difference between underground and overhead lines is that it typically takes more time with underground lines to diagnose the problem and make repairs. This difference in repair time is best characterized in days rather than hours." Additionally FPL states on their website: "Compared to overhead transmission lines, underground transmission lines take longer to repair and are five to fifteen times more costly to construct...FPL may only bury lines when another entity agrees to pick up the differential cost between underground and overhead construction."

Doing some quick research on the Internet, I found this report that states that underground lines are considerably more reliable than overhead, but again more expensive to bury. So, as we all suspected, it comes down to money.

http://www.eei.org/industry_issues/energy_infrastructure/distribution/UndergroundReport.pdf

In the above Edison Electric report, on page 11 it says, "The Florida House of Representatives requested that the Florida Public Utility Commission prepare a proposal to underground all electric facilities in the state following the unprecedented landfall of four major hurricanes in Florida in 2004."

We need to find the referenced proposal. I found it: http://www.psc.state.fl.us/publications/pdf/electricgas/Underground_Wiring.pdf

Apr. 20, 2008 - Florida State Song - Help!

 ---------------------

Much as I don't like the words to our current state song, I do like the melody. It's a catchy tune. I can't say that about the 3 songs that made it to the finals to be voted on by us. Yech! They all sound depressing, slow, not at all upbeat. Come on. I know better songs had to have been submitted. Please don't let the citizens of Florida get strapped by one of these equally musically outdated songs. Did someone die? I thought the point was to get a more contemporary song that represents our state. 

I am proud to be a native Floridian. We live in a fun, energetic and beautiful state. Our song should reflect that. Please, contact your state representatives and ask for more songs.

I am not a music teacher, but I enjoy singing as much as the next person. Give us a fun song to sing!

In case you think I exaggerate, please visit: http://www.justsingflorida.org to hear the 3 songs a panel of music teachers selected. Votes must be cast by January 10th, but hopefully the bill to actually make the winner our new state song won't pass. If you need me to e-mail them to you, let me know.

Mar. 27, 2008 - St. Johns County Share the Beach Newsletter

Tara Dobson, Habitat Conservation Plan Coordinator for St. Johns County, has just finished the latest "Share the Beach" newsletter for St. Johns County. Click here to view it. You will learn about how to Adopt-a-Beach, where the off beach parking lots are located and costs of beach parking passes. Understand that the Conservation Zone(CZ) is 15' seaward of the toe of the dune. Pedestrian and vehicular activities are prohibited in the Conservation Zone. Additionally you will have her contact info and the Beach Lighting Officer's contact information. There will be a Sea Turtle Homecoming festival April 26, 2008. Turtle season is fast approaching (May 1st).

Dec. 15, 2007 - Right Whale in St. Augustine

Nov. 26, 2007 - Beach Renourishment - S. Ponte Vedra to Vilano

U.S. Congressman Mica held a Beach Renourishment Roundtable at the GTMNERR on Monday, November 19, 2007 that I attended. Representatives from the DEP, the Army Corps of Engineers, St. Johns County commissioners, St. Johns County staff and attorney, GTMNERR, SPV-Vilano Beach Restoration Association, and St. Augustine Beach were present.

Mica said the feasibility study would be completed in 2010.

Then an appropriations bill will have to be passed by Congress.

Not until the bill is passed can the Army Corps of Engineers begin work on the design specs to renourish the beach.

After the design work then the actual renourishment can begin. So I am guessing it will be 2013 at the earliest for the beach to be renourished unless some severe action is taken to expedite the process.

Here's the news broadcast information from First Coast News, followed by my detailed notes of the meeting.

http://www.wtlv.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=96001

Mica reported that he is the top Republican on the Transportation Committee which oversees the Army Corps of Engineers. This is key as the Corps is the group charged with protecting the beaches. Congress must authorize the Corps before they can act. In 2007 Mica was instrumental in getting an appropriations bill passed that will help with beach renourishment by funding a feasibility study. He reported that the last appropriations bill passed was in 2000 and that President Bush actually vetoed the 2007 appropriations bill. Mica said he was instrumental in getting Bush's vetoed overturned. Mica added a provision to the bill to look at beach restoration in any part of St. Johns County. So, now the Corps has the authority to conduct the feasibility study to determine what to do.

Col. Paul Grosskruger with the Army Corps of Engineers gave an update. He said that erosion is faster than in the past. They need to take a long-term view in the feasibility study. The erosion affects the entire east coast. The federal feasibility study is currently underway. He said there is $200,000 in the budget for the study. Congressman Mica asked Col. Grosskruger to let him know as soon as possible if more money is needed for the study. Col. Grosskruger reported that the study is expected to be completed in 2010.

Residents must work with the state for the short-term solution for homes on the edge of falling into the Atlantic Ocean. Permits from the DEP for temporary bulkheads do seem to be going through, but some residents voiced some frustration.

Jerry Scarborough with the DEP stressed that in order to get federal funding (at a 50% match maximum) you must be sure there is a federal interest. He said there must be public beach access and parking every 1/2 mile for the Feds to participate. Every access must have sufficient parking for public use. Tom Turnage with the citizens group South Ponte Vedra-Vilano Beach Restoration Association, Inc., mentioned the large number of public access points (every 5 lots) in the area. He had the St. Johns County Beach Management report that details all of them available for Mr. Scarborough's use.

County Commissioners Bryant and Stevenson offered some solutions. Commissioner Stevenson asked if using a shuttle bus was an option and was told yes. Commissioner Bryant said parking is not available directly across from the many access points due to the state of Florida purchasing Guana and that the state would have to agree to provide parking (gravel lots).

I went up to Congressman Mica, Jerry Scarborough and Col. Grosskruger after the meeting and introduced myself as the chair of Scenic & Historic A1A Corridor Management Council (CMC). I said that the federal or public interest in renourishing the beach in St. Johns County is more a transportation issue. The "public interest" is in protecting a state scenic highway and a National Scenic Byway (A1A). Additionally, the road needs protecting, as it is an evacuation route.

Mr. Scarborough went on to explain that once the feasibility study is complete and you can justify public/federal interest, you go forward for authorization via Water Resources bill. Once it's authorized, the Corps can move forward with design/build. The design specs take 1 year to do. Construction takes about 1 year, too.

Citizens asked Mica to start working on the appropriations bill now so that when 2010 comes we don't have to wait another 7 years for approval like before.

Residents discussed the temporary armament (seawalls). No one wants to put them up, but they are necessary to save homes. It was mentioned that the way the code is written (you can't apply for a permit until the ocean is within 20' of the structure) has created a zigzag of seawalls. Additionally you can't protect vacant land unless seawalls are in place directly north and south of the property. So if you have a home next to a vacant lot, you risk the water running behind the seawall and destroying it quickly. Also, the seawall would impact the vacant lot. Mica will ask the state to address these issues and to understand the arbitrary 20'.

Oct. 28, 2007 - Vilano Beach Town Center Brochure

The Vilano Beach Town Center Brochure was completely revamped this year. Hopefully you will find it easier to use and understand. This brochure explains the design guidelines for the Town Center with examples and the specific colors allowed. Additionally it explains the mixed-use zoning for this district. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 904-823-0027.

Click here to view brochure.

Jul. 16, 2007 - St. Augustine Selected as one of Florida's 7 Wonders

ST. AUGUSTINE SELECTED AS ONE OF FLORIDA’S SEVEN WONDERS

St. Augustine, the Nation’s oldest city, has been selected as one of Florida’s Seven Wonders by the readers of the Miami Herald.  Yippee! Our fine city finished third from among nearly two dozen candidates for inclusion on the list of Florida's most inspiring and beautiful locations.

To determine the Sunshine State’s seven wonders, the Herald asked for nominations and then listed the twenty-one most popular on their website.  Nominees could be natural or man-made – but had to reflect the state’s beauty, history or culture. Throughout the month of June, Herald readers were asked to vote for their favorites.  Additionally, you could visit their website to select your candidate. I asked many people in St. Augustine to vote for our wonderful city. The winners will be formally announced  July 22.

Florida's 7 Wonders in order of votes: 

1. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables

2. The Everglades

3. Historic St. Augustine

4. the Reefs of the Florida Keys

5.Vizcaya Museum in Miami

6.Old Town Key West

7.Kennedy Space Center. 

Each of the Seven Wonders will be presented in a special edition of the Herald’s Travel on July 29. Come visit St. Augustine. You'll want to move here!

May. 29, 2007 - Fiddler's Green - Oceanfront Park!!!YES!

5/6/07 Fiddler's Green held a great Farewell Party on May 6th. Here are some pictures I took that I made into a DVD. Let me know if you'd like a copy of it and I can mail you one. Click here to view video.

3/6/07 The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 for agree to accept the FCT grant and move forward towards the purchase of Fiddler's Green for an oceanfront park. There was a tremendous turnout. Thanks to all that came and e-mailed and called the commissioners. Your support made the difference!

 3/4/07 Here's a copy of the letter of support that was sent from the Friends of A1A to all the County Commissioners

Click Here to View Letter of Support

Please come one, come all this Tuesday, March 6, 2007 to help preserve Fiddler's Green as an oceanfront park. The current commissioners want to slow growth, well here is a great opportunity for them to do just that. If they don't buy the property at 25% of its value as being offered to them (the state pays the other 75%), it will become condos. It is agenda item #4 so it should be heard in the morning. I'm guessing around 9:45 or 10 a.m. Please speak out. Here's more info that has been circulating:

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners will vote on a key land acquisition grant on MARCH 6, 2007:

Issue – Should the County accept a land acquisition grant in the amount of up to $4.16 million from the Florida Communities Trust for 75% of the purchase price for the Fiddlers Green Restaurant Property to make it a Park – or lose the property to Condo developers.

§        This is a one time opportunity with a final decision date of 3/6/2007

§        Three quarters of the funding has been committed by the State of Florida and will not impact taxes

§        A yes on the vote will allow the county to have the legacy of a high quality park for the public and area visitors forever

Email County Commissioners – www.co.st-johns.fl.us > County Commission

Show up and be heard:

Where: St Johns County Commission Auditorium

When: Tuesday - March 6, 2007

Who:  Public invited in full force to show the need for a Park NOT Condos

 

ST. JOHNS COUNTY OCEANFRONT PROPERTY …. would you choose to have ….. A COUNTY PARK FOREVER - or - CONDOMINIUMS   ! ! !  Only Concerned  Citizens Can Save This Property  ! ! ! One Time Opportunity to Save Fiddler’s Green Property for Public Use à  Before, and On, Tuesday, March 6, 2007   ~~  Contact St. Johns County Commissioners ~~ Speak Up ~~  Call, Write, Email  PLUS  Help Fill the County Auditorium

• 75% of Purchase Price of this 1.7 acre parcel will be paid for by a Florida Communities Trust (FCT) Florida Forever Program Grant. Up to $4.16 million.  If purchase is not made by St. Johns County, this funding will default to another Florida County.
• Ask Commissioners AT LEAST  to do the Due Diligence  – Appraisals and Environmental Study – to determine the actual purchase price -- and then to investigate any and all creative means to finance 25% of the purchase price.
• This Project received a maximum Ten Excellence Points at the FCT presentation by a group of citizens, county staff and property owners in Tallahassee.
• County 2006 Contract to Purchase and FCT Grant expires shortly.
• This is a Florida Heritage Site.  The historical marker tells the story of the Vilano Beach Casino on this site from 1926 to 1939.   It has an historic building with unique architecture that has been there for 39 years.
• Management Plan for this site includes use as a community center, museum, cultural and educational programs, sea turtle patrol, use as a lifeguard HQ, experimental natural seaside garden, sports venue, special events.
• If this grant is refused and new condos are built, the County would lose beach parking to the high tide line along the oceanfront for DEP required re-vegetation, blocking current beach parking roadway and restricting vehicle access to lifeguard stations.
• As condos, these buildings would tower over adjacent county park and public pavilion and block river to sea view of the ocean.
• This beach concerns everyone in our County ,  And it is adjacent to the State and Federally designated A1A Scenic Byway.
• Near the St. Augustine Inlet, It now provides the site for National Skim Boarding Championships, Easter Sunrise Service, sea turtle nesting.
• Don’t let this go the way of the lost  oceanfront Fleeman and London Tracts.

Board of County Commission mailing address  4020 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084,

Phone: 209-0300, Fax:  209-0310.  Go to County web page:  www.co.st-johns.fl.us, then Board of County Commission for a send-to link or individually to bccd1@co.st-johns.fl.us, and bccd2@, bccd3@, bccd4@, bccd5@.  Check the BCC Agenda for March 6 on March 5 for item number, check Government Channel 3, bring a book to read until item addressed..

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”  – Theodore Roosevelt

2/13/07: Scott Singleton reported last night at the North Shores Improvement Association's meeting that there is not a need for a meeting on February 20th as reported below. The DEP is in the process of approving the permit which should be done by March 13th. The county's due diligence ends April 19th and closing should be May 19, 2007. The contract will be extended as necessary based on the status of receiving an appraisal. It was reiterated last night that the state of Florida will pay 75% of the purchase price based on a purchase price of $5,500,000.

1/26/07: Meeting with Board of County Commissioners on February 20th to ask for an extension of the due diligence period in order to get DEP permit to get true value of property for appraisal purposes.

12/18/06: I spoke with the owners of Fiddlers Green. Things are still moving along nicely awaiting the DEP permit. There will be an update from the county on 1/23/07.

My previous notes were:

Fiddler's pulled the request for variances from the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting. The county is hiring an appraiser once the DEP permit gets issued. Then this will be presented to the BCC and a vote taken. The contract is through March 2007.

Florida Communities Trust (FCT) has funded 75% of the purchase price of Fiddler's Green for an oceanfront park. A group of citizens went to Tallahassee on September 14th to support this request. It ranked 15th on the list for the entire state! Great job!

It's called Vilano Beach Oceanfront Park #15 on the attached list.

http://www.floridacommunitydevelopment.org/fct/documents/Cycle06FundingStatusReport.pdf

A DEP permit is still needed before the appraisal can be completed. The appraisal must be completed before it gets put on the BCC agenda for the BCC to approve the contract to purchase.  As I understand it, the purchase price is $5,550,000 with FCT paying $4,162,500 and St. Johns County paying $1,387,500. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the county to acquire 1.7 acres of oceanfront to be protected and provided for the public.