Regan takes complaints to FSDB president

Historic City News local reporters will try to gauge the mood of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind this week when school President Dan Hutto meets with St. Augustine City Manager John Regan.

Regan told two dozen Nelmar Terrace residents that a fence, city codes, and future plans for the school are all on the agenda.

The state-owned and operated school has suffered conflicts with residents of Nelmar Terrace in the past; largely because its sprawling campus is carved out of one of the city’s oldest, historical neighborhoods.

“Over the past 40 or 50 years, I have witnessed continued expansion of the footprint of the campus — parts of which extend from San Marco Avenue on the west to the waters of Hospital Creek on the east,” said Historic City News editor Michael Gold. “I can remember the original campus which was essentially the horseshoe on San Marco and some dormitory housing and a maintenance building at the wings back when I attended what was then Fullerwood Elementary School — it has grown a lot since then.”

Regan called for last week’s neighborhood meeting and scheduled this week’s meeting with the school’s administration following complaints that the school is expanding a “single family residence” into a “student dormitory”. Regan told those in attendance that he’ll tell Hutto, “Here’s the heart of the problem.” Then, Regan said, he’ll ask Hutto, “What can we do?”

Hutto, who was out of town on a family emergency, oversees 860 on-campus and outreach students as well as 700 employees. His service to the St. Augustine school dates back to the 1960′s.

Regan said he wanted to get the neighborhood’s and school’s feelings to craft any recommendations for the City Commission.

At issue is a $1.3 million renovation and expansion to the Collins House on the waterfront facing Nelmar Avenue — originally constructed in 1924. Neighbors say the construction will change the single family appearance of the one-time home.

Another issue is a high fence; built around the property to restrict access to the campus by outsiders and to protect students who might otherwise lose their way off campus. Neighbors say it negatively impacts the character of the neighborhood.

“If they can get away with this, what will be next?” one neighbor asked.

“This is the project to draw the line in the sand,” Regan said.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer