Owner appeals short-term rental decision

Local Historic City News reporters have learned that when the City of St Augustine Planning and Zoning Board convenes tomorrow’s regular business meeting, they will hear an appeal from the owners of one Abbott Tract home regarding a staff determination that concerns controversial “short-term rental” of the property.

Patrick Kirchman is one of the owners of the home at 42 Abbott Street who is advancing an appeal to the board because he feels staff members of the City’s Planning and Zoning Department are being too restrictive in permitting his commercial use of the residential property.

Disruptions caused by short term renters in the normally quiet neighborhood, between San Marco Avenue and the Intracoastal marshes, led the City Commission in 2010 to adopt an ordinance requiring registration of residential property if it is rented more than four times a year.

The new registration ordinance has teeth — after it received unanimous vote of approval from the commission, it upped the fines from $250 for a single instance of violations for large gatherings at short-term rental homes to $250 a day fine for each day of the rental period.

Also on the agenda for the 2:00 p.m. meeting, Elsa Roofing Company is requesting a “use by exception” permitting the contractor, without outside storage, to do business at 132 Masters Drive.

Two variances will also be heard; Don Crichlow, representing owners Gordon and Nancy McDonald seeking to exceed the maximum lot coverage for construction of a new garage at their home located at 4 Tremerton Street; and, Coates Construction, Inc., representing owner Marilyn Compton seeking to encroach into the required building setback, allowing construction of a carport in her front yard at 37 Menendez Road.

Paul and Rebecca Morris are applying to allow a movie theater as a permissible “use by exception” on property owned by Philip Nash located at 82, 84 and 86 Washington Street; as well as a variance to eliminate the on-site parking requirements for a movie theater at that Lincolnville location.

St Paul AME Church will ask the Board to allow a school as a permissible “use by exception” on their property located at 85 M.L. King Avenue, to allow an off-site drop off for the school, to allow a parking lot in a residential district, and to reduce the “parking space maneuverability” requirements in the parking lot.

Local attorney George McClure will represent the owner of the vacant property located at 179 San Marco Avenue, First Coast Development LLC, in their request to remove preserved trees in conjunction with site development.

Larry Weeks will ask for an amendment to the Communications Department Planned Unit Development owned by Flagler College at 31 Cordova Street, after being referred back from the last St Augustine City Commission meeting.

If you are planning to attend — the regular St Augustine Planning and Zoning Board meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, and will be held in the Alcazar Room; on the first floor of the west wing of City Hall, located at 75 King Street in St Augustine.