Letter: Protect our open vista

Letter: Protect our open vista

Ray Dominey
St Augustine, FL

I am not a writer, but I strongly believe that the fence on the east end of the Bridge of Lions needs to be changed and I believe this is a cause worth spending my time and effort to do something about.

Virginia Whetstone, owner of the Anchorage Inn, is building a fence between her hotel and Anastasia Boulevard.

If she is allowed to build this fence, and if it is allowed to stay, what is to stop a fence on the other side at the Edgewater Inn which she also owns?

What about her responsibility to the community to protect the open vista of our city from the east approach to the bridge?

Does this set a precedent for others to build a fence and block other areas?

I wonder how long before they fence off the other side. I respect their right to build a protective barrier on their property for security, but does it have to be such an ugly fence?

It could have been a wrought iron fence, built further back from the bridge; that would have protected their property and not destroyed one of the best views of the bridge and the south bank of the bayfront.

There are many ways that the security of the property and privacy of her guests could be accomplished without the big fence.

Isn’t there a responsibility to the community to protect one of our most valuable assets and that is the vista of our city provides to our tourists and the community.

Just as was the case of Fish Island the city could step in and deem the fence being installed does not meet the city’s strong vista ordinance.

I hope that we can make enough people aware of the issue to do something about getting it changed. The City issued the permit and the City could take it away!