Abbott Tract urged to attend Wednesday meeting

Historic City News has learned that some property owners and residents in uptown St Augustine’s Abbott Tract are troubled over a move by city officials to “yellow curb” areas they say are needed for on-street parking in their neighborhood.

According to Abbott Tract resident Cathy DuPont, it appears that the city took away valuable and necessary parking spaces based on the request of a few members of a group that ostensibly represents the entire neighborhood. DuPont, and others in the neighborhood, are crying, “foul”.

“Many homes have no onsite parking; therefore, they must park on the street,” DuPont told local news reporters. “The City says they acted on the request from the St Augustine Uptown Neighborhood Association.”

According to DuPont, no public information was disseminated by the City in time for the residents to express their objections to the project prior to painting yellow curbs. The city maintains that, while the yellow curbing does eliminate some parking spaces, the plan allows the city to maximize parking, overall.

During public comments expressed at the most recent City Commission Meeting, it became clear that there is more than one perspective of on-street parking. The result has been that a public town hall meeting will be held TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17th, to discuss the issue.

Meeting time: 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Location: Alcazar Room, first floor of City Hall

All Historic City News readers and the public are invited to participate.

DuPont, and a number of her neighbors, have said that they do not believe that the St Augustine Uptown Neighborhood Association has been recognized by all Abbott Tract residents to represent the neighborhood — therefore, they should not be a negotiating agent with the City.

Included in the neighbor’s concerns are spaces at the end of Locust Street that have reportedly been used as public parking space for leisure canoe and kayaking excursions.

Neighborhood residents and the public will now find the area “yellow curbed”. It appears, based in part on comments by the city manager during the December 8th commission meeting, that the homeowner at that location parks his service vehicles in those spots.