No answers yet on The Castle of Lions

About a year ago, Jake Firth says he bought the vacant property at 100 Flagler Boulevard on Anastasia Island, knowing that the unusual building, whose high walls and Gothic appearance led to it being nicknamed “the castle”, was zoned commercial.

From the start, Firth said in a recent televised interview, his plans were never to live in the building, but to create a small events venue for weddings and “things like business conferences or to have people who want to come here for a weekend, or for a holiday getaway.”

“I purchased a broken down castle in Davis Shores that has been unoccupied for nearly a decade — other than by a few derelicts who have scaled the walls at times to get drunk or high and shoot off fireworks,” Firth said on his Facebook today. “It is commercially zoned, and I am going to revitalize it and turn it into a luxury weekly honeymoon rental that also hosts other special small functions at times, such as executive meetings, small weddings, community functions, etc.”

At Monday night’s meeting of the St Augustine City Commission, a resident in the nearby Davis Shores neighborhood, Susan Rathbone, pled with commissioners to fix the zoning that will allow commercial use of the property. This is the second instance in recent months of a proposed commercial use within the city limits of St Augustine that didn’t sit well with adjoining residential property owners.

“Some residents in the neighborhood, based on the spread of rumors, believe that I am going to turn it into a large restaurant or a club or a rock concert venue,” Firth said while denying those claims.

“It’s going to take away the enjoyment of our neighborhood,” Rathbone said. “What I’m asking is for the city to correct the wrong done decades ago when commercial zoning was put in place.”

She and others feel if the property is rezoned back to residential, it will stop the events venue from moving forward and safeguard the property from future commercial uses. The structure was originally built as a single-family residence.

Firth says he will name the building “The Castle of Lions”, in honor of the Bridge of Lions, which can be viewed from the castle deck. But, his plans may be delayed by what he calls “a small activist group” trying to force the City to “down-zone” the property to residential.

During the meeting Monday night, there were comments about an administrative re-zoning, primarily unpopular because it will certainly lead to a lawsuit against the City under the Bert-Harris Act. The City would have to compensate Firth in that case for his loss in value if he is forced to give up his commercial property rights.

Firth says he aims to revive the vacant property and help the neighborhood. “It’s something that could be used to benefit the community rather than left to rot and decay into the ground and be a problem for the community.”