Guest Column: Long past time for zoning review

John Valdes
St Augustine, FL

Once again the need for the City of St. Augustine to review its zoning regulations became obvious to me and many others at a recent Planning and Zoning Board meeting, at which a property owner intended to turn the old castle at Flagler Boulevard and Alcazar Street in Davis Shores into a “small events venue”.

The board has faced these proposals all too often, and a review is needed, ideally with St. Augustine’s citizens and neighborhood associations taking that review into their own hands.

At that Planning and Zoning Board meeting, it quickly became obvious that some of the allowed commercial uses for this Davis Shores property would significantly affect the peaceful use and quality of life of the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

In my years on this board I have been very vocal about the need for the City of St. Augustine to review and modernize its antiquated zoning codes to cope with the continued growth and developmental pressures that are being placed on our city, and most importantly its residential neighborhoods. The CL-2 zoned Davis Shores property, which allows for a 100 seat restaurant, is another example of how un-reviewed and antiquated zoning can allow undesirable and in some cases very bad things to happen.

Another recent example of antiquated zoning would be the 7-Eleven convenience store and gas pumps at the heavily traveled and congested intersection on San Marco Avenue at May Street; however, my warnings and concerns as a member of the City Planning and Zoning Board have “fallen on deaf ears” at city staff and City Commission levels.

One of the reasons I am running for City Commission is to be receptive to the needs of St. Augustine’s citizens and to help take the necessary steps to modernize our zoning codes. The adoption of thoughtfully revised codes to intelligently regulate new growth and to create a fair balance for all of our stakeholders, requires the support of only three city commissioners. It can be done.

I am convinced that the best means to effect zoning change must come from the neighborhoods, individual citizens, the stakeholders most affected and most at risk from zoning “land-mines.” Thanks to the efforts of former Mayor George Gardner, through our neighborhood associations, we have in place the vehicle to take on zoning review.

Zoning review should begin at the grass roots level, an effort by our citizens working with their neighborhood associations to identify potential zoning problem areas in their specific neighborhoods.
Citizens and their neighborhood associations can develop zoning recommendations to present to the City Commission and city manager for needed changes. It can be done proactively, before properties are sold or developed with allowed but undesirable uses and zoning modifications becoming fraught with the threat of lawsuits.

Codifying the entry corridor guidelines brought fears of lawsuits over property rights. But with hundreds of permits issued, only six have been disputed and all resolved without legal action. Property owners will make efforts to conform if they know the will of the community.

The city’s zoning maps and regulations are available online or at the City Zoning and Building Department. If you need help, city staff is available and I will be happy to volunteer my time and experience dealing with zoning in St. Augustine to assist any residents with their review.

Our zoning code was adopted in 1976. Thirty-eight years later, this is an issue that is long past due. As a community of neighborhoods we can get it done.

I am running for a non-partisan seat on the St Augustine City Commission, and I need your vote to win. I have approved and paid for this message to be published. Find out more about me and my campaign at vote4johnvaldes.com