North Shores Improvement Association barricade protest

On Sunday, May 7th at 3:00 p.m., there will be a protest to raise awareness of barricades erected by the City of St Augustine that deny May Street traffic the ability to turn right into Nelmar Terrace on Magnolia Street and Douglas Avenue from SR-A1A.

Previous events have demonstrated opposition to the injustice of the City’s decision to close off North Magnolia Street, Douglas Avenue, and East San Carlos from residents and travelers.

“Nelmar Terrace successfully had the City close off their public streets, and, simultaneously, had newly privatized Magnolia repaved,” Association president Tisa Chamberlain told Historic City News.

“The City has invited the neighborhood to let them know what they want to see make their list of quick mobility fixes; whether its smoothing out their sidewalks, replacing street signs, filling potholes, and even their longer-range objectives for the strategic plan.”

On Sunday, Nelmar Terrace will be having a “Neighborhood Walk” with Reuben Franklin, the new City Mobility Manager.  According to the Nelmar Terrace flyer, the event will begin at Nelmar Terrace Park at 4:00 p.m.,

Then, according to a Nelmar Terrace flyer, at 5:00 p.m., there will be a meeting and social hour set up at Robert (Aultman) and Manny’s home at 31 Nelmar Avenue.

Please come stand with us on Sunday and send these messages to the City’s Mobility Program Manager:

• City decisions so far have decreased mobility; especially for those who live on the barrier island.
• Public Streets are Not Private Streets.
• Barricades help a vocal handful of people at the expense of everyone else who travels May Street.
• Vilano Beach residents pay taxes, own businesses, support St. Augustine.
• If the City cares about “mobility” they need to stop playing favorites.
• We need to be able to get to our doctors, our businesses, our children.

This issue is relevant to Vilano Beach:

We on the barrier island have had our mobility severely curtailed, with the closure of those three streets. The barricades have dramatically increased congestion, making May Street more dysfunctional and dangerous while exempting Nelmar Terrace from the repercussions of the City’s mobility problems. Nelmar Terrace continues to benefit from the City’s mobility efforts, at the expense of those who must use May Street for access to our homes. Vilano Beach continues to be refused input into the City decisions regarding May Street.