Ex-commissioner appeals denial for second time

Monday evening, about 13,500 square-feet of back-filled marshland will be the topic of discussion when the City of St Augustine hears arguments, for a second time, asking for reconsideration of a permit denial for property owned by local lawyer and former St Augustine commissioner Susan M. Burk.

The St Augustine Planning and Zoning Board issued a decision to deny a permit for an Auto Repair business on the property located at 1409 N. Ponce de Leon Boulevard — one of two adjacent parcels of environmentally sensitive property owned by Burk.

The parcel at issue includes a narrow strip of fill dirt, gravel and marsh, comprising two lots that extend between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and the Florida East Coast Railway tracks; north of Sebastian Avenue running to Sanchez Avenue.

According to records published by the St Johns County Property Appraiser, the parcels, lot 11-2 and Lot 12, both owned by Burk, were purchased for almost $250,000 and are described, in part, as “marsh land lying between FEC R/W & US #1” and are assessed, for property taxes, at about half the amount paid — $127,765.

If you are planning to attend the regular St. Augustine City Commission meeting and hear the appeal, it will begin at 5:00 p.m. Monday and will be held in the Alcazar Room; on the first floor of City Hall, located at 75 King Street in St. Augustine. It will be broadcast live on Comcast Government TV (Cable Channel 3) and is streamed over the Internet.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News website archive photograph