Lighthouse will have to return in four weeks

Historic City News tallied public speakers on both sides of the issues surrounding the application for MUD zoning by the St Augustine Lighthouse Museum tonight as their representatives, Susan Bloodworth and Mark Knight, returned to the St Augustine City Commission for the second reading and public hearing on their application.

Planner Mark Knight explained to the commission that the lighthouse is here because they have to be — not because they have any immediate plans to build anything, but because they are no longer entitled to government zoning.

“The applicants are entitled to a decision tonight on the rezoning from “government” to “maritime”, since those are both existing zoning categories in the comprehensive plan,” City Attorney Isabelle Lopez told the commissioners.

At issue is the transfer of ownership of the lighthouse property into the hands of the charitable and educational 501c3 non-profit organization who now owns and operates the lighthouse, grounds, light-keeper’s house, museum and café.

After more than an hour of 3-minute public comments, primarily from neighbors concerned because they weren’t being shown plans of exactly how the new zoning will affect traffic and density on the property, the commission decided not to decide.

A number of museum and maritime staff members, volunteer board members, and others explained to the mayor and commissioners that they have tried to be good neighbors in the tightly knit Lighthouse Park subdivision and that there are no plans to change that. It is no secret that they want to maximize the potential for the property that they own; however, that was not to say that they wanted to do so in a way that would be disruptive.

Lighthouse representatives seemed to be saying, “trust us”, while they neighbors were saying “we do trust you, but we need to verify”.

One or two speakers commented that they did not feel the lighthouse was a particularly good neighbor — expressing fears that increased traffic, potential speeding, or alcohol sales in the restaurant could put the lighthouse in bad standing. However, overwhelming praise for more than 50-years of service seemed to be the opinion on both sides of the aisle. Even those who were unsure or even critical of the unknown plans for the future, remarked about moving to the neighborhood, in part, because of the closeness of the second-most popular landmark on the tourist’s maps.

Mayor Shaver asked Knight and Bloodworth if they would be willing to meet again with the neighborhood to discuss hot-buttons and revised plans for a lower impact through restrictions in the small comprehensive plan adjustment. Setbacks for construction and percentage of lot coverage seemed to top the list of possible ways to reach an agreement.

Knight said he was willing to return one more time, however, he said his client needs the rezoning as soon as possible. Agreeing to do some more homework to quell concerns of a looming structure encroaching on the residents who border the lighthouse, the commission set a date-certain of March 9, 2015 for a final hearing.