Letter: Up-zoning threatens the stability of residential neighborhoods
Melinda Rakoncay
St Augustine, FL
Dear Historic City News:
“Up-zoning” is something that should concern all property owners living in residential neighborhoods. Up-zoning is the practice of rezoning property to a more intensive use than its present zoning.
At about 8:00 p.m. Monday night, Historic City News received word from the St Augustine Fire Department that a fire had broken out at Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille located at 46 Avenida Menendez along the bayfront.
On March 4, 2019 the City of St Augustine Beach informed Historic City News of the details of their regular City Commission meeting. Cindy Walker reported that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss Beach Blast Off, the zoning of medical marijuana pharmacies, and a ban on plastic bag use by retail establishments, among other issues.
Ameris Bank will sponsor the next meeting of the St Augustine and St Johns County Chamber of Commerce Historic St. Augustine Area Council on Friday, March 8th, from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. at the St. Augustine Art Association, located at 22 Marine Street.
Historic City News local reporters watched this morning as the remaining four members of the St Augustine City Commission took less than 30-minutes to unanimously decide that 62-year-old Tracy Wilson Upchurch will serve out the remaining term of former mayor, Nancy Shaver, which ends on December 7, 2020.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office reported to local Historic City News reporters yesterday that an encounter with 31-year-old Samantha Weatherford, who resides at 305 North Villa San Marco Drive in St Augustine, led to an early-morning drug arrest.
William Ferrigno
St Augustine, FL
Dear Historic City News readers:
Our Historic Uptown District on San Marco Avenue is under siege again! The Bishop and the Catholic Diocese are planning to create a Catholic Retreat on the Mission grounds and their property along Ocean Avenue.
With Nancy Shaver’s resignation as St. Augustine Mayor yesterday, Thursday, February 28th, the clock started running for the remaining four members of the city commission to select an interim mayor to complete her term of office.
Following are some of the most asked questions of Historic City News reporters about that process with answers provided by city staff.
