[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6625810,"mediaKeyId","2756368-fc6bbe7179ada5cc622cfaeed5c31b98","parentId",2756368,"title","Commission signs off on zoning housekeeping, park and public‑safety grants and DOT seawall agreement","audioSeconds",5198,"startMs",2254000,"endMs",7452000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756368-fc6bbe7179ada5cc622cfaeed5c31b98&start=2254&end=7452","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756368-fc6bbe7179ada5cc622cfaeed5c31b98/thumbnail_2254000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6625810/St-Augustine/St-Johns-County/Florida/Commission-signs-off-on-zoning-housekeeping-park-and-publicsafety-grants-and-DOT-seawall-agreement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625810-b220d78555546aa4b64c305e2153ee33/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195724&Signature=S6aahU40ZLrYpiPjXuNE2asbeIM7jbZKsQMXUysl~mQzjU3uFzRPqu9xrV4mp65LooReI88B8FO3-e2TppC5GdULGx~MYjNgGByaYwcDfzthQ1SwfupoyzjXk4ohfWfE0snLLm1O-0mOink5BbMQD7a7hjcUnw43nZrKEH96vqb38Afr4xeUdVbJTKmVbsPVx6i6bYP4UOtNy-5YJNkxJr0BQ1fWy44CAXAPb0ga65OKtwtHxf9ldGnmnF4H44ziSq4YLpvBxi5VUGGKYTMjwi9fgPiESF7vTZ4uKh7HtND~u5y92pMenEk4WrJv26GyI~Bj-iVrd~aqTbBMZoX7vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Augustine","date","2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","article","The St. Augustine City Commission handled a cluster of routine land‑use fixes, grant requests and intergovernmental agreements in a single session, approving a package of ordinances and resolutions by unanimous votes.

Key votes and items:
- Ordinance 2025‑03 (second reading): amended the Future Land Use Map to correct a mapping inconsistency for a 0.08‑acre parcel at 4 Locust Street, changing the designation from Residential Low Density to Commercial Low Intensity. Planning staff said the property had been commercially used since at least 1988 and the map error was carried forward during a comprehensive plan update.

- Ordinance 2025‑04 (second reading): rezoned approximately 4.39 acres at 179 State Road 16 (an FPL substation) from undesignated to Open Land (OL) to align zoning with a previously assigned open‑land comprehensive plan designation.

- Ordinance 2025‑05 (first reading): rezoning of 10 Carrera Street to a PUD (covered in a separate article) passed first reading unanimously.

- Resolution 2025‑06: revised the city’s citizen‑awards eligibility to emphasize city residency or volunteer service that benefits St. Augustine and to accommodate homeschool and other non‑school nominees; commissioners said the change follows a request to narrow award eligibility.

- Resolution 2025‑09: the commission authorized staff to request additional Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) funding to cover remaining costs of a kayak launch at Eddie Vickers Park; CRA staff said designs are complete and the project can move to procurement if funding is approved.

- Resolution 2025‑10: the commission approved applying for a federal Port Security Grant and pursuing matching funds from FIND to acquire a firefighting and rescue vessel. Fire Chief Carlos Aviles said the department responds to calls in the inlet area and that a single modern marine asset would replace the current fleet and offer enhanced safety for offshore responses.

- Resolution 2025‑11: the commission approved the construction and maintenance agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for the DOT seawall design in the city; under the approved and funded DOT project the agency will install the seawall and preserve the finished aesthetic, while the city will operate and maintain landscaping, mowing and litter removal after construction.

- Consent agenda: the commission approved minutes, a release of lien, and the purchase of equipment using federal forfeiture funds (including a vending machine for police evidence/confiscated‑funds use), among other routine items.

All of these measures passed on unanimous votes. Commissioners characterized most as housekeeping, code corrections or opportunities to leverage outside funding; staff said several of the items remove map/zoning inconsistencies created during prior comprehensive plan work and align zoning with actual or planned uses.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Augustine - City Commission - Mar 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City Commission unanimously approved two zoning corrections, funding requests for a kayak launch, grant applications for a firefighting/rescue vessel and a construction/maintenance agreement with FDOT for a seawall project, and it passed a revision to the citizen awards eligibility rules.","taxTitle","St. Augustine, St. Johns County , Florida","taxId",4620,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625818,"Commission approves first reading to rezone 10 Carrera Street to a PUD, asks staff to add succession protections",1150,2768000,3918000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756368-fc6bbe7179ada5cc622cfaeed5c31b98&start=2768&end=3918","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756368-fc6bbe7179ada5cc622cfaeed5c31b98/thumbnail_2768000.jpg","/articles/6625818/St-Augustine/St-Johns-County/Florida/Commission-approves-first-reading-to-rezone-10-Carrera-Street-to-a-PUD-asks-staff-to-add-succession-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625818-860da478377c33abc6289a576fd159a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195724&Signature=VkPmIugdSt1gmXOyJaiiWg58S0tq-Xop6yuvxiepIxQhCgbgXndnFLsAL3p4Er2c4NZggzTwGXBdh2z71g63jutxsPZ2bWC3znsO8KdMvv3nmWt74Ad5WRVgM21G9eVWm1y64JH6x~1cbafP-8h9dYK5a-tjDdLyKgCtXmvxQTA8IZLj02tcgZnYv3YHTcnFpgRVlkXA5lUm1ohuMIXSgga9zCSGN99kJU6zFeTbKA6X4KWrA6als0QfdHj6euiRN64F6EEm2DdYbQxrj2PxC3RcS1-SrOtbFVcKHYjK1ezmLByWzJ7Faxo0b9KlgQzg6XwXhhEsX~5YqcDijVwwNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Commission on first reading approved Ordinance 2025‑05, rezoning about 0.34 acres at 10 Carrera Street from Residential Single Family 1 (RS‑1) to Planned Unit Development (PUD). The rezoning would allow continued use of the historic property for a caretaker residence, a small resource library and limited meeting space tied to longstanding educational and cultural activities on the site.

Amy Skinner, director of Planning and Building, told commissioners that the proposed PUD was narrowly tailored to preserve historical, educational and small‑meeting uses that have occurred there for decades. The Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended approval and asked the applicants to add explicit prohibitions on several RG‑1 commercial uses; the draft PUD includes language barring rooming and boarding houses, tourist homes, bed‑and‑breakfasts and other uses the neighbors objected to.

James Whitehouse of St. Johns Law Group, representing the trustees that inherited the property, said the trustees wanted to “do the right thing” by coming to the city to continue the site’s compatible historical uses. Whitehouse said the PUD preserves the building, allows listed uses and removes earlier language that inadvertently permitted transfer of ownership without additional city review.

Several commissioners and neighbors said they supported the PUD because it preserves a historic local institution, but one commissioner asked staff to draft a “reverter” clause or other succession language to ensure that, if the trustees dissolve or the property is sold, the zoning and allowed uses would revert to RS‑1 or another restrictive classification. The applicant agreed to work with staff to craft language to address that concern before second reading.

The ordinance passed first reading unanimously; staff and the applicant will return for a second reading in a future meeting with the revised PUD text and any proposed reverter/succession language.

","On first reading the commission voted unanimously to rezone 10 Carrera Street from RS‑1 to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) to preserve continued institutional and educational uses at the historic property; commissioners asked staff to explore a reverter clause or other succession language before second reading.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625823,"St. Augustine commission adopts one-year Knights of Lights date change after heated public comment",8054,4079000,12133000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756368-fc6bbe7179ada5cc622cfaeed5c31b98&start=4079&end=12133","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756368-fc6bbe7179ada5cc622cfaeed5c31b98/thumbnail_4079000.jpg","/articles/6625823/St-Augustine/St-Johns-County/Florida/St-Augustine-commission-adopts-one-year-Knights-of-Lights-date-change-after-heated-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625823-a5340f14e96a32a15b815c446c43baf8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195724&Signature=Jr-P1RbOYeacGPoxvY7IYY7pYlaHhQqmtAwD1dDSlMBZXpG1Wr7fQtUuhGO56RUuHusLWhBiIO3nS1s~f4TlfakStj~2esstSqFhtgvPhzGhxjtr8Fu8xfQEpnKyPhyqB~Eqqb0qKSvJ~YBSQvFeJu7-BABiw~1Ho-cGMCT0RyyEaV6pZcYqd~F3rQVGnJIl~31UxHAHaA~OyAmCcdAr9bL7kI8DayObrIH6bFUa-dfUpIZEwYEYfi8~V3jk7byQZdrGY-bfoP5pQclJquLXl5SYzlZQLMhd3tdob13hAIaGcusXL9Nt6wCzGkFaDPmRhJddkmiO~uw~L2ttzwTZ4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Augustine City Commission voted 3–2 to adopt a temporary change to the 2025 Knights of Lights schedule, setting dates to begin Nov. 15, 2025, and run through Jan. 11, 2026. The vote replaces an earlier staff-drafted resolution that would have set the event from Nov. 22, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026.

The change was presented as a temporary, one‑year measure intended to give residents brief relief and provide time for the city, county and business groups to implement mobility and public‑safety measures ahead of next season. Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder introduced the idea that led to the final motion, and commissioners said the decision was meant to buy time for a larger traffic, public‑safety and vendor‑management plan.

The commission heard more than 60 members of the public during a lengthy hearing. Business owners and hospitality workers said shortening the festival would concentrate visitors into fewer dates and cause worse congestion, and they warned of severe revenue loss and layoffs for hourly employees. “If you shorten the season, it’ll just happen again on fewer days,” said Edwin Swift, operator of Old Town Trolley Tours, describing the effect of compressing demand onto remaining nights.

Residents and neighborhood representatives said traffic, blocked driveways and limited emergency access made the 2024 season untenable for people who live downtown. “Quality of life for our residents has deteriorated to the point that good people are leaving our community permanently,” Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder told the commission when explaining her proposal. She framed the resolution as a temporary step while the city pursues longer-term mobility improvements.

City staff described ongoing coordination with stakeholders and an intent to test mobility improvements at other large events before the November start. City Manager David Bircham and other staff said the King Street bridge replacement and other near‑term construction projects increase uncertainty about next season’s traffic patterns and argued for a cautious approach.

Commissioners also recorded a list of priorities to be pursued before the next season, including: refining a mobility plan for large events; coordinating with the St. Johns County Sheriff and the county on enforcement and traffic officers; exploring off‑site parking and shuttle contracts; improving pedestrian routes and restricted vendor placement; and assembling a budget for an event‑management program that could be cost‑shared among city, county, TDC and business groups.

The final resolution was explicitly temporary: commissioners stated it would be reconsidered after the city and stakeholders present measurable plans for resident access, public safety and event flow. The roll call vote was 3 in favor, 2 opposed.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 2025‑08 (Knights of Lights dates): passed 3–2, amended to Nov. 15, 2025–Jan. 11, 2026 (temporary, one year).

Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to return with a timeline and measurable milestones for the mobility and safety work, and to involve the county sheriff, the Tourist Development Council, the Chamber, business coalitions and neighborhood representatives in drafting operational plans for next season.

Context: The debate followed weeks of community emails, phone calls and two earlier public meetings; many downtown business owners argued Nights of Lights is a primary driver of winter revenue and of seasonal employment, while residents pressed for guaranteed through‑routes and emergency‑access plans during the event.

","After more than two hours of public comment from business owners, residents and county officials, the City Commission voted 3–2 to adopt a one‑year resolution setting Knights of Lights to run mid‑November through mid‑January while the city develops a mobility and safety plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission signs off on zoning housekeeping, park and public‑safety grants and DOT seawall agreement

Commission approves first reading to rezone 10 Carrera Street to a PUD, asks staff to add succession protections

St. Augustine commission adopts one-year Knights of Lights date change after heated public comment