Hastings, Vilano and CRAs ask county for Main Street funding, park upgrades and housing set‑asides

County staff and Main Street representatives presented a multi‑part package of requests for Main Street programs and CRA initiatives across St. Johns County.

Hastings Main Street representatives described Phase 2 of the Cochran Pocket Park (plantings, edible landscaping with local partners), proposed activation of a small historic building (rehab estimate $50,000–$100,000), and a plan to replace narrow, non‑ADA sidewalks with pavers to improve accessibility and safety. Hastings requested $125,000 from the county for FY27 to support sidewalks, building activation and bike‑trail improvements; the group reported having spent most of a $100,000 FY26 allocation and leveraging matching grants and fundraising.

Vilano Beach Main Street (the presentation used several spellings in the transcript) requested an increase from about $64,000 this year to $200,000, with itemized asks including marketing, branding and entryway signage; the presenters also asked the county to consider gap funding for three recurring events (presenters listed $50,000 per event, or $150,000 total) to cover shortfalls between grant awards and event costs.

Staff briefed commissioners on three CRAs: West Augustine, Flagler Estates and Vilano Beach. West Augustine's draft FY27 budget includes a proposed $650,000 line to support affordable housing initiatives, $100,000 toward Peace Park improvements and exploratory funding for septic‑to‑sewer conversions (staff described this as a possible connection subsidy program rather than infrastructure construction). Flagler Estates prioritized continued roadway and drainage improvements and limited recreation upgrades; staff proposed a preliminary $400,000 line for those work items. Vilano Beach CRA remains focused primarily on debt service; staff said its TIF collections may not be sufficient to fully retire previous debt, so most available funding will go to debt payments.

Board members asked Main Streets to prioritize projects in the event of constrained revenues and discussed legal/CRA appropriations and boundaries. Commissioners also raised the need to coordinate sewer connectivity efforts with the City of St. Augustine; staff said an interlocal agreement and more detailed scope would be needed before committing county funds to infrastructure owned by the city.

Next steps: Staff will follow up with legal on permissible uses of CRA or general funds for Main Street activities, ask Main Street groups to prioritize line‑items for budget reductions if needed, and continue vetting affordable housing and septic‑to‑sewer options with city and county partners.