Staff bloggersThese blog entries are written by members of the MyShorelinesSun staff.
We're lucky that staying cool at the Beaches can be fun, easy, and free or almost free
It's been hot here at the Jacksonville Beaches, but that's not a surprise to anyone since we're in Florida and it's summer time. But as I went around this week taking pictures of people staying cool by staying wet, I realized how lucky we are here that we have so many fun and free or almost free options. We have our pick of beaches and can enjoy the cool Atlantic Ocean waves for free. Just have to walk, bike there, or drive and find a parking spot. The Wimpy Sutton Pool at Fletcher High School is also free every afternoon to the public courtesy of the city of Jacksonville, which staffs it with lifeguards. Kids can even join a free swim team there. It doesn't even matter what county you live in, people from St. Johns County can use the pool too. And up in Hanna Park, off Mayport Road, we have access, for the price of a $3 admission per car, to wonderful beaches, wooded picnic spots, and Splash Park, designed for little kids. The Splash Park also cools off the adults who go there with their kids and grandkids. Looks like fun. See my story and photos in the Saturday, June 27 Shorelines editions. Also, check out my 'Keeping Cool" photo gallery here at Shorelines.com.
Even with government, Navy approval, it could be years before Mayport has a carrier
Rep. Crenshaw promises to fight for nuclear carrier
After the Navy recently announced it would spend millions of dollars repairing a pier at Mayport Naval Station, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., said he's determined more than ever to station a nuclear aircraft carrier at the base. "I sit on the appropriations subcommittee that directly reviews the military construction funding for pier repairs, and will oppose any measure that does not contain the resources necessary to provide an alternative East Coast port for a carrier," said Crenshaw. The only East Coast port still harboring Navy carriers is Norfolk, Va., since the USS John F. Kennedy left Mayport to be mothballed in 2007. Crenshaw said he's prepared to argue Mayport fits the bill as an alternative carrier port should a disaster strike Norfolk. "I am confident that Congress will ultimately say yes to the Navy's funding request that will make this goal possible," Crenshaw said last month during an Atlantic Beach ceremony to celebrate Jacksonville's beach renourishment project being named one of the nation's best. The Navy will spend $12 million to fix a pier at Mayport Naval Station over the next 18 months, tacking another 50 years onto the life of the structure. The work, according to the Navy, will include installing about 900 feet of steel bulkhead, removing and replacing about 6,000 square yards of pavement and replacing an electrical building. Alpha Wharf, where the work will be done, is one of 16 piers used by various ships that visit or are based at Mayport. While it is an essential pier, it's not the base's longest and could not handle a 1,092-foot-long nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The carrier pier would be Charlie Wharf at Mayport. The pier work comes as the Navy has been sending mixed signals on the future of a carrier at the base. In the past year, the Navy indicated a nuclear carrier was heading for Mayport within five years. But in April, the Department of Defense pulled back, telling legislators "nuclearizing" Mayport would be re-examined in a national defense study. Crenshaw said he'll continue to fight for a nuclear carrier at Mayport, and Beaches-area politicians remain equally committed. "Every indication I got from senior Navy officials was they consider Mayport the southern base of the East Coast," said Atlantic Beach Mayor John Meserve, chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce's Military Issues Committee. "They're going to maintain that base up as a full operating base. "They've made a decision they need a two-base capability on the East Coast" for carriers, which also includes a repair station for nuclear carriers at Mayport, said Meserve. The two-base strategy for carrier homeporting will be the hook if Mayport is to get an aircraft carrier, said Crenshaw. "The groundwork, analyses, studies and funding necessary to homeport a nuclear carrier at Mayport are welcome and necessary work that will firmly establish what the Secretary of Defense [Robert Gates] has said - a single nuclear homeport carrier on the East Coast is not acceptable," Crenshaw said. It could take years before a carrier arrives at Mayport, even if the DOD and Navy sign off on the assignment. A study on dredging the Mayport base basin to accommodate the carrier, a $46 million project, is under way and could be voted on this year by Congress. Meserve said local leaders must prepare for a carrier coming to Mayport, even if there are questions. "Our responsibility locally is to make sure that we step through that multi-year process of getting ready to accept the ship when it comes," he said. Meanwhile, the $12 million pier work is a taste of the economic impact a carrier would bring to Mayport, he said. "Yes, you've got a huge amount of money being poured into this area," said Meserve. "Remember, though, it's a matter of national defense and national interest and not so much that we're bringing home money to the Jacksonville area. "That's a secondary thing. It's obviously good for us; people are going to get contracts and they're going to be doing work. Over the next two or three years there's going to be hundreds of millions of dollars of work being done at Mayport in addition to the work that's being done there every day," Meserve said. Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313.
Neptune Beach's Margaret Street focus of noise crackdowns again
NEPTUNE BEACH - The city street known as party central for years is once again the focus of a noise crackdown by the City Council. "We have once again become the party street," said Marsha Coker who has lived on Margaret Street for 35 years. "Not every night, not every weekend, but when we do, it's extremely disruptive and there is a loud bunch of noise ... . We want to be good neighbors." Margaret Street was so notorious for raucous parties, the city implemented new noise penalties in 2004 to try to curtail the rowdy nightlife in residential neighborhoods. Then, the city opened it up to police to issue citations for what was previously a code enforcement violation. The limitation was that police could write only a warning for the first call to a loud party on the street. City Manager Jim Jarboe said he has two proposed solutions "without being too restrictive" to the issue on Margaret Street. He presented options to the City Council Monday night. One would be to allow police to issue a citation upon the first visit to a complaint of loud noise from a residential property instead of being limited to just a warning for the first violation. "Let the police officer make the decision of whether to give the ticket or not," said Jarboe. "Right now, he has to give a warning [on the first call], it doesn't matter if it's a block party, a street party or whatever. In some cases it needs to be a ticket." Those tickets range from $100 for the first citation to $300 for the second and $500 for the third and those penalties are assessed to the resident, most of whom are renters. The other possible change to the city's noise ordinance calls for property owners to answer to the Code Enforcement Board to face fines up to $500 after the third offense. Jarboe suggested that be modified to Code Enforcement review after only the second offense. The council agreed to take the proposed ordinance changes for a first reading at their council meeting scheduled for Monday, July 6. Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313.
Mayport Road crime rate slows
Last year's renovation and added police presence result in progress for the area
ATLANTIC BEACH - Violence and property crimes dropped significantly through the first quarter of this year along the Mayport Road corridor, the city's most crime-ridden area but one that's been the target of a major revitalization project. Atlantic Beach Police Chief Michael Classey released statistics this week that show fewer crimes from January through March compared to the same time last year along Mayport Road and in the areas up to two blocks east of it as well as west of it to the Intracoastal Waterway. Violent crimes including rape, robbery and aggravated assault fell from 15 to nine, a 40 percent drop, according to the statistics compiled by a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office crime analyst. Type 1 crimes, which include violent crimes and property crimes such as larceny, burglary and motor vehicle theft decreased from 68 to 52, a 24 percent drop. "As far as the corridor goes, I'm proud of the progress we're making. We're making a difference," Classey said Wednesday. The crime drop in the Mayport Road area offsets an otherwise stagnant crime rate for the entire city, which had one more crime committed than the first quarter in 2008. Total Type 1 crimes went from 138 to 139 citywide, Classey said. The Mayport Road corridor was the target of a major city revitalization effort in 2008. The urban renewal project, expected to last three to five years, has featured several high-profile moves. Police Officer Dale Hatfield was moved from police duties to community redevelopment coordinator for the Mayport corridor. He has been involved in enforcing city codes to help rid the area of blight and dilapidated buildings where many criminals operate. In the summer of 2008, the city implemented a Community Oriented Policing program. That involves officers on bicycles initiating contact with residents and business owners in hopes of promoting police instead of criminals. Those programs came on top of a $5 million Florida Department of Transportation resurfacing of Mayport Road in 2008 that included several aesthetic upgrades, including medians with landscaping. City Commissioner Paul Parsons, among the early advocates of the Mayport Road corridor revitalization, said he's surprised at the turnaround in crime. "The numbers look really good. All of them look really good," said Parsons. "What you can walk away with is that was the biggest crime area of the city. We've gotten the neighbors involved and anytime you get the neighbors involved, you're going to see an improvement." Parsons said the city let the area go too long as one of the worst crime areas at the Beaches. "I was part of that," said Parsons. "I was on a commission years ago when we didn't do anything about it." Nevertheless, Parsons said the city finally came around and progress has been made, even if the city's initial efforts seemed risky. "I guess you could use the term risky," said Parsons. "It was something that we didn't know what was going to happen. But it was something that we showed the citizens that if you take care of yourself, everything else will come together." Classey credited residents and business owners for ending crime such as open drug deals. "People standing on the street corner were out there waiting for them to sell crack," said Classey. "That's pretty well non-existent anymore. We've shut that down. That's from the COPs program but regular patrols too. "Now we've shut down the street level stuff, we are able to work a little bit on the higher-end dealer, not just the person with one rock of crack standing on the corner," he said. Classey also said prostitution has dropped off to virtually nothing. He said he doubts prostitution would go away entirely, but there were only five prostitution-related arrests in the first quarter of this year and all involved undercover police officers acting as prostitutes. Parsons said he didn't expect such a quick drop in crime. "I expected it to be a two- or three-year process," he said. "But this progress happened fast. It just shows what you can do when you put a community together." Classey said he's encouraged by the gains made so far. But the Mayport Road corridor could easily slide back into further blight if the efforts aren't maintained by the people who live and work there. "We viewed this project as a three-to-five-year project," said Classey. "We don't have the funding to keep this going on indefinitely. We need to show them that progress can be made, but we have to transition this back to them." Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313.
Atlantic Beach to research new dog park at Tideviews
The Atlantic Beach City Commission will research the idea
ATLANTIC BEACH - A new dog park should at least be researched to see if it's feasible, the City Commission unanimously agreed Monday. Several dozen residents packed the City Commission chambers demanding a new dog park be built within Tideviews Preserve on the western edge of the city just north of Atlantic Boulevard. The commission directed staff to research the possibility of building a dog park at the preserve and return to the board with a report. Dog lovers love the concept of a dog park in Atlantic Beach with the closest one at the Beaches only as near as Jacksonville Beach. A citizens nonprofit committee has been formed in support of the concept, which is not a government board. But residents are trying to nudge the city toward building the facility so dogs can run free without fear of being cited by the city's animal control officers. "We need a place where we can let them run without worrying about getting a ticket or sneaking around," said Dee Reiter of Selva Marina Drive. Jonathan Daugherty who lives west of Mayport Road said the dog park has been long overdue and Tideviews is a good fit." Mayor John Meserve said the concept of a dog park has been floated before. But establishing one isn't as simple as some people might think. "When it comes to dog parks, it's emotional on the plus side for dog owners and it's emotional for the people who think, 'It's in my back park,'" said Meserve. "This [Tideviews] may be the perfect location and the perfect thing except for funding which we'll have to figure out at a later time." City Manager Jim Hanson said preliminary staff analysis of the Tideviews proposal for a dog park shows it is worth considering. "It's a very under-utilized park and there are some problems that come with that. There could be some advantages to more people using that park," said Hanson. The Jacksonville Beach 1-acre dog park off Penman Road South in Wingate Park took years of organization before it was opened in the spring of 2005 after multiple delays. And the funding was partially raised by a non-profit group called Beaches Dog Park Project. Commissioner Paul Parsons said he supports the concept in Atlantic Beach, but he cautioned supporters there could be a backlash. "There's a lot of people out there that don't love dogs," said Parsons. "Look for these types of fights out there. This is what we face up here [on the commission]." Commissioner Carolyn Woods said the city would likely provide some funding, possibly up to $15,000. "I hope there's really nothing that prevents this from happening," said Woods. "Obviously, it's going to take more than that [$15,000] to keep it going. But I think it's a good start and I'm behind you all the way. Get going." Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313
Royal Palms neighborhood target of Atlantic Beach revitalization
Atlantic Beach proposes some changes to revitalize the older neighborhood.
ATLANTIC BEACH - City commissioners want to clean up one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. There are about 500 homes in the Royal Palms community off Atlantic Boulevard, which was built in the 1960s and was once considered one of the more attractive areas of the city. But several of the homes have fallen into disrepair and junk is piling up outside some homes. Planning staff has proposed some changes to the city code to help revitalize the neighborhood that consists largely of modest, one-story ranch homes that were popular with the middle class. "The ultimate objective is to let the neighborhood know we want to be partners [and] to get people to be part of the solution," said Atlantic Beach Community Development Director Sonya Doerr. A draft of the proposed changes to the Royal Palms building code will go to the city's Community Development Board for review within a month. Then the commission will consider the proposal and hold public hearings before it votes on any changes. While most of the proposed changes are technical in nature and would apply citywide, the measures were inspired by the Royal Palms situation. The commission first heard Doerr's presentation on the code revision proposal in a May 26 workshop. City Manager Jim Hanson said the city wanted to approach the Royal Palms revitalization as an offshoot of the well-publicized Mayport Road corridor urban renewal program. But the Mayport Road effort has focused more on reducing crime whereas the Royal Palms plan is more aesthetic in nature, Hanson said. "There are a few houses in the Royal Palms neighborhood that are bringing the neighborhood down because there is so much junk" in driveways and carports, Hanson said. "We found that in the Royal Palms neighborhood, one of the impediments to revitalization is the unkempt appearance to some of the units." If adopted, some of the code revisions would include penalties for property owners who allow clutter to build up outside garages, porches or carports. It's a minor adjustment, that if approved, would apply to all areas of the city, Hanson said. There's only one proposal that would specifically target the Royal Palms neighborhood and that involves changing the property line setback. The setback - or distance from the property line to the nearest building - is currently 25 feet in the Royal Palms neighborhood. Hanson and staff are recommending that be changed to 20 feet. "They'll have five extra feet to install a front porch or something," said Hanson. Additions to homes such as improved front porches could instill more pride in the property owner and that could lead to improved property values. Hanson said the majority of the people that really care about their neighborhoods are the one calling for the revitalization. "One thing we're saying with this code is, 'You need to fix things permanently,'" Hanson said. "There are a few residents in the Royal Palms neighborhoods who really need to clean up their houses. It's pockets of negligent homeowners or renters who aren't keeping up the property as they should." In addition to code issues, the city is still grappling with how to remove dozens of large propane tanks that were installed underground when the Royal Palms homes were built. About 30 1,000-gallon propane tanks were encased in concrete to ensure they didn't float out of the ground when they were empty. Those tanks are no longer in use and the city needs to have them removed before it can install a revamped sewer system in Royal Palms. The city has filed a lawsuit against Ferrell Gas, which installed the propane tanks, asking a judge to make the company remove the tanks. The cost estimate is $18,000 for each tank removed from the ground. The City Commission is scheduled to hold a shade meeting Monday to get a briefing from City Attorney Alan Jensen on the litigation with Ferrell. Hanson said there's no pending resolution to the lawsuit. Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313
Some worry about public beach access at Huguenot *WITH VIDEO
Beach access advocates are worried environmentalists are out to limit public driving at Huguenot Memorial Park. More on the story here with video:
A1A being resurfaced heading into Mayport
The $2.5-million project is long overdue, both residents and FDOT say.
MAYPORT - Residents in the historic fishing village are relieved Florida A1A is finally being resurfaced from Mayport Road to Broad Street. The $2.5-million project started about three weeks ago and will last into the fall. The resurfacing covers about a mile of the roadway, from marshland leading into the village to the Mayport ferry slip area. One of the most important facets of the project is leveling out a "dip" in the roadway just south of the Coast Guard station. The road section is so low that it is often under water during high tides. "The settlement areas are several in the project and they'll be raised," said Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Goldman. The FDOT is funding the project and the work is being done by Duval Asphalt of Jacksonville. Temporary stop lights are being used to handle the one-lane traffic near the roadway's Sherman Creek bridge area as asphalt is being laid. For many in the village, the project is been long overdue. "They've done a great job there," Carroll Huffines, a member of the Mayport Waterfront Partnership, said during the board's meeting Tuesday. "I'm really impressed by it." While the roadwork is a relief, some people expressed concern that no bicycle paths will be added along the side of the roadway resurfacing. Partnership board member Don Remley said he would have liked to have seen the paths added to encourage more bike traffic into the village, which was established in 1562. "A bicycle lane would be in our interests," Waterfront Partnership Chairman Gary Crumley agreed. But Goldman said there's not enough room along the stretch of roadway for bike paths. "There will be paved shoulders throughout the project," Goldman said. "But as far as bike paths go, no. The shoulders will be 4 to 5 feet [wide], depending on the location." Goldman said the FDOT is happy just to get the project going, which he acknowledged should have happened several years ago. "It has been overdue for resurfacing and improvements. ... I can't tell you the history of it, but we've had complaints about it," said Goldman. "The dips, those have been issues. "We got some complaints when [construction] started, but we've done some timing changes. It's the bridge that we're working on, and it's requiring a temporary traffic signal. But the kinks seem to be working out," Goldman said. The FDOT couldn't afford to widen the road anymore and it will remain two lanes. "It would be expensive to purchase property and there would be environmental issues," Goldman said. "There's no real need for additional capacity." Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313.
Atlantic Beach passes law making Mayport Road-area landlords responsible for repeat criminal renters
Atlantic Beach's ordinance, passed Tuesday, affects properties in the Mayport Road corridor
ATLANTIC BEACH - Despite criticism from Realtors and others, the City Commission Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that requires landlords to evict repeat criminal offenders who rent properties in the Mayport Road area. Landlords who don't comply will face city fines and penalties. While real estate agents and others have called the measure unfair, Mayor John Meserve said the action simply reflects state law. "The language of how we enforce laws on those people who have rental properties that continue to rent to bad people and don't clean up their act when talked to about it, that's taken from state statute," said Meserve. But during Tuesday's public hearing before the commission, some property owners said they're worried about being singled out and that evicting a renter is complicated, whether they break any laws or not. "It doesn't say anything about convictions," said Peter Sapia, who owns several rental properties in Atlantic Beach and throughout the Beaches. "Without a conviction, my attorney told me I cannot do anything." Atlantic Beach Community Redevelopment Coordinator Dale Hatfield is handling the urban revitalization of the Mayport corridor, which includes neighborhoods about two blocks to either side of Mayport Road. He said the city will help landlords deal with law-breaking renters as each case comes up. "We are going to provide support to that landlord," said Hatfield. "We're going to talk to them about seven-day notices. We're going to talk them about how to evict persons and we will go with them, if they need it, to show them how this process is done." Hatfield, who is still a city police officer, said evictions involve a different level of "proof" than a criminal case since evictions are civil issues. A burden of "guilt" isn't necessary, he said. The revamped ordinance seeks to get landlords to evict troubling tenants, especially in the neighborhoods surrounding Mayport Road. Atlantic Beach targeted that area for urban renewal in early 2008 and officials hope their efforts can reverse decades-old blight and crime. Some of the ordinance changes in the city's code call for the resurrection of the Public Nuisance Control Board, which convened one time in 1990 to address one complaint but essentially dissolved after that. The city wants the Code Enforcement Board to double as the nuisance board to address complaints with tenants. The board would be able to impose additional penalties on landlords if repeat criminal offenders are not evicted. Still, Jacksonville Beach Realtor Jeanell Wilson said Atlantic Beach's new measure seems to place blame on landlords and not those who actually violate the law. "It seems to be holding the landlord responsible for the actions of the tenant," said Wilson. "We can't control the actions of the tenant." Hatfield said while the city is focused on revitalizing the Mayport Road area, they still want to be an advocate for landlords and focus on the tenants who have been involved in crimes ranging from drug dealing to prostitution in the corridor. "We will go in and do an undercover sting of some kind and someone will be arrested. It doesn't matter if they're convicted or not, it matters that they've done it in the presence of a police officer," said Hatfield. "If something's been done on their [the landlord's] property, we notify them and help them. If they don't do anything to abate that problem, then they can be held liable." Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313.
New publicly funded statue erected in Atlantic Beach *WITH VIDEO
A new statue was dedicated in Atlantic Beach Saturday. See the story with video:
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