March 2004.pdfcity of atlantic beach newsletter
VOL.3 NO.3MARCH 2004
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www.coab.us
TOWN CENTERCONSTRUCTION
Walding Company is
constructing improvements
in the Town Center area on
Ocean Boulevard between
Ahern and First Street. The
project includes paving the
parking area, relocation and
installation of palm trees
and additional landscaping
improvements. The project
is expected to be complete
by mid-March 2004.
SIGNS - CHECK THEREGULATIONSBEFOREPOSTING
Whether you’re a home-
owner, a business, or just
endorsing a candidate for
election, the type, size, and
location of all signs can be
found in Chapter 17 of the
City Code. You can view
our city code by clicking
on the link on our web site
(www.coab.us) or by going
directly to the Municipal
Code Corporation website
at www.municode.com and
clicking on online codes.
Remember, all signs must be
posted within the boundaries
of your property and no signs
may be posted on city rights
of way, public property, or util-
ity poles. At no time are signs
on off-site locations permitted.
Should you have any ques-
tions regarding signs or the
city codes, contact your local
Code Enforcement Officer at
(904) 247-5855.
YARD DEBRIS
Did you know that you were
limited to five cubic yards a
week, and that no single item
may exceed five (5) feet in
length, or weigh more then
forty (40) pounds? If what you
are putting out for trash pickup
looks too big, it probably is. If
a contractor trims your palms
and says “don’t worry the city
will pick it up.” WORRY!
You may find you will have
to hire someone to haul the
trimmings to the landfill. City
Code: Section 16-5
For additional information
concerning trash and
yard waste pickup
call Public Works
at (904) 247-5834, or for
reporting code violations
call (904) 247-5855.
OCCUPANCYRESTRICTIONS INATLANTICBEACH
Occupancy of rental properties
in all residential districts in
Atlantic Beach is restricted to no
more then two unrelated adults
living and cooking together as a
single housekeeping unit.
Atlantic Beach City Code,
Chapter 24, Sec 24-17.
If you have other questions
concerning a rental property,
contact your Code Enforcement
Officer at (904) 247-5855,
before signing a lease agree-
ment.
Parks & Recreation
The Parks and Recreation
Department along with the
Cultural Arts and
Recreation Committee
organized two new events
that started last summer.
Acoustic Night is an
event similar to karaoke,
where citizens' display
their talents by playing
and singing acoustic
music. This monthly event
takes place on the grounds
of Bull Memorial Park from
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The next
Acoustic Night will be held
on March 21. Future
events will be posted on
our web site
(www.coab.us)
Songwriters' Concert, is
an event that takes place
in the theater of the Adele
Grage Cultural Center. The
theater is set up similar to
a coffee house and citizens
display their talents by
playing music and singing
songs and reciting poems.
The music and poems are
critiqued. The next
Songwriters Concert will
be held on March 23 from
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Please
call the Recreation
Department at 247-5828
for additional information.
The Winston Family YMCA
will be hosting a Spring
Break in Atlantic Beach
at the Adele Grage Cultural
Center from 7:30 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. during the week
of March 15-19. The cost
will be $60 per camper and
there will be a $5 discount
for additional children.
Campers will need to bring
their own lunch and the
YMCA will provide two
healthy snacks each day.
Registrations cannot be
accepted over the phone.
Please call Erin Jaeger
at 543-9622 for more
information.
PUBLIC SAFETY - SCOOTERS
An unattended garden hose can leak hundreds of gallons of water per hour. Inspect hoses
for splits or tears, and check connectors and spigots regularly for leaks. Replace washers
at the hose connection when necessary. Make sure your hose has a shut-off nozzle that
can be adjusted so water only flows as needed. When finished, turn the water off at the
faucet instead of the nozzle to avoid leaks.
For more information on how to conserve water, check out the St. Johns River Water
Management website at www.sjrwmd.com.
Pay Attention to Your Hose
Recently, there has been a significant
increase in the number of scooters
throughout Atlantic Beach. Consequently,
the police department is also seeing
an increase in the number of traffic
crashes involving scooters. Most of
the time, the people operating these
devices are at-fault in the crashes,
and the operators are usually not
wearing any safety equipment.
Scooters, whether gas or electric
powered, are not allowed on public
streets, sidewalks, or right-of-ways.
The only place that they may be law-
fully operated is on private property.
A motorized vehicle may be used
on the street as long as it is registered,
tagged, and insured, and the driver
must possess a valid driver’s license.
If the state does not register and issue
a tag for the vehicle, then it is prohibited
from use on the streets.
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As most Atlantic Beach residents have
observed, our community is seeing amazing
increases in land values, which brings with it
both good (if you’re selling) and bad side
effects. The “bad” include the inability for
people of moderate means to find affordable
housing and the proliferation of rebuilding, in
many cases huge homes that are changing the character of
our village. The Commission gets many phone calls to stop
this growth, but is faced with several dilemmas. First we must
balance laws that restrict new construction against property
owners’ rights, a delicate fine line. We have, over the last
several years, put in place significant restrictions, including
new rules on lot sizes before a duplex or multi-family residence
can be built. Additionally our tree protection ordinance, and
height and setback requirements are among the toughest,
and we recently put in place impervious surface requirements
that hopefully will assist in maintaining our tree canopy, and
ability to handle rainwater. There is more we can do, and we
will look at options over the next several
years. You can make a difference by letting
us know your concerns, and by participation
in the process at public meetings.
Presort Standard
US Postage Paid
Jacksonville FL
Permit No. 1645
City of Atlantic Beach
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
March Calendar
SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
45
7
6
89 1110
13
12
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13
1817
21
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22 25
19
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30 31
PRESIDENTIAL
PREFERENCE
ELECTION
7:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.
*Public Art Fact
Finding Committee
Meeting
7:00 p.m.
*Teen Council Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Community
Development
Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
*Teen Council Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Teen Council
Car Wash
(Call 247-5828 for
time and location)
City Commission
Meeting
7:15 p.m.
*Teen Council
Acoustic Night
(Call 247-5828 for
information)
*Tree Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
15
*Acoustic Night
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
City Commission
Meeting
7:15 p.m.
*Cultural Arts &
Recreation Adv.
Committee Meeting
7:00 p.m.
*Songwriters Concert
7:00 p.m.
*Tree Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
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CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
John S. Meserve
MAYOR
Richard M. Beaver
MAYOR PRO TEM
J. Dezmond
Waters, III
COMMISSIONER
Sylvia Simmons
COMMISSIONER
Paul B. Parsons
COMMISSIONER
James Hanson
CITY MANAGER
Alan Jensen
CITY ATTORNEY
Maureen King
CITY CLERK
John S. Meserve
Mayor
LETTER
FROM THE MAYOR
2
Meetings are held in the Commission
Chambers unless otherwise indicated
*These events will be held at Adele Grage
Cultural Center, 716 Ocean Boulevard
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Other Useful Telephone NumbersAtlantic Beach Elementary School 247-5924Beaches Chamber of Commerce 249-3868BFI 731-0551Bus Schedule Information 630-3100Clerk of the Court (Jax. Bch.) 270-1508Dial-A-Ride 246-1477
Drivers’ License Bureau 270-2512
Fletcher Middle School 247-5929
Fletcher Sr. High School 247-5905
Homestead Exemptions 630-2020
Jacksonville (City Govt. Info.) 630-2489
JEA (Street Light Repair) 630-0300
Mayport Elementary School 247-5988
Mayport Middle School 247-5977
Property Appraiser 630-2011
Public Library (Beaches) 241-1141
Supervisor of Elections 630-1410
Tax Collector (Jacksonville) 630-2000
Tax Collector (Auto Tags) 246-7407
State of Florida Information 359-6000
City Telephone DirectoryAnimal Control 247-5866Building Dept. 247-5826City Clerk 247-5810City Hall (Switchboard) 247-5800City Manager 247-5808Code Enforcement 247-5855
Finance Director 247-5800
Fire Dept. (Non emergency) 270-1540
Human Resources 247-5820
Garbage & Trash Collection 247-5834
Parks & Recreation 247-5828
Police & Fire Emergencies 911
Police Records 247-5863
Police Dispatch 247-5859
Public Works 247-5834
Purchasing 247-5880
Recycling 247-5834
Utility Billing/New Connections 247-5816
Water/sewer problems 247-5834
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