November 2006.pdfVOL.2 NO.11NOVEMBER 2006
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Like many beautiful
communities
across America,
Atlantic Beach
has been faced
with the challenge
of preserving the
special charm and character of our
town, while allowing for reasonable
redevelopment. We have definitely
been spotted, a victim of our own
community success! As a result of
these unprecedented development
pressures, citizens sent a clear
message during our last election
to find reasonable and balanced
solutions to this challenge.
Over the past two years and two
separate commissions, we have
been working to accomplish this
goal. We have held nine public
meetings to gather citizen input;
we hired a nationally recognized
urban planner to assist the entire
community in the decision-making
process; and had several separate
public hearings and commission
votes on these issues. At last, I
believe we have found the right
balance that ultimately preserves
the quaint character of Atlantic
Beach while allowing for very
reasonable growth and increased
property values.
So what did we decide? Basically,
the new zoning law manages
what’s called the “mass and
scale” of homes in “Old Atlantic
Beach.” Large “McMansions” or
“big box” style homes that fill the
entire area of small lots will be
limited. This was needed to
preserve everyone’s property
city of atlantic beach newsletter
TOUR THE ATLANTIC BEACH MARSHLANDS IN A FREE FESTIVAL
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The Atlantic Beach marshes on the Intracoastal
Waterway are a special place worth saving.
You can get an up-close look on Saturday,
November 18, when Atlantic Beach Marsh
Conservancy will hold MarshFest,a celebration
at Dutton Island Preserve with kayak and
canoe tours, music, food, drinks and more.
The event will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
and is free to the public.Rain date is Saturday,
December 10. Guided mini-tours of the
marshlands by kayak and canoe will run from
8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Bring your own
kayak or canoe, or use the ones provided.
For more information, contact Cindy Corey,
Event Coordinator at (904) 673-6740.
A Florida-Friendly yard conserves water,
reduces fertilizer run-off, is low maintenance
and attracts wildlife.Environmental protection
can start in your own back yard!
There’s a great website dedicated to Florida-
Friendly yards — www.floridayards.org.
You can download a beautiful 108-page
book,A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping,
which outlines nine important landscaping
principles.There’s also the Florida-Friendly
Interactive Yard, a very cool tool that can
help you design your landscape while
learning about micro-irrigation, compost
bins and rain barrels that make your yard
environmentally friendly.
In addition, there’s a Florida-Friendly plant
database to help you choose the best plants to
meet your needs. Check out this useful and
informational site, and start designing your
Florida-Friendly yard today.
Remember to irrigate no more than
two days per week. NO irrigation
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more
information on water conservation
check out the St. Johns River Water
Management District’s website at
www.sjrwmd.com.
FLORIDA-FRIENDLY YARDS
EMPLOYEE OFTHE QUARTER
Yvonne Calverley was recently named Employee of the Quarter. She has worked for the City
as Administrative Assistant to the City Manager since July 2000.Yvonne is being recognized
for her professional contribution to City Administration. She is always willing to fill in for
other departments and provides them help on various projects.Yvonne is instrumental in
maintaining the city’s website and coordinating public relations events.
city of atlantic beach newsletter
CALENDAR
Meetings are held in the Commission Chambers unless otherwise indicated.
* These events will be held at Adele Grage Cultural Center,716 Ocean Blvd.
** These events will be held in the North Conference Room at City Hall,800 Seminole Road.
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WHY DOES MY NEIGHBOR HAVE A LARGE
ORANGE STICKER ON HIS CAR?
Dec 10 *Songwriters Concert | 6 – 8 p.m.
Dec 11 City Commission Mtg | 7:15 p.m.
Dec 13 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Dec 14 Board Member Review Committee
Mtg | 5 p.m.
Dec 19 Community Development Board Mtg |
7 p.m.
Dec 22 City Offices Closed (Holiday)
Dec 25 City Offices Closed (Holiday)
Dec 26 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory
Committee | 7 p.m.
Dec 27 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
DECEMBER 2006
Nov 8 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Nov 9 Board Member Review Committee
Mtg | 5 p.m.
Nov 9 **Pension Board of Trustees Mtg | 6 p.m.
Nov 10 City Offices Closed (Holiday)
Nov 13 City Commission Mtg | 7:15 p.m.
Nov 14 Code Enforcement Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Nov 19 *Songwriters Concert | 4 – 6 p.m.
Nov 21 Community Development Board Mtg |
7 p.m.
Nov 22 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Nov 23 City Offices Closed (Holiday)
Nov 24 City Offices Closed (Holiday)
Nov 27 City Commission Mtg | 7:15 p.m.
Nov 28 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory
Committee Mtg | 7 p.m.
NOVEMBER 2006
As defined by City Code Chapter 24, Sec 24-163 (c); any motor vehicle with a mechanical
or structural condition that prevents its ability for street travel, or is dismantled, discarded,
wrecked or does not bear current license tags, can not be parked or stored openly in any
residential zone. Furthermore, out-of-doors repair work is restricted to minor maintenance
or emergency repairs lasting less than eight hours and performed on the vehicle owned by
the occupant of the residence. Such vehicles can be towed if not brought into compliance.
The orange notification sticker is required by the state and must be placed on any vehicle
that’s scheduled to be towed.
STORM WATER SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
Many subdivisions (e.g. Selva Lakes,
Linkside, Hidden Paradise) and commercial
properties in Atlantic Beach have St Johns
River Water Management District
permitted stormwater collection and
treatment systems. In general, the City is
responsible for maintenance of all collection
system components (catch basins, manholes
and pipes) located in the City Rights of Way.
However, in almost all cases, maintenance
of the treatment systems, including wet
ponds, dry ponds, and swales — unless
located in the right of way — is the
responsibility of the Homeowner’s
Association (HOA) or the commercial
property owner.This responsibility is
frequently contracted to a Management
Company, but the HOA/property owner
is still on the hook.As part of the City’s
Municipally Separate Storm Sewer System
(MS4) Permit requirements, the Public
Works Department has recently begun
annual inspections of all permitted
treatment facilities in the city. Property
owners and/or permit holders will be
notified by letter if deficiencies requiring
correction and re-inspection are noted.
Property owners or Homeowner’s
Associations desiring to learn more about
their responsibilities, or wishing to schedule
a presentation on treatment system
maintenance for their association, should
contact Public Works at (904) 247-5834.
Donald Wolfson
MAYOR
Jamie Fletcher
COMMISSIONER
J. Dezmond Waters, III
MAYOR PRO TEM
Sylvia Simmons
COMMISSIONER
Mike Borno
COMMISSIONER
Jim Hanson
CITY MANAGER
Alan Jensen
CITY ATTORNEY
Donna Bussey
CITY CLERK
CITY OFFICIALS
www.coab.us •(904) 247-5800
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rights. We preserved our character
using a commonly-used zoning
tool called a “FAR” or “Floor Area
Ratio.” This allows a house to be
proportional to the lot size and
neighboring homes. Here are the
specific numbers.
The FAR we compromised on will
be set at .60. This will allow a 4400-
square-foot home to be built on the
typical lot size in Old Atlantic Beach
(50’ wide by 130’ deep). For most of
us, this is a very generous and
reasonable home size. It is also more
consistent with the size and style of
homes that have been here for decades.
And what could have been built
before dealing with these complex
issues? Well, believe it or not, a
developer could have built a 9,450-
square-foot home on the same exact
lot. You heard right: nearly 10,000
square feet of house! Something had
to be done. We were facing a decisive
time in the history of our town.
I am pleased with this compromise
reached by the City Commission.
It will definitely protect the
character of Atlantic Beach for
years to come. I am also pleased
with the process. Yes, there was
considerable debate, as there
should be in a democracy and
as there should be in a town
where people really care. As
Commissioners, we listened and
we compromised. We also stood
strong, together, against the
political pressures from a small
but well-funded special interest
group. Facing this community
character challenge has made me
especially proud to serve as your
Commissioner. It is truly an honor
to serve with our hard working City
staff and my fellow Commissioners,
all of whom have shown clear
commitment to preserving your
town for generations to come.
Jamie Fletcher
Commissioner