Reuben C. Franklin

The joint workshop focused on two main initiatives: the King Street Entry Corridor Design Standards update and the St. Augustine Historic Preservation Master Plan. Regarding the King Street corridor, the boards reviewed the public engagement process, site inventory, and analysis, discussing themes such as character, walkability, parking, and architectural guidelines. For the Historic Preservation Master Plan, the boards received a staff update on the plan's development history, guiding principles, and implementation strategies. Discussions centered on incorporating preservation elements into city planning, improving resource inventory, and developing new zoning or preservation tools to protect historic assets.

The purpose of strategic planning is to integrate the visioning statement into the City of St. Augustine's strategic plan, create a mission statement, and define guiding principles and core values. This process aims to develop a multi-year plan to drive budget processes and establish a work plan with accountability for performance. It provides an outlook of projects and initiatives, offering the Commission and community a 5-year perspective on future directions and needs.

This Capital Improvement Plan for the City of St. Augustine outlines proposed projects for Fiscal Years 2025-2029. The plan focuses on enhancing and maintaining critical infrastructure across various sectors, including coastal storm risk management, utility system upgrades (stormwater, wastewater, water treatment), public facility improvements (fire stations, marina), and transportation infrastructure. Key objectives include strengthening resilience to coastal flooding, modernizing aged utilities, improving public safety services, and ensuring efficient urban development.

The agenda for the City of St. Augustine Corridor Review Committee meeting included a roll call, general public comments, approval of the minutes from the April 7, 2022 meeting, and modification/approval of the current agenda. New business focused on application HP2022-0041 regarding Sweet Weddings, Inc., which requested modification to utilize Navy Blue, Metallic Gold, and White colors for signage at 142 King Street, as these colors were not pre-approved in the King Street Entry Corridor standards. Other business and adjournment were also scheduled. A portion of the document also detailed the preceding April 7, 2022 meeting minutes, which included the approval of the March 3, 2022 minutes, modifications to the April 7 agenda, and the election of Michael Dixon as Chair and Vaughn Cochran as Vice Chair. Discussions during the April meeting covered staff report quality, site visits as ex parte communication, parking concerns, and the application of design guidelines to mixed-use projects.

The meeting included a presentation on the Historic Area CRA Landscape Review, focusing on improving sidewalks and enhancing streetscapes, with a planned landscape refresh for several key areas and tree canopy improvements. Updates were provided on the Tree City USA and Growth Awards submissions, as well as a discussion on the location for Arbor Day 2026. The Tree Canopy Program was reviewed, noting the neighborhoods involved and the species chosen by applicants. An update on Fish Island was given, and the Citizen Yard Of the Year award was discussed, including potential changes to the nomination sheets and criteria. The committee also discussed a recommendation for an open committee position and the possibility of Gina Burrell becoming Vice Chair, along with concerns about protecting Oak Trees and the frequency of meetings.