Police Arrest Supect in Recent Riverside Murder

Riverside residents can rest a bit easier now that police have made an arrest in the recent murder of Sarah Whitlock. The suspect, Kimothy Simmons, 17, was arrested on an unrelated charge of carjacking and was being questioned about a surveillance tape that showed him allegedly shoplifting a shirt with the word "police" on it. You can read more info about the case here.

While an arrest has been made in this case, we must still remain vigilant. Crime is a part of life these days and we MUST take measures to take back our neighborhood. If you see anything suspicious, please call the police at (904) 630-0500 or, if it is an emergency, call 911.

Facts About the Proposed Oak Street Development

We need your help! Below is a list of facts about the Oak Street project that is of great concern to us. Please write a short, concise and factual email objecting to the project using some of the points below and send it to Councilman Michael Corrigan and Michael's assistant will have it entered into the record. The last opportunity to be heard on this issue is at the CC's Land Use & Zoning committee on Tuesday afternoon, so please have your email in before 10:00am on Tuesday.

We need everyone to take five minutes to do this! Better than marching and waving the flag, this is a "new fashioned" way to rally the troops! Thanks.

1. The proposed project is located at the corner of Oak and Margaret Streets in the Five Points commercial area. It is only .17 acres.

2. The developer plans 8 residential units above 2,000 sq. ft of retail space according to the written description of the PUD. However, he stated at recent public meeting that there would be 1000 sq. ft of retail space. To our knowledge, there is no revised written description to reflect this change.

3. The building is proposed to be 55' high (plus approximately 7' for cupolas, pergolas or other roof top enhancements).

4. The density of this proposed development is 58.8 dwelling units per acre. This is extremely dense for a site of only .17 acres.

5. The developer will provide 1 parking space PER RESIDENTIAL UNIT on site (the average size unit will be 800 to 1200 sq. ft.). The minimum parking standard in the Zoning Code is a sliding scale and requires more than one parking space per bedroom. The developer is providing 9 spaces on site (8 plus 1 handicapped), and is claiming 9 spaces on street to meet the parking requirement. This does not include the requirement for retail. All recent and under construction PUD developments in the area adhere to RAP’s negotiated minimum zoning standard of ONE PARKING SPACE PER BEDROOM.

6. The size of lot, percentage of lot coverage and height of building should be taken into consideration before approving this development. Our concerns are density, height and lot coverage.

7. The density, lot size and height of other projects is:
Oak Street Lofts: 0.17 acres; 58.8 Du/acres; 5 Floors; Height=55’+7=62’
Chelsea Lofts: 0.57 acres; 31.6 Du/acre; 3 Floors; Height=43.8’
Prado Walk:0.28 acres; 21.4Du/acre; 3 Floors; Height=43’+8=51’
1661 Riverside: 2.26 acres; 39.8Du/acre; 4 Floors; Height=55’+12=67’

8. Overflow parking presently available on the west side of Margaret Street will be lost because a bank with drive through tellers will soon occupy the building on the corner of Margaret and Herschel. This development is meeting its parking requirements on site.

9. There are 3 restaurants and a dental office to the north of the proposed development that compete for the available on street parking spaces. The development on the corner of Oak and Margaret completed in 2003 has 3 restaurants and meets the onsite parking code at 80% or more.

10. There are a number of items not included in the application as required by Section 656.341 of the Ordinance Code:
a) There is no elevation of the proposed building
b) There are no floor plans that illustrate the number of bedrooms proposed, therefore a ruling regarding parking cannot be made based on factual information.
c) The on-street parking does not meet minimum standards and would not likely be approved by the Traffic Engineer.
d) The developer proposes only 8 on-site parking spaces; does he expect there will be only one resident in each unit? If not, where will the other residents park?
e) The location of the dumpster is not readable on the site plan; its location can cause problems for neighboring businesses.

Update on Recent Riverside Murder

Today at a press conference, Jacksonville police announced that 23 year old, Sarah Whitlock may have been slain by a man impersonating an officer. Police are urging residents to take extra precautions. Do not hesitate to ask for identification before allowing anyone to enter your home, even police. All police officers carry two forms of identification - a wallet badge and an identification card. Ask to see both forms of ID. To be on the safe side, the police reccommend that call the emergency communications center at 911 to verify that a police officer has been dispatched to your residence BEFORE you open your door or allow him or her entry.

More Bad News for Riverside

Police Search for Bicyclist After Shooting in Riverside

Just days after a fatal stabbing in Riverside, the police are on the lookout for a shooting suspect. The shooting occurred near the intersection of Post and McDuff, where investigators say a van with two men pulled up and said something to another man on a bike. Shortly after the van stopped, the man on the bike is said to have pulled out a gun and started shooting. One man was shot and was taken to Shands where he is in critical condition.

Police are looking for the man on the bike. If you saw anything suspicious in that area, you can remain anonymous by calling the First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. And remember, if you ever see anything suspicious, do not hesitate to call the police. They can be reached at 630-0500.

Nursing Student Murdered in Riverside

Recent Murder has Riverside Residents on Alert
Homicide detectives were called to 1600 King Street early Saturday morning after a woman was found murdered in her apartment.

Police do want to talk to a "person of interest." He's described as a white male, 6 feet tall with sandy blond hair. He may have an injury. But police are not sure where that injury may be on his body.

Until the killer has been caught, JSO urges residents of the area to be cautious.

If you have any information that may help, you can remain anonymous by calling our partner First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Proposed Ban Would Limit the Height of Many New Buildings

Are you concerned about seeing more new high rise in the district? For now, your worries may be over, thanks to City Council Vice President Michael Corrigan. He is the councilman for most of the Riverside Avondale district. And recent concerns by residents in the area, as well as some proposed new developments in the area, has moved him to action. Corrigan has proposed a temporary moratorium there on rezoning applications and on new construction of buildings higher than 35 feet. This would not affect the construction of new single-family homes or projects already under way. During the ban, a consultant would study the neighborhood and recommend zoning changes "to preserve the unique and historic integrity" of the area.

The moratorium comes at a time when development for the district is on the rise. With the recently completed Villa Rive in Riverside and 1661 Riverside, now under construction, residents are concerned about the changing landscape. Two new projects currently in development, the St. Johns Village Center and the Residences of Bishopgate, add to those concerns.

While many of the residents in the district have their concerns, Jerry Linder, president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, is also concerned. He fears the moratorium and worries that it will affect the economy and redevelopment of the area. He encourages a dialog between the builders, city officials and preservationists.

Ultimately, it will all come down to finalizing the zoning overlay for the district. It is on the RAP schedule for this year. If you are interested in helping or you want to find out more, please contact the RAP office at 904-389-2449 .

The full story can be found in the February 28th edition of the Times-Union.

1661 Riverside

If you ever wanted to find out exactly what is going on down at the corner of Riverside and Margaret, the Times Union put together a very informative article about the project.

And In Case You Missed It
A few months back, the T-U had a great story about a renovation/restoration project in Avondale.

All Great Cities Have Great Parks

Here's a a story from the Daily Record about our new director of the Department of Parks, Recreation, Entertainment and Conservation. There is a brief mention about the recent tree planting in Boone Park. It doesn't mention our own Doug Coleman, but this one from the Times Union does. You will have to sign up to read the story, but it is worth it. And it's free.

And by the way, the planting would not have happened without him. Thanks to all the volunteers and especially to Doug! That's him on the left along with Early Piety and Susan Corbett.

UrbanJacksonville

UrbanJacksonville is another blog you may want to keep tabs on. Although the Riverside Avondale district is not part of the urban landscape of Jacksonville, at least by their terms, the blog is chock full of interesting articles about the city in general. This particular link to the site talks about the Critical Mass event that does start in Riverside across from the Cummer this weekend. The bikers are meeting at noon but they are heading towards San Marco. Even so, you might want to avoid the area if you aren't peddling your own bike. Check out this link for more info.

There is also a link to the Better Jacksonville Plan's quarterly report.

The Latest on the Commander Project

The Planning Commission voted 5 to 4 in favor of sending to the LUZ Committee a recommendation that the Commander development be reduced in height and density. Also, they voted to support the moratorium.

If you need more information, please contact the RAP office at 904-389-2449 or by email.

New Board Elected for 2006

Last night's annual meeting featured special guest, Jim Overton. He is the current Property Appraiser and served as councilman for most of us for the ten years before being elected to this position. He spoke about The Economic Value of Historic Preservation and helped us understand how our taxes are assessed. For those of you who were not able to join us, you surely missed an informative evening. Our thanks to Mr. Overton!

Also at last night's meeting, we heard from our Chair, Jordan Logue. He informed us of the one of our ongoing projects – the Zoning Overlay for the district. It will take time but we feel it is an important effort and one we will be focusing on in the coming year.

And finally, we elected our new officers and board members for the coming year. These are all volunteer positions and we want to make certain that we do appreciate all the time and effort put forth by these special people. We couldn't do it without them. Thank you to our outgoing board members.

2006 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Committee
Chair, Jordon Logue
Vice Chair, Kay Ehas
Secretary, Jack Shad
Treasurer, Riley Williams
Legal Advisor, Jim Rinaman
At Large Member, Greg Bowen
At Large Member, Cindy Guy
At Large Member, Joann Purdie
Ex Officio, Trip Stanly
Founder, Wayne Wood

Board
Reese Alford
Gail Bachmann
Elaine Burnett
Eric Cavin
Ian Chase
Doug Coleman
Gunilla Craven
Charles Delony
Linda Dove
Bonnie Dennis
Kevin Patrick Flood
Jeff Graf
Jean Grimsley
Michael Healy
Jennifer Hewitt Apperson
Kim Meadows
Michael O'Connell
Bert Ralston
Susie Rosen
Lisa Sheppard
Ronni Williamson Candler
Terry Woodlief
Andy Zarka

Advisory Board
Michelle Barth
Jerry Spinks
John Hurtubise