Peyton undermining what's left of Jacksonville history?

[Diane Melendez]

In case you may be wondering if Mayor Peyton seems not to care a whole lot about the preservation of Jacksonvilles historic structures and preserving our past, wonder no more. The following frantic email went out today to the board members of the Jacksonille Historic Society. Their budget is about to take a huge hit.

In a few short weeks we have learned that the Mayor would like to replace Friendship Fountain. Susie Wiles says it is too expensive to repair, so instead we have hired a firm for $400,000.00 to tell us what to do which will include new plans to build a new park to the tune of 4 million plus. What happened to budget shortfalls? Well apparently that depends on if the money is going where Peyton wants it to go. Looks like he can find money to wreck the Friendship Fountain, but cannot find money to support The Jacksonville Historic Society. See below.

Wonder what chance Annie Lytle has tomorrow?


Dear Board Member:

I need you to read this and let me know what you have done.

Last year the (city public service grants) JHS budgeted amount was cut 7 percent. This year an additional cut of approximately 15 percent is proposed in the budget that should go before the City Council on Tuesday. That is a cut of approximately 22 percent in the past 13 months!!!

I ask everyone to phone your City Council person today(yes, Saturday) or no later than Monday----your district and at-large council people. This is imperative. When the 7 percent was cut, it was announced as an across the board cut to all agencies-----this cut just announced is NOT across the board.

Here is what we (JHS) do (in capsule..certainly,not all) to get these funds:

1.Schedule and give every tour of City Hall and the "Heart (Hart) of Jacksonville" tour to rave reviews----we have introduced tens of thousands of people to the city's history and to our government and to the importance of saving our historic structures (City Hall at St. James). I have hundreds of letters to thank us for these outstanding tours.

2.Run an archive with photos, film, video, maps, books, and files documenting the city's history. This archive services for FREE (the grant) scholars, teachers, media, researchers, students, ordinary citizens, our local business and ESPECIALLY THE CITY GOVERNMENT providing these users with unique and invaluable research materials. ...like the public library might had they ever collected the way we have.

3.EVERY SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH AND EXHIBIT SEEN IN CITY HALL AND YES, NOW THE GREEN ROOM WAS selected and PROVIDED (AND IN THE CASE OF THE LARGE PUBLIC EXHIBIT WAS ADDITIONALLY FRAMED AND HUNG) BY THE Jacksonville Historical Society. They are highlights of City Hall.

4. Publish the most outstanding local history books of any metropolis in our size range (and upwards)....a point of pride for generations to come.

5. Provide hundreds of talks, presentations, speeches, seminars, lectures, and other tours pertaining to Jacksonville history and its heritage. We do this for free as part of the grant ( for the general public ....including school groups).

6. We continue an improved and updated presence on the River Walk (a new train exhibit will open once the city's repairs to the Historical Center are completed and we already have two brand new interactive and a new Great Fire.) display

7. We are completing a film on the city's history for the city's citizens and visitors to the city.

8. We continue to seek, collect and archive "one of a kind" materials pertaining to the city's history.

These are just a few talking points. I don't have Merrill House and some other activities in the above as I do not include them as part of our grant related work, but feel free to say anything you want about our overall program of work.

And absolutely let me know who you talk to. If you aren't able to do anything else as a board member this year, please do this. It is some phone calling. I need to hear back from you and who on the City Council you reached. I need you to phone these Council members at home and at their office.

My best,

Emily

[Timkin]

Interesting. Not suprising at all. Friendship fountain needs to be preserved and refurbished.. This is another sad example that is headed in the same direction as Annie Lytle. To a landfill somewhere. Does Mr Peyton lose sleep about that ?

I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT !!

[Joe]

What does Peyton care, he really lives in Ponte Vedra ...

[RiversideGator]

This does not at all surprise me. Peyton is not a city guy and is not into history either IMO. He is the kind of person who vacations in Vail, not New York City (or any other city, historic or otherwise, for that matter). This explains his stunning ignorance regarding all things urban.

[RiversideGator]

Originally Posted by Joe

What does Peyton care, he really lives in Ponte Vedra ...

From what I have heard, this is absolutely true. He maintains a home in the San Jose section of Jacksonville but spends most of time at his Ponte Vedra residence. Someone should stake this out IMO.

[Joe]

^ It's not a bad idea. I'll go 50/50 with you on the private eye fees ...

But seriously, I'm struggling to imagine any legal significance to all of that anyway. I'm assuming that one must be a resident of Jacksonville in order to be mayor and run for mayor (but that's just my assumption, I've never seen the statute). Regardless, I thought the legal standard for "residence" was somewhat low ... i.e. even if his domicile is truly in Ponte Vedra, it doesn't matter because owning a house in San Jose is still technically a residence even if he doesn't sleep there.

But really, I have very little knowledge on the subject.

[RiversideGator]

Joe: I dont think it has legal significance, but I think it would be politically harmful to him for it to be shown that he is spending most of his time in Ponte Vedra. How do you think the westsiders and northsiders who supported him last time would think about that?

[BostechComputers]

If he was supporting urban living Gate would be making LESS money.

[thelakelander]

Since this entire city is autocentric, it would be in Gate's best interest to pack as many residential units on a site as possible. Remember Gate is also a developer. Considering land cost remain the same, they're better off financially building urban high density projects, instead of single family homes on 70' wide lots (more units, higher profits). In fact, some of their latest ones like Kendall Town Center are about as decent as it gets for urbanity in suburban Jacksonville.

[BostechComputers]

Yeah,but I think you make 10 times more money on selling gas then building real estate.

Condo you can sell once as developer and make money once...on gas you make money every SECOND.
It's money tree.

When you sit in traffic and burn gas somone is very HAPPY about it.
Every ounce of used gas is a profit for few chosen ones.

[thelakelander]

In Jacksonville, it doesn't matter if a development has 500 condo units piled on top of each other or 20 single family homes on 1 acre homesites. Since we don't have any form of rail mass transit, all residential units must be served by cars. So going by the logic that a gas/oil company would want sprawl, locally the best of both worlds (for them and the developer) would be dense auto oriented sprawl, which is what's occuring on the southside with all the midrise condo developments being planned.

[BostechComputers]

I KNOW there is no choice,this didn't started yestrday but since 1950's as far as I can tell.
Ever since "car revolution" most of those companies had insterest in suburbs since that means more cars and more spend oil.
I don't think Gate makes that much money on real estate over its oil business.

Oil drips and every drip is money.It is constant money maker.
Actually makes me think condo thing might be just cover like "humanitarian charities" they do.

Oil is constant money.....more is better.
Money rules and RUNS this world not justice,fairness or kindness.

[thelakelander]

With no effective mass transit in place. More homes on compact sites = more oil, gas, cars, asphalt, etc. This means dense development creates more money for auto-oriented businesses and real estate developers.

Due to rising land costs and greed, the future of Jax, without transit is dense automobile oriented sprawl. The days of massive single family home subdivisions (at least on huge lots) being developed in Duval are coming to an end.

[BostechComputers]

Like I said,eventually they will run out of land so they will have to build up and dense....eventually.

[RiversideGator]

Originally Posted by BostechComputers

Like I said,eventually they will run out of land so they will have to build up and dense....eventually.

That is what happened in Miami (although they do have natural boundaries to the west with the Everglades and the east with the ocean).

[BostechComputers]

Maybe we should put barbed wire fence around Jacksonville?

Cities in US turn urban only when they get overcrowded or run out of space,like Miami and NYC or due to quakes in SF.

[johnmeeks1974]

it's pretty easy for the city leadership to show such disregard for the city's history. we also have a tradition of letting landmarks hang in the lurch for years.
fortunately, the jacksonville terminal building lived another day after closing in 1974 to become the convention center in the 1980s. still, it was an empty building that sat for around a decade. the st. james building also went through some vacant years after may cohens left downtown in 1987. it was a godsend for city government to move in there.
unfortunately, the arcade/center theater never got a chance to be reborn because it was neglected to the point that it had to be torn down.
there is not enough public outcry to preserve our local history in part because very few people seem to be 'attached' to a city they are not native to.

[Glorious Johnson]

Originally Posted by johnmeeks1974

it's pretty easy for the city leadership to show such disregard for the city's history. we also have a tradition of letting landmarks hang in the lurch for years.
fortunately, the jacksonville terminal building lived another day after closing in 1974 to become the convention center in the 1980s. still, it was an empty building that sat for around a decade. the st. james building also went through some vacant years after may cohens left downtown in 1987. it was a godsend for city government to move in there.
unfortunately, the arcade/center theater never got a chance to be reborn because it was neglected to the point that it had to be torn down.
there is not enough public outcry to preserve our local history in part because very few people seem to be 'attached' to a city they are not native to.

My friends,

I am so fed up with the destruction mentality of our history here in Jacksonville. I was born and raised in this city and I know what is was back then and what it has become now.

It reminds me of the fight, Diane, the Brewster Nurses and myself, had to endure for a long time to save Brewster Nursing Hospital. It's not quite over yet but, we do not plan to let it go. It is down right disgusting to see so much history demolished due to the term 'progress.' This is a bunch of foolishness and I am not buying it. I have had people tell me that they are not a history buff, but, they would support my efforts to save as much as we can so our children and their children can see what it was like when we grew up in Jacksonville. What's wrong with saving some of the past?

As my mentor would say, "Stupid is, as stupid does." Maybe this cold is getting to me. Anyway, I am tired of being tired of this destrcution mentality.

[Rampant]

Is it government's job to protect historical structures and parks? If so, by what basis?

Also, does it really matter where an individual lives so long as they are able to perform their job to the fullest extent. (beside any legal issues)


For the record, I am not defending anyone or even against saving historical sites.

[Jim]

Rampant, I think it's a matter of principle. Would you 'feel' right with a governor that preferred to live out of state? A President? It's hard to imagine a figure head is in touch with the populace if they don't even reside with said populace. Plus the idea that they help control ordinances and taxes that won't even affect the mayor himself just seems like an act of impunity and detachment from the very people he/she leads.