JUNE 2013 FIERCELY LOCAL NEWS, FIERCELY LOCAL READERS Volume 7, Issue 6 RIVERSIDE • ORTEGA • AVONDALE • MURRAY HILL Last month fifth grade had a good time doing it.” The Rainforest students from Ruth Upson Alliance, in a partnership with 25 participating Duval Elementary donned blue rubber County Schools, provides curricula and resources to gloves and scoured the grounds of help students understand how rainforests contribute Memorial Park for trash. to our collective well-being and how their every- “When we first met at the park students day actions can affect this ecosystem. According learned about the St. Johns River, to Busey, the program pro- discussed its importance to the vides a global perspective Jacksonville community and on the importance of then discussed potential protecting the world’s threats to its health,” natural resources and gives said Jennie Busey, edu- students opportunities for cation director for the direct action. St. Johns St. Johns Riverkeeper provides one of Riverkeeper. “Then the “Local Action we cleaned up Projects” in which the park! They schools can did a great job participate. collecting three full bags and Steering committee to address parking issues See more stories about Jr. Residents in Riverside/Avondale on page 42 Moratorium on new intersection of Park and King. Those boundaries business approvals capture the commercial suggested until areas where visitors come and where residents have study complete concerns. The intent of the parking BY KATE A. HALLOCK study is to 1) acquire data Jennie Busey, Education RESIDENT COMMUNITY NEWS Director of the St. Johns about existing parking and Riverkeeper, with Ruth Upson Elementary School land use, 2) analyze parking 5th graders Aryana Thomas The challenge of finding and Mekilya Smith. utilization and turnover, 3) parking in one of the his- create a mobility circulation toric districts can seem, at inventory in each area, 4) times, to be nothing short of determine capacity for herculean. The analogy is future parking demands and appropriate because what 5) develop actions, costs the Jacksonville Community and strategies to implement Planning Division may have the recommendations. originally thought to be a At the May 2 steering simple study could turn out committee kickoff meeting to be a multi-faceted issue. the members brought up Former Avondale resident more concerns and issues Martha Moore, project con- than what Ghyabi and sultant for Ghyabi and Associates were commis- Associates, is assisting the sioned to study. City of Jacksonville The committee is com- Planning and Development prised of business owners Department with the study and residents, and Kay which addresses current and Ehas, transportation chair future parking issues around for Riverside Avondale The Shoppes of Avondale Preservation, was named and the Park & King streets chair for the steering com- Taft Alexander, Ackerly Bonstelle, Amber Vaden, Rohin and Beth Tagra, (in back) Daniel Adler, Priyanka Ghosh-Murthy and Ragu Murthy retail area. mittee, while Riverside Bootleggers, history buffs and Riverside Avondale Preservation supporters came out if full regalia, Ghyabi and Associates attorney Tommy Donahoo complete with period costumes fit for any Gatsby-esque affair. Cask fermented whiskies, cocktails limited the study to a 16- took the vice chair position. and fine hors d’oeuvres made for an eventful evening at the Good Shepherd Church’s Worsham Hall block area around The Moore said the study will Shoppes of Avondale and a . .See more photos page 23 19-block area around the See STEERING on page 11 INSIDE THIS ISSUE “Bulldozed” over Commander redevelopment? . .4 JAX2025 moves into implementation phase . .9 One impressive project for Eagle Scout . .11 nhmsb UE5 2013 5, JUNE by homes In Downtown buildings looking for new life . .13 PAGE 2 JUNE 2013 neck. The C4 spinal injury left him LETTER TO THE EDITOR paralyzed. He spends his days under- going intensive therapy, but my dad’s Speaking out about Commander redevelopment mind, heart, spirit and determination In response to last month’s article connectivity to networking, higher school- In honor of Father’s Day, are as strong as ever. regarding the plan to tear down the ing and access to recreation. The creation June 16, this issue is dedicated to the “After five decades of caring for Commander apartments, it seems that of such a central workforce would be a publisher’s father, Dr. Vincent Kerr, his “sweet Diane”, my father is still most of the neighbors’ reaction to the pro- boon to the economy of the entire region. who suffered a tragic accident on more concerned about my mother’s posed zoning change has been negative. Maybe Mr. Balanky should be able to have January 3, 2013. This public airing of the plan is to help his way here on the westside if he can be well-being than his own. I’ve heard it determine if it is a good plan for the induced to also infill downtown, away from said that ‘the greatest gift a father can County, with a minimum of negative the waterfront, with the conversion of “My dad is a quiet, disciplined, give his children is to love their moth- impact legitimate concerns. Mr. Balanky, some existing historic buildings or high hard-working man who loves animals er.’ That has always been Dad’s gift to the developer, has already determined that density green units? and his family. He has been one of us, and it remains so today. there is a market for such a complex in Mr. Balanky is local, familier with down- Jacksonville’s finest veterinarians for “Thanks, Dad, for comforting us this fine neighborhood waterfront location. town, and qualified. I have heard him over 40 years. My brothers and I grew even as you face the He also knows that it qualifies for infill on speak at a recent panel sponsored by the up working at the vet- greatest challenge of existing infrastructure as opposed to Jax Business Journal and believe him to erinary clinic and our “sprawl”, and that the good schools in the be an asset to our Community. The your life. Thanks for mother, Diane, was “The greatest area is part of the appeal…which assures Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) is teaching us about demand for those that can afford these just starting to build some momentum with always there to help gift a father courage and compas- units. a new executive director. If nothing else I Dad with sick animals sion and selflessness Another consideration, in this day and would like to see Mr. Balanky lend his cre- in the middle of the can give his and, most of all, about age, is the nearness to downtown along a dentials to the development of the entire night and to take in the love.” major transit corridor. Despite the accom- region. one-legged, one-eyed modation for automobile parking, part of I have lived on Herschel St, in a good children, is to pets that got discarded In gratitude to the appeal of this kind of “live, work and neighborhood, for over ten years, and in boxes on our play” development is to be able to walk have worked as a dorrman at the fathers everywhere doorstep. love their and bicycle, or to use public Commander and am familier with who put their families transit. dog…and geese poop. The elementary “A loving couple mother” before everything else, I am a big fan of the revitalization of school is top notch and we do not have a who taught us team- who are models of downtown and consider such a develop- voucher system. The likely tenants of a work, respect and being a strong husband ment to be a complement to the evolution new complex would likely be seniors, pro- responsibility, my parents were plan- and father and who deserve more of the core city. Downtown is ripe for fessionals, with very few families, hopefully ning a trip to Africa for their 50th than one day a year, on page 34 we appeal to more affordable workforce hous- eagles. I have recently been involved with wedding anniversary this month. share readers’ tributes to their own ing which can take advantage of the natu- JAX2025 and as a volunteer with One Horrifically, on January 3, Dad fell ral demand for talented singles that seek Spark. fathers. down a flight of stairs and broke his out an urban setting with opportunities and – Dick Jackson, Semi-retired – Pamela Bradford Williams DON’T GET JUST Contact me to learn more ANY HOME LOAN. Jill Moore 904.223.7717 FINANCE A [email protected] everbank.com/jmoore PERFECT FIT. NMLS ID: 648916 © 2013 EverBank. All rights reserved. 13ERM0075.03 JAMES 1:17 “EVERY BRIDGING THE GAP GOOD AND PERFECT BETWEEN BUYERS GIFT IS FROM ABOVE.” AND SELLERS Pirates Bay 3/3 with downstairs bedroom! ELIZABETH O’STEEN SUSAN DONNELL, GRI REALTOR® REALTOR® 904.465.1706 904.994.6677 WWWOSTEENDONNELLCOMsOSTEENDONNELL PRUNETCOM 3627 St. Johns Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32205 (904) 388-5005 © 2013 BRER Affiliates Inc. An independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates Inc. Prudential, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are registered service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Used under license with no other affiliation with Prudential. Equal Houseing Opportunity. PAGE 4 JUNE 2013 Second meeting with property developer no less contentious Traffic, safety and quality plan that measured traffic impact on the surrounding community. of life major concerns According to Balanky, the study done by Buckholz Traffic Engineering, BY KATE A. HALLOCK indicates that the new project would RESIDENT COMMUNITY NEWS not have a negative impact on traffic. “By decreasing the retail square Area residents and concerned local footage and increasing the residential groups had another opportunity to square footage, we can avoid impact- voice their concerns with the proposed ing traffic density,” he said.