Health department pauses J&J vaccine Page 7 Wakulla Republican Women attend conference Page 8 $1 Published Weekly, Read Daily Our 124th Year, 15th Issue One Section Serving Wakulla County For 124 Years Thursday, April 15, 2021 NEW DEVELOPMENT Publix plans approved A separate proposed 325-unit subdivision by Robert Parrish of Shadeville Road draws public concern over density By WILLIAM SNOWDEN commission gives ap- Signs at the property Editor proval. She anticipated near Songbird where the grocery store could Publix plans to build The planning com- be open before the end a shopping center. mission gave site plan of the year. approval this week for Publix is buiding cause plans call for the Publix shopping a 55,000 square foot WILLIAM SNOWDEN/FILE 36-foot height on the center to be located in store with other re- building. The county Crawfordville. tail space on 8 acres limits maximum height There was no contro- located just north of for buildings to two sto- versy at the meeting on Songbird Avenue. reys and 35 feet. Monday, April 12. The Access to the cen- There was controver- project still must go ter will be off Song- sy over a proposed 325- before the county com- bird, with a turn lane unit subdivision on mission on April 19. and traffic signal, and 107 acres off Shadev- Wakulla Planning right-turn lane into the ille Road drew concern Director Somer Pell center and right-turn of several neighboring anticipated work on coming out. property owners about the project to begin The builder did ap- the density. as soon as the county ply for a variance be- Turn to Page 14 COUNTY COMMISSION PROPERTY APPRAISER $21,850 code violation Brimner returns Board votes 3-2 not to reduce i ne because the violation went on for years By WILLIAM SNOWDEN $158,000 to the Editor A St. Marks property county coffers owner ran up $21,850 in fines for a code vio- h e money was unspent from the lation for a caved-in 2020-21 budget roof on a building that By WILLIAM SNOWDEN was formerly home to Editor George’s Cabinets in St. Marks. At a meeting of the county Audit Committee The owner, Jim on Friday morning, Morris, appeared be- Property Appraiser fore county commis- Ed Brimner gave a sioners last week to check to county of- ask them to reduce ficials for $158,000 the fines. Two com- for unspent mon- missioners, Chairman ey in his budget at Ralph Thomas and the end of the fiscal Commissioner Randy year. Merritt, said they felt The owner of the old George’s Cabinets building ran up tens of County Commis- the fines were exces- thousands of dollars of fines at $100 a day. sioner Randy Mer- sive and the county ritt, who chairs the should only charge reduction. Board hearing and erty is valued on tax committee, gave the cost of investigat- Planning Director said he was in the rolls at $46,000. Brimner some good- ing the matter – about Somer Pell said the process of buying the A year later, Janu- natured ribbing. Property Appraiser $2,500. matter began in Janu- property and asked ary 2019, still not in “You’re supposed to Ed Brimner But the other three ary 2018 when the for time. compliance, the fines give us the check at commissioners – Mike prior owner was told Morris told commis- began to accrue: $250 the meeting so you can be on TV,” Merritt Kemp, Quincee Mess- the building, with a sioners he was buy- for the first day and said. ersmith and Chuck collapsing roof, need- ing the property for $100 each day there- The former property appraiser, Brad Har- Hess – said they felt ed to be brought into $225,000 from the after. vey, was arrested in April 2020 on felony the violation was so compliance. She said owner, which included Morris told commis- fraud charges for allegedly overpaying himself egregious and went on Morris accompanied “sweat equity.” sioners that “It’s been more than $200,000 during his three years for so long that they the prior owner to the It was noted at the a long journey, but I in office and using the office credit card for would not grant the Code Enforcement meeting that the prop- Turn to Page 7 Turn to Page 3 Paws ST. MARKS Stone Crab holds Festival will go a dog on this year It will reorganize and try for smaller wash crowd because of a lack of volunteers Paws of Wakulla held By WILLIAM SNOWDEN its Pamper Your Pooch Editor dog wash on Saturday, One of the organizers of the St. Marks April 10 at Hudson Stone Crab Festival said the committee met Park until the storms and decided they would go ahead with the rolled through and sent festival again in October, but that it would everybody home. likely be smaller. Organizer Billy Bishop said the new event Spa services for dogs would not be done under the aegis of Stone included a bubble bath, Crab Festival Inc. because that entity is l ea and tick spray, towel now defunct. After being sued by St. Marks drying and paw-dicure. resident Michael Grasso for being prohibited (Photo by Petra Shuf ) from bringing an emotional support dog to the festival last year because of its rules against pets. Some $15,000 was spent on legal fees with attorney Ron Mowrey defending the Stone Crab Festival. Grasso represented himself in the case. Turn to Page 5 Page 2 – THE WAKULLA NEWS, Thursday, April 15, 2021 www.thewakullanews.com Family Owned & Operated 3922 CRAWFORDVILLE RD. 100% made TALLAHASSEE, FL 32305 in the USA 850-878-0788 ENCLOSED & UTILITY TRAILERS Weed Eater racks, Blower racks, Water Cooler racks, Organizational Accessories for Open Trailers & More… Family Owned MONDAY-FRIDAY & Operated 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Same Location LEETRAILERSALES.NET for 40 years www.thewakullanews.com THE WAKULLA NEWS, Thursday, April 15, 2021 – Page 3 SOPCHOPPY City discusses zero-lot line duplexes By AUSTIN COX don’t fit the character Works Director Leon- • A fee schedule on News Correspondent of the neighborhood. ard Tartt is retiring. Depot Park to provide Other homes in the He has been tasked the city more funding Sopchoppy city area are constructed with hiring the city’s was discussed but commissioners dis- on two lots. next Plant Operator. was tabled. Possible cussed a proposal for Marshall has indi- Interviews will like- terms laid out for or- construction of multi- cated if his zero-lot ly be set up next week ganizations renting family dwellings on line duplexes are re- to fill the position. the park included a the west side of the jected, he might be City commissioners one-time charge, a city. inclined to build six expressed a desire to charge-per-vendor, or Businessman Dal- houses, one on each hire someone who is a refundable deposit. las Marshall has pro- lot. dedicated to the city of • A city ordinance posed building three Mayor Lara Ed- Sopchoppy Mayor Sopchoppy Commis- Sopchoppy, and Tartt has led to Sopchoppy Lara Edwards sioner Nathan Lewis duplexes on six lots in wards described the agreed. vacating their interest the city. Builder Walt pending decision and “We have to real- in an alley located in a but they only have meeting. The issue Dickson has told city the situation as a ize the enormity of four-way intersection active plans to begin has been debated commissioners that “lesser of two evils.” the position we are of Winter Street, Sum- construction on one since the start of the zero-lot line would There was discus- replacing. We need a mer Street, Blossom of the three buildings. calendar year. give more yard space sion whether the lot leader,” said Mayor Avenue, and Yellow “I would feel a lot Some citizens in at- and access. would be used specifi- Edwards. Jacket Avenue. more comfortable if I tendance felt that the Marshall has indi- cally for three multi- In other matters: • Repairs will be knew what your plans situation did not call cated he intends to family dwellings, or • The county will issued to local side- were,” said City Com- for an exception and live in one unit and if the property could be shifting from 11 walks, streetlights, missioner Nathan that a decision to pass sell the others. turn into any num- fire departments to and signs, particu- Lewis. the ordinance would At the meeting on ber of combinations nine that are more larly along Municipal Marshall agreed set a bad precedent. Monday, April 12, city of single-homes and evenly dispersed, a Street. to come back next The council mo- commissioners indi- duplexes within the plan approved by the Sopchoppy city month with a more tioned to table the or- cated they are open to six lots. board which will help commission meet- complete plan. dinance until the next considering change, Marshall and Dick- put a higher majority ings are held the sec- Deliberations for meeting on May 10. but concerns that the son said they certain- of residents within ond Monday of each the project lasted In another matter, zero-lot line duplexes ly intend to build all a five-mile zone of a month. nearly half of the Sopchoppy Public three of the duplexes, firehouse. Brimner returns money PUBLIC NOTICES ȋ Ȍ For our readers’ convenience, The From Front Page erty appraiser after Har- Wakulla News provides this Public Notice vey’s removal. Section for all Public Notices more than $26,000 in Brimner won the Au- personal expenses.