An opinion
Submitted by John Campbell Elwell
After several months of reading letter after letter, article after article, and listening to opinion after opinion about everything from valet parking to cutting down a tree on private property, I wonder if it is time for the facts to be stated about the upcoming St. Michael Catholic Church construction project?
Fact: The purpose of the upcoming construction is twofold; firstly to repair the Bell Tower which is over 4” out of plumb and causing stress cracks in the Church, and secondly to expand the Church to allow all parishioners a seat during services. The Church is not gaining more people, it is simply attempting to provide seats for parishioners who are already attending Mass.
Fact: The expansion and repair to the church is scheduled to begin on May 12th, 2014. The repair to the Bell Tower and the expansion will take approximately one year.
Fact: During the year long construction phase, Mass will be conducted in the new Parish Hall on both Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings. Because the Hall can accommodate more people than the current Church, there will be more people attending fewer Masses. This will definitely mean more vehicles parking on the City streets closer to the new Hall.
Fact: There are no restrictions for parking on City streets except where noted by official signs.
Fact: A 2006 City Code regulates residential and non residential parking space requirements based on type of activity. All Churches are governed under the same subsection of this code while other types of businesses (retail, restaurants, hotels, etc) have slightly different requirements. All Assembly Places have the same parking space rules; 1 parking space per 4 seats. Up to 50% of the spaces can be offsite but within 600’ of the front door.
Fact: Based on their understanding of this City Code, the Church entered into two lease agreements to provide the extra parking space requirements. One was with the Nassau County Court House and the other was with a private business. These spaces were required because of the Church expansion.
Fact: Unfortunately both properties in question do not fall within 600’ of the Church Campus which is specified in the City Code. This has resulted in the valet parking alternative (32 additional on site spaces) in order to meet the required number of parking spaces due to the expansion. The other 13 spaces will be picked up with increased street parking and 3 new handicapped spots.
Facts have an interesting way of getting in the way of a good story. In this case, nothing could be more clear and factual. St. Michael Church is not trying to gain more people by expanding the Church. It is simply attempting to provide additional seats for those already attending the current services. That’s a fact.
Editor’s Note: John Campbell is the Managing Partner of the Elwell Advisory Group, a marketing & financial consulting company. Previously he was a sales/ marketing executive in the lumber business including six years as National Sales Director for the Rayonier Lumber Division. He currently serves on the Board of the Boys & Girls Club and is an active parishioner at St. Michael Church. John and his family have made Amelia Island their home for fifteen years.
April 22, 2014 7:50 a.m.
Thanks John for the Joe Friday (“Just the facts”) article.
Seriously BAD BAD BAD parking allowances for this massive influx of people for the services. The valet parking will fail, for lack of interest and support, and the streets will be over-packed with cars. Anyone knows this will fail. The City needs to get a better grip on parking allowances and requirements.
Allowing more people to attend Mass at one time is only exacerbating an incredibility bad problem. This should NEVER have been allowed to go forward.
Sorry, I just can’t see how this was allowed to happen. Leasing a lot, or assigning a valet is NOT a permanent solution for a permanent problem.
Is the City going to deny them using the church when they stop valet services? Is the City going to deny them using the church when they stop shuttle service from two blocks away? This is so transparent.
The Land Development Code allows for a variance of required parking spaces. LDC, section 7.01.04 B5 states: The City may require, or an applicant may request, the elimination of up to 20% of the required parking spaces in order to preserve specimen trees. The site plan shall show the location of all required parking and the spaces eliminated to preserve the trees.
I have shared this information with the church and the city in the hopes the variance will be granted and the required spaces reduced, allowing the trees to remain
Good article – John, you hit the facts on the head! Those who oppose only believe that they have the answers to the problem – the problem is not additional parking but a church that will provide seating for their parishioners – period. You will have over 400 available spaces (most of the same people who now can’t be seated) think !
This has been one heck (notice I didn’t mention Hell) of a debate to follow.
It seems a bit strange that in our community there are so many sabers being rattled over a Church of all things. It appears that St Michale’s isn’t trying to expand their congregation as much as to make some necessary repairs and provide seats for those who are now attending. At the end of the day we are talking about religion here folks. It seems that codes, ordinances, variances, preservation of trees, are all getting in the way of everybody trying to work together to to help people practice a religion in comfort and safety. I am sure that parking will be a mess while this is being sorted out, but shouldn’t we make an honest effort to get it done without all this nonsense. I don’t care what religion anyone is, but somewhere I am sure it must be written neighbors should be helping neighbors. One of the endearing things about the community of Fernandina is the strongly held religious convictions of its citizens. This is sounding more and more political with each day. Wouldn’t it be nice if all could just ask, how can i help to get this done, and not keep throwing roadblocks up? Wouldn’t that attitude be just a little slice of Heaven?
Tony, I don’t see anything political in this issue. On the other side the church could be a little more community friendly, similar to the Baptist church. When they outgrew their downtown facility they built a larger building with ample parking and most folks are happy for them. Nassau County Economic Development is projecting 20,000 more residents in Yulee area by 2025. What’s wrong with building a new church facility now?
Hi Lou,
It may not be political, it just sounds rather political. It does seem that there are many rumors and false information floating around about this issue. I am not involved in this other than what I read. This is just an opinion from what I have read. I do know that everyone seems to have an idea of how this should be done. I also know that St. Michaels is building a new Church in Yulee for the ever increasing population out there. From what I understand it’s in the fund raising/planning stage. It just appears that when a church, any church, is trying to provode seats for its parishioners everyone in the community should be asking “how we can we help to do this”.
May be a fact -no! it is a fact. John Elwell and Tony have given the facts very clearly. I have written articles in the other source – If everyone would understand, two things: First, my church (St. Michael’s) have five masses, not including a Spanish Mass: every mass is over crowed period. Seats are required; Second: there will be a Mission Church – already given a name, funds, plans, and location have been going on for some time, right now our two groups contribute – the Church in Yulee has about 200 parishioners in a rented church facility – it has been determined that in 2015 and the money has been achieved the Yulee Catholic Mission church will be started as a functional house of worship for the people in Yulee. As for it being political, maybe it appears more like a football game. The two teams are working together but the fans (locals) are getting unpleasant.