ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Grassroots organizations in St. Augustine planned a public information meeting Monday night to rally the community against the proposed development at Anastasia State Park after the state postponed public meetings originally set for Tuesday.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the launch of its 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative. The proposed statewide plan impacts nine state parks and has led to protests in our area.
St. Augustine officials are still waiting to hear more about the state’s plan to develop Anastasia State Park, which includes a park lodge with up to 350-room capacity in the southern portion of the park, pickleball courts and a disc golf course. The hotel would be the second largest in St. Johns County.
“Things like hiking, kayaking, bird watching, that’s what our state parks our for, not things like pickleball and golf," Jen Lomberk, the executive director and Matanzas Riverkeeper, said.
Lomberk is one of multiple community organizations planning to hold a community meeting after the state postponed public information sessions about the proposed development of Anastasia State Park.
“This proposal is not dead just because these meetings have been temporarily postponed and we don’t have new meeting dates yet. It means that we have to make sure that this doesn’t fall off people’s radars," Lomberk said.
According to a Florida Department of Environmental Protection press release, the projects' goal is to increase visitors to state parks.
St. Augustine City Manager David Birchim says the city has not received information from the state on the proposals, but when that does happen, city leaders will review the project.
“Look at all the details including land development code, our comp plan compliance our utilities issues and everything else we look at when we look at a real estate development," Birchim said.
St. Johns County Commissioner Sarah Arnold released a statement of her issues with the lack of communication about the proposed hotel project:
"The State of Florida has not contacted St. Johns County with any details of this project. Parks are for people and not about projects for profit. Our Board of County Commissioners has been consistent in our views on natural resources conservations and protections.”
The Tuskegee Dunes Foundation announced on its website that they were behind plans at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, but pulled out of the proposal, citing public backlash.
Information has not been released about the companies behind Anastasia State Park development, but Lomberk says they plan to hold meetings to keep the community informed.
“We’re asking people to keep the heat on, keep the pressure on. Just because one developer has pulled back doesn’t mean that the rest of the state parks are off the chopping block," Lomberk said.
The community meeting was scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. at Spinster Abbott's 61 San Marco Ave.
The state has announced the public information sessions will be rescheduled possibly during the week of Sept. 2.
The draft proposals are available on DEP’s website. The DEP has also launched a public survey to gather input on the proposed statewide plan. A link can be found here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7983173/Great-Outdoors-Initiative.