Saint Augustine, FL

There are many benefits to being a St. Johns County resident. We enjoy a wonderful lifestyle, beautiful sights, and great attractions. Many new (and some old) residents to our county don't realize they can take advantage of many of St. Augustine's attractions at a discounted rate and in some cases free simply by showing their driver's license. When I have guests visiting me, I take them on the trains and I get to ride free (I think it's a two for one charge, but I like to think I ride free).

The St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau wants you to know that:

St. Johns County residents with a valid ID are always admitted free of charge to Government House Museum, the Lightner Museum, the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, the Fountain of Youth, the Ximenez-Fatio House, and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. The daily tours and wine tastings at the San Sebastian Winery are free to everyone. Also, admission is free to everyone at the Authentic Old Drug Store, Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Photios Chapel and the Peña-Peck House (donations are welcomed).

So get out an explore St. Augustine. Your senses and pocketbook will thank you.

The streetscape is complete in the Vilano Beach Town Center. So, that means a party, right? Right!

October 17, 2008 from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the Beach Pavilion on the beach end of Vilano Road, the community is invited to celebrate the completion of the road and streetscape improvements to the Vilano Beach Town Center. The Ribbon Cutting ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. with music and food from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

If you wish to help plan this event, please attend the next meeting on Wednesday, September 3 at 4 p.m. at the North Shores Improvement Association's building at 120 Meadow Avenue.

Please contact me if you would like to be a sponsor.

The community has much to celebrate. We look forward to seeing you on the 17^th of October!

At the intersection of Coastal Highway and Vilano Road a new Sea Turtle/Dolphin "roundabout" has been installed. I use the term "roundabout" as it is actually a driveover roundabout to enable emergency vehicles to get into the community. However, let's drive around it, okay? Let me know what you think. I think it's lovely.

UPDATE: The county has informed me that this is indeed a driveover and NOT a roundabout. Once the paving has occurred it will be obvious in that none of this area will then be raised. So, drive on over it.

June 27^th a.m. picture

June 27^th p.m. picture (cones removed):

It seems everywhere you look in the Vilano and North Beach areas of St. Augustine, Florida, utility crews are working. A couple of weeks ago I noticed Powercon digging trenches along the west side of A1A around Villages of Vilano north to about 15th St. They said they are laying conduit to bury the overhead electrical lines. I have not gotten this information verified by FPL, however. Powercon did not know when the actually burial of the lines would occur, but the conduit is in place. They were contracted for 6000 ft. along A1A. They are not doing the east side due to safety issues of being able to have their equipment off A1A while doing the work.

AND... the big news: The poles are coming down in the Vilano Beach Town Center as I type this. This has been happening this past week and will continue. It shouldn't be long now. The Vilano Beach Town Center is looking good.

UPDATE- we've got a small snag to removing the poles---AT&T. Hopefully AT&T will get going soon and we can get the poles removed.

The grand opening of the streetscape will be in mid September. We'll know more in July as to the actual date. Stay tuned for more info.

- by Barbara Jenness, website: http://BarbaraJenness.com

Greg Caldwell from St. Johns County engineering reported the following updates on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 Vilano Beach Main Street meeting concerning the Vilano Beach Town Center infrastructure improvements:

The roundabout fountain by the fishing pier will be operational by this weekend (Memorial Day weekend).

It was operational on Thursday, May 22^nd. It looks great especially at night. Yes, it is shut off late at night. Have you noticed the nice neon lights on the bell tower by the fishing pier?

FPL's underground utilities are now hot, so work can start on removing the poles and overhead utilities.

Hopefully you have noticed the nice streetlights with the neon trim in the Vilano Beach Town Center

The conversion to underground utilities is happening now and is expected to be complete by the first week of June 2008. Hampton Inn and Ocean Blue II has already been converted. The county is working from west to east. Once conversion is complete they can start removing the power poles.

Once the poles are down I think our streetscape will truly shine. The poles should be removed by the end of June.

Glass tile on the entry feature will occur next week (last week in May) along with completing the new sign for Vilano Beach Town Center.

As this is the first thing visitors see when entering our Town Center this will be nice when complete.

And finally, what we have all been waiting for:

Final paving will begin the first week of June 2008 and should be complete by the end of the month. Paving by Ocean Blue II should happen next week, but Vilano Road won't be paved until the utility poles are removed as there will be some sidewalk repair that will need to be done after the poles are removed.

Friends visiting me in Porpoise Point have commented on the number of speed bumps we have on Vilano Road. I had to tell them those are crosswalks, not speed bumps. I can't wait for the final coat!