The City of St. Augustine is embroiled in a heated eminent domain case after filing lawsuits to acquire parts of private properties for a critical flood mitigation project. According to First Coast News, the city's aim is to construct a seawall and install special pumps around Lake Maria Sanchez to address the routine flooding that plagues the downtown area.
While three property owners have agreed to the city's terms, two have stood their ground, prompting legal actions. City Manager David Birchim stated, "This is the routine stuff that grinds people down. The normal flooding that we get on a routine basis downtown." Birchim assures that the taking is for easements only, and the properties would remain in private ownership. The city's litigation, filed in June against the holdout owners of the two properties, endeavors to secure just the margins of the parcels needed for the seawall's construction, foreseeing no "diabolical plan to take anyone's real estate," Birchim told First Coast News.
In further detail provided by News4Jax, the lawsuit addresses the necessity of the land acquisition, saying the easement sought is essential for public use and welfare, particularly for the Lake Maria Sanchez Flood Mitigation and Drainage Improvements Project. The parcels in question, located on Marine Street and Hedrick Street near Lincolnville, are considered integral to the execution of the project, which includes comprehensive upgrades to the stormwater system and the construction of a new stormwater pump station in addition to the flood wall.
The city's endeavors, funded in part by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, signify a significant investment into not only restructuring St. Augustine's defenses against the encroach of water, but also in preserving the habitation and the hearts of its people against an all-too-common adversary. The city has attempted to acquire the requisite easements through negotiation, yet without success, necessitating the legal approach, city representatives told First Coast News. These protective measures stand to benefit upwards of 200 properties and are seen as an increasingly necessary response to the chronic flooding challenges imposed by nature upon the storied streets of St. Augustine.
