I. Date, Time, Place, Attendees
A. Date, Time, Place of Meeting
Date of Meeting: May 18, 2004
Place: City Hall, Mayor's Conference Room
Time: 11:00AM
B. Attendees
1. Susan Grandin
2. Trish Gramajo
3. Greg Richards
4. Mike Hardesty
5. Mike Saylor
6. T.R. Hainline
7. Neil Armingeon
8. Coen Purvis
9. Rufus Pennington
10. Bob Joseph
11. David Stubbs
12. Pam Paul
13. Ann Baker
14. Anna Dolley
15. Lannie Russell
16. Lyssa Kohler
17. Bob Baughman
18. Mark Middlebrook
II. The Meeting
A. Meeting Called to Order.
Rufus Pennington opened the meeting and welcomed everyone and asked the attendees to introduce themselves. Dave Kauffman of the Jax Port Authority was introduced as the guest speaker.
B. Background of Cruise Terminals.
Dave Kauffman gave a brief background on the history of the Cruise Terminals. Per Kauffman, cruise lines typically give six to nine months notice prior to coming to market and make a short term commitment of one or more years. An area near the Dames Point Bridge has been designated as the temporary location for the cruise terminals. Due to the newer ships being of a size (190-205 ft tall) that does not fit under the Dames Point Bride or the power lines across Blount Island, Port Authority decided to look for new permanent location. Criteria for selecting permanent location: Waterfront location, depth of water (1500-2000), non-residential community, and non-environmental-sensitive areas, east of bridge and power lines. Cost estimate for installing power lines underground is between $30-$50 million. Proposed site is located in the Timucuan Preserve. Is approximately 5 miles from the St Johns River SEA Buoy, which would reduce the cruise time by approximately one hour and has long enough water front to berth 2-3 ships at a time. Port Authority would design in North Florida style with proximity of the Preserve in mind.
C. Questions/Answers
· Could the new terminal co-exist with Joe Carlucci? Yes; a separate entrance would be created for boat ramp users.
· Current Owner/Zoning? Riverfront Associates/Rural Residential
· Future Zoning? JaxPort would do PUD zoning and specify cruise terminal. Have no plans to use for cargo and would not do industrial zoning.
· Parking? Max would be 1500 cars over approximately 5 hours.
· Arrival/Departure times? Typically unload by 11:00AM, load by 2:00PM. Ship sails by 4:00PM.
· Traffic issues: FDOT already has plan to eliminate the drawbridge at Sister's Creek Bridge. Pending final design and construction cost estimates.
· Cost of property: Appraised at 5.3 million. Purchased at 3.2 million. Port Authority has not reached agreement with land owners at this time.
· One of the top objectives of the Timucuan Preserve is to preserve the vistas of the vast marsh-area. How do the cooling towers compare in height to the cruise ships for comparison? Have there been any studies on how the ships would affect the sight lines from within the Preserve? No, but JaxPort will ask their consultants to do a sight line study.
· How are revenues generated? Dockage (per linear foot) fees, wharfage (per passenger) fees, parking fees, licensing, water, etc.
· Will any dredging be required? Yes, for construction of bulkhead, but not for cruise ships which draw 30-35ft as opposed to cargo ships which draw at 40-45ft.
· Concerns regarding pollution? Required to discharge sewage off-shore at more than 6 miles and at a certain speed. Fuel at berth with adjacent fueling ship.
· Plans for public comments sessions? In public hearing related to zoning.
· Any public records on how they selected the proposed permanent site? Some. Will share with Task Force.
· Line of sight study emphasized as key element of public support.
D. Adjournment
Minutes Prepared by Laurel Lukaszewski