Magic Beach Motel in Vilano Seashore faces demolition, people petition

Neon-lit white rabbits leaping out of a top rated hat adorn the legendary indicator of Magic Seashore Motel in Vilano Beach, positioned at 50 Vilano Highway. Pink flamingos are also a colorful component of this Art Deco motor lodge developed in 1951, originally the Vilano Seashore Motel.

This landmark could be demolished if the sale goes by means of in December by Miami developer Crucial International, the very same firm responsible for Embassy Suites in St. Augustine Beach front.

The Magic Beach Motel assets would be merged with land adjacent to it at 80 Vilano Road (previously Pizza Hut in the 1980s and early ’90s), and just guiding it to the north on Coastal Freeway, the two owned by community businessman John Arbizzani beneath the business name 80 Vilano Street LLC.

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The challenge is called Vilano Beach front Lodge, a proposed mixed-use advancement that will consist of 194 resort rooms, a 5,800-square-foot cafe, 1,800 square feet of retail house, and a 4,000-square-foot health/spa.

Shannon Acevedo of the St. Augustine-based mostly Matthews Design Team, a civil engineering organization, submitted an software this month to St. Johns County Organizing and Zoning requesting style acceptance.

A style and design evaluation conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sept. 8 at the St. Johns County Permit Center, 4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine. The North Coastal Style Review Board fulfills on the second Wednesday of every single thirty day period.

Calls searching for remark from Essential Global, Matthews Style Group and St. Johns County have been not returned by push time.

Diego Ardid, co-president of Important International reps of Rabun Architects from Atlanta and Matthews Style Group introduced architectural drawings and web page ideas, and answered queries at a Vilano Seashore Main Street meeting on July 21, which included Vilano people who belong to the North Shores Improvement Affiliation and the North Seashore Community Alliance.

“We have month to month conferences and when we hear about forthcoming tasks, we talk to the builders to make a presentation,” spelled out Vivian C. Browning, president of Vilano Beach front Principal Avenue. “As a team, we do not assistance or not assist a task.”

Browning, a Vilano resident for 35 many years, has been involved with the group considering that 1997, and aided convey Publix and other retail destinations in 2012, in addition to updates to Vilano Seaside City Centre along Vilano Street, which incorporates enhanced sidewalks, fountains, benches and community artwork.

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“It took us 12 several years to get Publix,” Browning explained. “We had been operate down, a blighted area. We’ve produced improvements. We are a vacation spot now.”

In point, five decades in the past, Secretary of Condition Ken Detzner declared that Vilano Seaside Principal Street was designated the March 2016 Florida Most important Road Group of the Month.

“Communities are selected dependent on their developmental achievements and participation in the Florida Principal Avenue Program,” the push release said at the time. “Since its designation 13 years ago [2003], Vilano Seaside Major Street’s achievements contain $42 million in public/non-public reinvestment, producing a web acquire of 9 new companies and a web achieve of over 179 new work opportunities to its Primary Avenue location.”

The historical past of the Magic Seaside Motel

The 24-home motel was bought in 2010 and renovated for various a long time by Earl and Remy Jensen, who also have the Ocean Look at Lodge, a 28-space lodge positioned at 2701 Anahma Generate. The Jensens, citizens of Vilano Beach front, have related homes in Atlantic Town and Colorado.

“Magic Beach front will be bought by December,” Remy Jensen explained Aug. 12. “We have had a whole lot of beneficial remarks from the visitors who have stayed here above the a long time.”

The Jensens spoke with Jessica Clark of 1st Coastline Information on Aug. 12 about advertising the motel, citing health difficulties and journey dreams.

Magic Beach Motel obtained its identify from its use as a set spot for the 1999 Warner Brothers Television series “Safe Harbor,” starring Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee, Rue McClanahan. Also that includes Gregory Harrison, the series was about a sheriff and father of a few boys dwelling in Magic Seaside, Florida, a fictional town. McClanahan performed Harrison’s mom, and owned the Magic Beach front Motel where by they all lived with each other. The signal, which characteristics rabbits, a hat and neon lights, was designed mainly because the fictional owner’s husband experienced been a magician.

The Florida Section of Point out Division of Historical Resources regarded the motel in 2013 for Fantastic Florida Principal Road Rehabilitation Task.

Vilano Beach front advancement

The 50-area Holiday break Inn Convey had a smooth opening in late July at 150 Vilano Road. Hyatt Location, a 120-place resort, will open in the slide at 117 Vilano Road.

Existing lodges in the Vilano Seaside City Centre/Principal Avenue space consist of Hampton Inn & Suites (94 rooms), Oceanview Lodge (28 rooms) and Saint Augustine Seashore Dwelling (16 rooms). Other getaway rentals in the Vilano space incorporate Ocean Sands Inn, Beachcomber Cottages, and VRBO and AirBnB rentals.

Additionally, 49 townhomes are planned on a vacant 3-acre lot at the intersection of Loja Avenue and Vilano Highway, within just the Vilano Town Center. The residential challenge, set forth by Dylan Cadwalader and his Vilano Springs Advancement group, is adjacent to the new Hyatt presently less than development and across the street from the Holiday getaway Inn Categorical.

Community opposition

Neighbors in the North Beach front region founded the North Seaside Community Alliance, a group of citizens and community small firms, before this yr to address issues more than a improvement they considered could negatively affect the community setting and excellent of lifetime.

Immediately after additional than 600 residents signed a petition versus a proposed 11,000-sq.-foot, 3-story mattress and breakfast on the corner of 12th Street and Coastal Freeway, the undertaking was halted.

As of Aug. 18, 690 men and women signed a new petition asking to suspend permits for industrial and combined-use developments in Vilano Beach front Town Center.

Michael Clare-Salzler, a 10-yr Vilano resident, is element of the North Seaside Community Alliance. Clare-Salzer thinks there has been a departure from what the Vilano Seashore Primary Avenue team originally planned, which incorporated retaining a little beach local community, and like organizations that citizens would use.

“The primary system has deviated and is now centered on tourism and tourists. We launched this team to deal with a advancement which would have experienced a negative affect in the local community,” Clare-Salzer described. “We are not anti-progress. We want liable enhancement in the community. We would like to see growth that will effect the county in a beneficial manner, that will not induce the local community tension.”

According to the team, the final feasibility examine for Vilano Major Avenue was accomplished in 2007. The group believes that infrastructure assessments ought to be performed — website traffic, utilities and environmental reports — to determine if the neighborhood can aid and sustain the substantial recent and proposed jobs.

“We are not inquiring for points that are out of the normal. The citizens are still left out of it,” Clare-Salzer reported. There is a absence of regulations … I received into this for the reason that I reside in this community and due to the fact I was anxious about the absence of details. The county will get tax bucks and that’s the determination. It’s an inherent conflict. What is the county eyesight? What are the county objectives? County procedures have to have to be aligned.”

Breau Alexander is a Vilano Beach front resident who moved from Atlanta in 2011. She also joined the North Seashore Group Alliance this calendar year.

She claimed attended the June conference of the Vilano Seashore Main Road and that residents ended up inquiring about Magic Beach front Motel after hearing it could be sold.

“The concerns were being brushed more than,” she described. “A ton of men and women have moved listed here and are viewing variations and really feel powerless, even longtime residents. We’re looking at a damaged approach that leaves out the people. Commissioners, builders and citizens can all do the job on the arranging. That’s a civil way for this to materialize. The citizens only never count and I uncover that insulting. That is why they are observing this response of anger and feelings … getting information has been difficult.”