To residents of Ponte Vedra Beach,
Currently parking on the entire stretch of Ponte Vedra Boulevard for lawn, landscape, pool and general service vehicles is allowed for a limited reasonable duration. With the increase in traffic, this is causing dangerous conditions. The MSD is requesting that the Ponte Vedra Zoning Board “PVZAB” rewrite the current parking code to read as follows:
11.d “Truck Tractors or Truck Tractor Semi Trailers, as those terms are defined in Chapters 316, Florida Statutes, but only when used to transport and deliver furniture, appliances, bulk materials, or other belongings or property of a person and only for so long as is reasonably necessary to load or unload. Parking of said vehicle for greater than 10 minutes shall require the use of onsite flag persons or safety cones. This exception does not apply to vehicles used for regular periodic deliveries or regular periodic services provided to a property or person, including for the purposes of lawn/landscape maintenance or other maintenance and repair services.”
If this code change is made, it will be illegal for service trucks and trucks with trailers, which do regular periodic services like lawn, pool, and pest maintenance to park in the right of way. They will need to park in yards or driveways and not block sidewalks. Only government and public service vehicles will be allowed. Currently, this is how Corona Road, Solana Road, Roscoe Blvd, and Ponte Vedra Boulevard north of the County line all operate.
Carriers like UPS, Amazon, appliance, furniture, and construction material deliveries will be allowed time reasonably necessary, and if greater than 10 minutes, shall require use of flag person or safety cones, as in moving vans.
Parking for parties on your own property is permissible. Valet or parking in the right of way requires a permit and officer as currently written in the code.
I would propose that if this code change causes a hardship, a homeowner should have the right to apply for a variance to add a circular drive on lots with less than 150-foot frontage, as is currently required.
Too many times, zoning changes do not get attention until after being passed, so if you have an opinion, attend the next PVZAB meeting on the first Monday of April at 3 p.m. at the county auditorium on Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine.
