As the City works to meet the Sept. 30 deadline to take over operation of the St. Johns River Ferry from the Jacksonville Port Authority, an issue has developed over the transfer of a key parcel of land that houses its operations.
“(The ferry offices and warehouse), the waterfront property it sits on, has always been with the ferry. I really don’t think we should give up that land at all. That land belongs to the ferry,” said Elaine Brown, St. Johns River Ferry Commission member.
“I just want to go on record as objecting to us giving up that land without a fight,” she said.
The port has agreed to return 11 of 12 parcels to the City in the transfer of property and assets related to the operation of the St. Johns River Ferry service.
In Ordinance 2007-987-E, which transferred ferry operation from the City to the port in 2007, the port was granted the authority to retain parcels of land that weren’t necessary to the operation of the ferry because the port served as operator of the ferry for more than two years.
The port agreed to lease the remaining parcel to the City, located on Ocean Street in Mayport Village between Roxie and Henry streets, for one year for $1.
The commission is interested in the parcel in question because the office and warehouse for the ferry are housed there. The port seeks to retain the parcel due to a possible opportunity for that area of Mayport that Chris Kauffmann, port chief operating officer, was not able to discuss at the public meeting. He did offer to discuss it with the members of the commission “offline.”
“As someone who has said from Day 1 that the port should give all that property back to us, I think there are other things going on with regard to this situation that, in my mind, I am not as hung up on that,” said John Crescimbeni, City Council member and commission chairman.
The port owns the riverfront property on both sides of the parcel in question on Ocean Street, according to records at the Duval County Property Appraisers Office.
“We are looking at this as a 12-month window. After that, there are different options that we want to work with the City and with Mayport on a ‘win-win situation’,” said Kauffmann.
He suggested that there may be opportunities to relocate the offices and warehouse for the ferry operations to sites on Blount Island or Mayport Village.
The commission requested that Kauffmann discuss increasing the lease to two years with the port’s board of directors.
Ordinance 2012-0522 was introduced to Council on Wednesday to establish the terms of the transfer.
Earlier this year, the port set a Sept. 30 deadline to discontinue its operation of the St. Johns River Ferry. It links Florida A1A at Fort George Island and Mayport Village. The City created the St. Johns River Ferry Commission to take over operations of the ferry.
The next commission meeting is 5 p.m. today in Suite 425 on the fourth floor of City Hall.
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