Justice for Glen Davenport

I received the following comment recently and felt moved enough to post it here on the blog.  Although it happened so long ago it is never too late to shed light on an incident that hurt so many people and where there was never a serious inquiry into what happened.  Feel free to forward this post around in hopes of generating renewed interest in what happened in Murray Hill some 40 years ago.

Sandy Bonesteel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4HKB4v3nRY | stillsouthernhearted@yahoo.com | 70.120.229.51

My family used to live in Murray Hill in the ’60’s.

My 10 year old brother was found deceased in the 3700 block of Mayflower St. on February 4th, 1968.

Despite the many suspicious things about Glen’s death; his death was determined and ruled to be “accidental”.

40 years later Glen’s family is still seeking and fighting for justice for Glen.

A family friend has made a youtube video and we would like people in Jax to please view the video and the pass it along to others. Since my family no longer lives in Jax; we are asking the people of Jax to help us get the video circulating around Jax; particulary in the Murray Hill district.

We are hoping that there are people in Jax who remember the news story about the little boy who was found “hanging” on Mayflower St. in Jax in 1968.
And we are hoping that there is someone in Jax who might have heard or seen something on the night Glen was missing (Feb. 3rd) or the following morning when his body was found (Feb. 4th); 1968.

We still cling to the hope that there is someone who can provide new information about Glen’s death.

The link for the video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4HKB4v3nRY

If that link doesn’t work; please just go to:

http://www.youtube.com/

And then enter the search words Justice For Glen Davenport

 

 

 

The Hill Gets A Facelift

Word from Murray Hill Neighbors is that the town center improvements  that have been in the planning stages is set to commence.  I referenced this project back in October and am eager to see the design put into place.  You can see some of the work now with the replacement of the utility poles at the corner of Post and Edgewood.   With all of the tenent improvements along to main corridor this will be a welcome project to keep the push going. 

 From the Murray Hill Neighbors website:

Town Center Initiative Work To Begin
It’s finally getting started!! The city has hired a contractor and work should begin the end of June on the long, long awaited Murray Hill Town Center Initiative. This project will make public right-of-way improvements to the Post and Edgewood intersection extending 1 block north and 2 blocks south. There will be landscaping improvements, historic lighting and the replacement of the wooden utility poles with concrete ones. Special thanks and kudos to the Murray Hill Preservation Association for making this project happen!!

Again, this is good news and thanks to Michelle Frericks and the MHPA for their hardwork and dedication to the neighborhood.

Games of Atlantis

Grand opening tonight, at 1190 Edgewood Avenue on the First Block is a gaming room.  I’m not sure yet what all of this means but I do not think this will be well received by the community.  This gaming room is comprised of 60 automated machines, and is not to my knowledge affiliated with the proposed billiard parlor located two doors down at the old Woods Pharmacy.  A dispute arose with the billiard parlor when people thought they would have gaming machines there.  Instead one opens just doors away.  I went to talk to the owner tonight but they were busy trying to get the place open.  I did instead talk with a manager and employee to try to get some details.  The following is what I learned:

• There are sixty total automated machines similar to slots.
• The machines are either a penny or nickel and reward Visa debit cards for redemption if you win money.
• They will also have special games that offer rewards of gift certificates to local merchants in the area.
•  They will be serving free food or non-alcoholic beverages while you play.
• The Alibi bar next door will allow customers of the gaming room of legal age to buy liquor or beer, leave, and bring it back to the gaming room for consumption.

This is probably what had Suzanne Jenkins in an uproar about these gaming machine establishments.  I was under the impression that her riff had to do with the hypothetical use of the billiard parlor but low and behold, it is here in Murray Hill.  

I should have asked more questions…will there be smoking inside (the place smelled like a mixture of wet paint and cigarette smoke), what will the hours be, what was the previous use of this building, what kind of permits did the contractor pull (an electrical permit for a new service for all I can tell, which may be all that is required).   I was just caught up in the fact that there is this new gaming room opening up right on the First Block.  It smells fishy to me and if you’re familiar with my previous posts on the matter I may be eating my words.  It seems like, for all of this time the attention was directed toward the use of the old pharmacy, but instead there is a gaming room opening up two doors down to no attention.  Again, time will tell, but if anyone has any additional input please fell free to contact The Hill. 

Who Said Gaming Machines?

I ran across some current news on the Billiard Parlor to be located at the old Woods Pharmacy on the Murray Hill Neighbors website.  It is concerning the use of gaming machines at the establishment that has caused uproar since it was mentioned at the exception hearing before the Planning Commission back in July.  In a recent post I discussed this contentious point at length and still don’t understand what the problem is.  As someone who took the time to read the minutes from the entire hearing on E-06-24 my opinion is still that the owners of the establishment hypothetically mentioned that gaming machines at that location would be legal under the current zoning laws.  They did not say that is what they wanted only that they could do it, by law, where the Billiard Parlor was being opposed.  Maybe I don’t have all the facts on the owner’s intentions or I am reading the hearing minutes incorrectly.  Here is an excerpt from the minutes from the original exception hearing in which Tim Franklin (I assume the owner’s legal council) talks about what the owner could and would do if his application for an exception allowing many pool tables were denied.

 

“Were Mr. Goff here for any other reason, simply to turn a profit or get something going and sell this as opposed to following his dream here, he would most likely open up a sports bar, frankly, serving beer and wine in conjunction with the sale of food, order from a menu and served on premises.

 

He’s got two pool tables, allowed by right.  He would have a number of dart boards, which there is no limitation in the code on.  In addition, he would have a number of online gaming facilities there and big screen televisions.  The same thing you would see that the –for a lack of a better term, the sports bar concept. As they will tell you, your staff, able staff will tell you that’s permitted by right in the zoning district.”

Now I may be crazy, but what was stated at the meeting is the exact opposite of  “I want to have online gaming machines in my bar”.  There may be more that meets the eye and I have not talked to the owner but I think everyone is missing the boat here. 

With that said, there was a new bill introduced to the Jacksonville City Council that intends to restrict the use of gaming machines in the Jacksonville city limits.  Though it is a city wide restriction it appears to be directed at this particular location.  The bill is separate from the City of Jacksonville ongoing litigation to determine whether amusement gambling machines are illegal under current Florida statues.  Ordinance 2006-739 would restrict the use of amusement gambling machines only to establishment that are considered amusement centers.

“A bona fide amusement center is an establishment that derives 50 percent of its revenue through one or a combination of the following:

1)                  the sale of food, which is ordered from a menu, prepared and served for pay for consumption on the premises only, and

2)                  the operation of video, pin ball machines, pool tables or other recreational machines or devices which do not entitle the person operating the machine to receive points or coupons.”

The Murray Hill Neighbors community news report leads you to believe that this bill introduced by Council Members Jenkins, Davis, Fussell, Daniels, Johnson, and Yates is in reference to the proposed Billiard Parlor on Edgewood but I do not see the correlation.  I would like to see how this bill could affect the likes of the dog tracks, Dave & Buster’s, or Chuck e Cheese for that matter before I worry about the effect it is going to have on the new Billiard Parlor on the First Block

Time to Vote!

Voting time is quickly approaching, the 2006 Primary Election will be held on September 5th.  For most, if not all of Murray Hill, our voting precinct is the Murray Hill Presbyterian Church at 940 Talbot Street, the same location as the MHPA meetings each month.  A bonus though if you hadn’t noticed is that early voting started on August 21st and will continue through September 9th at the Murray Hill Public Library at 918 Edgewood Avenue.  This allows anyone in the city to go in and vote regardless of what precinct you would be required to vote in on the actual voting day.  For The Hill that means I can vote at the library instead of traveling across town to my old district because I have yet to update the Supervisor of Elections of my move.  The problem though is you can only vote on subjects that pertain to the old district not those unique to
Murray Hill so we should all maintain current record with the Supervisor of Elections.  As of Friday, August 27th 191 people have gone to the Murray Hill Public Library to vote early.  This is a good idea to make sure you get your vote in no matter what happens on voting day as well as avoid the crowds.  Any information regarding the voting process as well as updating you personal information can be found at the Duval County Supervisor of Elections website. 

The Hill is going to follow this up with some information about the candidates and important races in the area I just wanted to get the word out and about that it is time to voice your opinion, stand your ground, and you can do it TODAY.

Billiards at the First Block

In case you haven’t heard, the current owner of the old Woods Pharmacy at 1136 Edgewood Avenue, on the First Block, has been trying to get approval from the city to covert that building to a Billiard Parlor.  Since the building is currently zoned CCG-1 there could only be a Billiard Parlor there by exception from the City of Jacksonville Planning Commission.  

This proposed use has created quite a stir with the residents here in Murray Hill.  Many have voiced their opposition at the public meetings or just to themselves and neighbors in private.  Their main argument is that particular area of the neighborhood, being so visible, does not need, nor does anyone want, a dark, seedy pool hall, attracting unsavory characters at all hours of the night.  I completely understand and agree with that viewpoint.  The owner on the other hand argues that he is a billiard aficionado, and that is his love and hobby.  He wants to open a family and community friendly, upscale billiard establishment.  Furthermore he argues, and is correct, that he could open a pub, or sports bar at that location without anyone’s consent.  This would in turn create the potential for the same type of establishment that those in opposition of the Billiard Parlor fear.  To top it off, rumors and assumptions have spread on the subject that I would like to clear up.  I have included an excerpt from a recent post on The Metro Jax forum concerning the speculation that in conjunction with a “pool hall” there would also be a plethora of gaming machines: 

“I just read the minutes from the Planning commission meeting from June 15 concerning the Exception E-06-24 for a Billiard parlor at the old Woods pharmacy. The only mention of gaming machines was a hypothetical assessment of what the owner could do if it were not granted the exception. Their (the owner and legal council) argument is that they could open a sports bar, with two pool tables, darts, and gaming machines in that location immediately without approval from anyone. In addition, a coffee shop was mentioned, which I think we all agree Murray Hill needs. Instead the owner claims that his passion is Billiards and as previously stated wants to open a family and community friendly billiard parlor.

There were six Murray Hill residents that showed up to oppose the exception. Their main arguments were related to parking, late hours of operation, and the general opposition to the idea of a “pool hall” in the neighborhood. They argue that there are as many as four locations in the area to get a game of pool. Not many of the opposition had very valid arguments. They mostly referred to the chaos that was Fat Cats, the previous bar that is now Martini’s.

With that said a brief synopsis of the owner’s intent…..these conditions were part of the public record and ultimately are going to be part of the legal requirements of the exceptions approval:

-Reduce the maximum number of tables from 22 on the original application down to 17.
-Beer and wine only, no liquor
-Maintain the existing Wood’s Pharmacy facade….this included not tinting or smoking the windows to create the dark, gloomy look.
-Make the exception non-transferable upon sale of the property. Thus the next owner would not be able to operate a Billiard parlor.
-A dress code. Men on the weekends required to wear collard shirts. This is in response to the oppositions concerns that there will be an overflow from Martini’s across the thoroughfare and the two could combine crowds to increase traffic and noise in the area.
-No live music or outdoor amplification of music.
-Tables rented by the hour required a deposit of a driver’s license or credit card.
-Limit the hours of operation to 1 am Monday through Thursday, 2 am on Friday and Saturday, and 12 midnight on Sunday.

There were twelve conditions the owner submitted in his package but I could only find the one’s listed above in the minutes.

With that said the commission ultimately decided to approve the exception, overturning the staff recommendations of denial. They almost had to. This proposed used does not contradict the intent of the Zoning Code. I understand why the neighborhood is apprehensive of the idea but we have to take the man (Owner – Gary Goff) at his word. The Commission approved the exception but in doing so leveled some restrictions on it, all listed above. In addition they added a condition that the closing hours be 12 midnight every night no exceptions. Their main concern in the end was the enforceability of those conditions.

Parking also came up a bit. That argument goes like this: A building of that size (7,800 square feet) at the previous use as a pharmacy, at retail parking generation rate would require 26 spaces. For a pool hall three parking spaces are required for every two pool tables thus at 17 tables the required parking would be 25.5 = 26 spaces. Since the pharmacy originally required 26 spaces, the owner vested these spaces and is now going to use them. The commission further pointed out that if the exception was denied and the owner opened up a sports bar there would be a much higher demand for parking and thus the Billiard parlor parking would help mitigate the parking problem. It’s semantics at that point but that is the logic.

I’m the last person that wants a seedy pool hall opened on the First Block Who wants to be intimidated in their own neighborhood. You would want to walk or ride your bike to Moon River. Or take your children down. Without any prior knowledge of the owner, I tend to believe that the owner has community friendly intentions. Legally there is little to stop him now so why not embrace the idea and visit the place. If he opens an upscale Billiard parlor and we all visit generating business and the buzz then why would anyone want to change that into a run down pool hall (not that he would be able to).”

From here I’m not sure what will happen.  There has not been any visible activity at the site, and all efforts to contact the owner have been to no avail.  It will come down to……is the owner telling the truth?  Can the area support an upscale Billiard Parlor?  If so, what other venues will be attracted to the First Block?  If not, can the City enforcing its own restrictions on the exception they approved?