Q: What is the final update on the County Dock property?
A: Jeff Edwards, who led the neighborhood committee that worked with the applicant for the rezoning, confirmed on Jan. 6 that the property was indeed sold in December to an individual for personal use and as such, the rezoning application for this property was withdrawn. Edwards has confirmed that the purchasers intend to build only a single family house on the property for a family member and use the balance of the land as an “old Mandarin farm.” Apparently, the purchasers have a 50-year history in Mandarin and are interested in being good neighbors. They plan to use the property in a manner consistent with what the community hoped for, including not removing live oaks and improving the drainage of the property with affected neighbors.
Q: Is there news on the old K-Mart property on San Jose Boulevard?
A: I spoke with a representative of Ashe Properties in mid-January and learned that Home Depot has signed a lease on this property. That’s all I know at this point, but will definitely keep everyone updated as I learn more.
Q: What is the procedure now for exception requests that pertain to businesses serving alcohol?
A: All exceptions such as this now go exclusively through City Council and not the Planning Commission. For instance, there are a couple of requests by restaurants in the Mandarin Landing Shopping Center, Enza’s and the new Another Broken Egg, to allow serving of alcohol immediately outside their premises. [As of interview date of Jan. 17] I fully expect these to be approved at the City Council meeting on Jan. 24.
Q: Do you have any Town Hall meetings scheduled?
A: Yes, we plan to have one on Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Mandarin Senior Center, 3848 Hartley Road. This one will concentrate on proceeding with my effort to develop a Mandarin preservation/beautification initiative in the style of the San Marco Preservation Society. I have had positive conversations with the Mandarin Community Club about them potentially taking a leadership role in this new organization. If anyone is interested in learning more about this or volunteering with the group, this would be a good Town Hall to attend.
Q: Do you have anything else to share with District 6?
A: A new permanent bathroom structure will be constructed in summer 2024 in the parking area of the Julington – Durbin Creek Preserve. The parking area will soon be narrowed down to one lane to accommodate underground utility construction for this facility. This underground work is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. Visitors to this beautiful park are asked to drive slowly, share the road with pedestrians and bicycles, and follow instructions from construction crews onsite.
Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you?
A: Community members can email me at MBoylan@coj.net or call (904) 255-5206.
