Ask Anthony | Arlington business owners frustrated with city laws

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Several business owners in Arlington say they’re concerned about keeping their doors open, while others say they can’t open at all. They reached out to Ask Anthony for help.

They’re frustrated with what they call confusing city requirements tied to the Renew Arlington Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), a long-term revitalization initiative aimed at improving the look and feel of the neighborhood. But some say the program’s strict design rules, and lack of clear communication, could put them out of business.

Patrick Mulloy and his wife started working on their dream back in February, The Lazy Manatee, a laid-back neighborhood spot offering craft beer, wine and food. They leased a former restaurant space and began renovations, hoping to open within months.

But it’s now nearly September, and they’re still not allowed to open.

“They’ve now frozen our funds and aren’t providing us any more funding until they can get a clear picture of when we’re actually going to be able to open the doors,” Mulloy said, referring to the Small Business Administration loan they were depending on.

Their Certificate of Use, the document required to open, has been delayed because the property doesn’t meet CRA design standards. The problem? Mulloy is the tenant. The required changes fall on the landlord.

“I think the way this whole thing was rolled out was a little hot and heavy. There’s no clear answers to be given by inspectors, by city workers, by anyone associated with this,” Mulloy told Anthony Austin.

Mulloy is not alone. Cheryl Kammire, who runs a small consignment shop nearby, said the mounting list of compliance citations left her no choice but to shut her doors for good.

“One day, a city code enforcer came and gave me six citations of things I had to correct within 30 days or I would be fined,” she said.

Kammire removed all her window coverings, as instructed, but said doing so made her feel unsafe. She reported seven thefts before deciding to close.

“I didn’t feel safe in the building with all of the window treatments down,” she said.

Just down the road, longtime business owners John Warren and Randy Miller say they’ve invested thousands of dollars trying to comply, only to get cited again.

“We were one of the first ones on board with it. We did the big improvements, $350,000 out of our pockets, and now we’ve been cited recently for the glass,” Miller explained.

After making what he thought were all the necessary upgrades, Warren was shocked to learn his building still doesn’t meet city standards.

“At first, the garage bay facing Arlington Road, we were going to be OK. Now I get cited. To fix that, I would have to tear the building down and rebuild,” Warren said.

Anthony Austin brought their concerns to Jacksonville City Councilman Ken Amaro, who represents Arlington. He said the CRA manager has been in direct contact with each business owner who’s voiced a concern.

“It’s unfortunate that some perceive that this is a government-led effort when it’s a community-led effort. Government is just implementing it,” Amaro said.

The Renew Arlington CRA was created in 2015, and Amaro says businesses and property owners have had nearly 10 years to comply.

“I know there’s an effort to put the CRA on pause, but that’s not going to happen,” he said. “Because if that occurs, then the decline will continue.”

Amaro added that while the rules were created by the community, he is talking with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office about safety concerns, particularly regarding visibility and window coverage rules.

While the city maintains that the CRA’s rules are part of a long-term revitalization plan, some business owners say they’ve reached a breaking point.

“I’m being the pawn in the situation, and it’s unfortunate,” Mulloy said. “That I have to fall on the arrow, but somebody had to do it.”

Mulloy says he’s still hoping to open The Lazy Manatee. Amaro said he will continue to work with the couple to help make that happen, but emphasized that city rules must be followed.

Business owners say they’re not asking the city to abandon the CRA, just to press pause, clarify the rules, and listen.