Florida Coastal Real Estate - Seaside Views

(source)A tropical storm warning has been issued for Flagler Beach. Areas north to Fernandina Beach remain under a tropical storm watch.

Now is a good time to bring in any loose items from around your property. Gusty winds should set in Tuesday along with heavy rain surging northward. The heaviest rain will be in eastern sections of north Florida where 4-6 inches are likely. Some spots may get more over the next few days. Flooding of roads over the next few days will be a problem. Water may rise in poor drainage areas. Isolated tornadoes will be possible Wednesday within Fay’s rainbands.

There are two reasons why you are finding this warning reposted here:

1. It’s important information for anyone who lives on Florida’s First Coast as well as anyone who is planning a visit to the area needs to be aware of the risk.
2. It’s a great opportunity to mention that the properties developed by Cranewoods are built with the weather risks taken into consideration; the buildings will hold up structurally and the windows are made to withstand hurricane force wind.

There’s no telling how bad the storm will be until it hits, but, again, it’s good to be as prepared as possible.

Part of what makes Jacksonville homes so appealing is the St. Johns River that flows through the heart of the community. It’s not just a matter of people wanting to preserve the river for the sake of going out in a bot or spending the day fishing. It’s not about the beauty of the river - not exclusively at least. There’s a lot that the St. Johns River has to offer:

(source)The owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team Thursday beefed up efforts to block Central Florida from tapping the St. Johns River for water.

Team owners Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver announced they will give as much as $150,000 to the St. Johns Riverkeeper, an environmental group that has stirred mounting public opposition and filed legal actions to prevent Central Florida from using the river as a major supply of water.

“I look upon the St. Johns as being the heart and soul of our Jacksonville community,” said Delores Barr Weaver, speaking at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium along the St. Johns River. “We will not stand by and be silent.”

The St. Johns River is central to Jacksonville - both those who are looking into the conservation of the river, those who call Jacksonville home and those who have ties to the community; preserving it is important. By making an effort to look at the environmental concerns as well as the community in general - you’ll find that, whichever side of the debate you come in on - you’ll find that it’s easy to know what drew you to Jacksonville in the first place.

For those who are living in St. Augustine, there’s an appreciation for the natural beauty of the world that isn’t always easy to explain.

Still, the natural environment - along with protecting it - is something that’s essential (it’s something that even developers in the area strive to maintain). That’s why it’s important to know about and plan for events like tomorrow’s St. Augustine hazardous waste disposal:

(source)St. Johns County will host a community collection day Saturday to safely dispose of household hazardous wastes such as paint, oil, batteries, chemicals, old fire extinguishers and propane gas cylinders.

Residents also can drop off tires (no more than 10 per household) and obsolete electronics such as old computers. But no microwaves, large appliances, yard waste, garbage, construction debris or commercial materials will be accepted.

It’s free from 8 a.m. to noon at St. Augustine Beach City Hall, 2200 S. Florida A1A.

Together, we can all do our part to ensure that the environment that we value and respect so much - whether from the land, on the water, or even from the heights of the lighthouse and museum - stays preserved for years to come.

In Ponce Inlet, developers build with an eye on protecting endangered tortoise by relocating them rather than settling for paying a fee up front that would allow them to merely bury them in the foundation.

Those who are equally concerned with the environment in St. Augustine, there’s a possibility of seeing another endangered species - the Right Whale - as a whale along with her calf were recently seen just outside of the St. Augustine Harbor:

(source)While sailing, we noticed many boaters cruising into the harbor at high speeds - speeds that could’ve hurt the whales had any boaters actually ran into them.

Boaters beware! Please call the whale hotline at 1-888-97-WHALE if you see a whale. [It’s the hotline for the Marine Resources Council, which tracks whale sightings across Florida.]

Because there are so few of these whales in the world - at this time, only 55 breeding females are documented - it’s important for First Coast boaters to be aware that they are around. Using caution is just one more way to protect the environment that sets Florida’s First Coast apart.

Those who love the outdoors are often drawn to Florida beaches. Many others are drawn to other environmental aspects of Florida - and one great way of enjoying the Florida environment is to take advantage of all of the opportunities that the area offers to bird watchers.

Sites like the:

Weedon Island Preserve in Pinellas County, Florida has hiking and canoe trails, a fishing pier, kayak rentals, and an observation tower with over a mile of boardwalks through mangrove swamps. (Courtesy of FWC)

offer residents and tourists alike the chance to really take in their environment - whether on foot, by bike or by paddling through the area and just taking it all in.

Projects by Cranewoods Development take the Florida environment into consideration, building in beautiful areas - and providing ways for property owners to enjoy the natural landscape in a way that preserves nature - using turtle safe windows, for example.

As a result, those who choose to live in northeastern Florida are able to make a choice - a choice that allows them to have a home that appeals to their needs as a homeowner and as someone who cares about the environment.

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Florida Coastal Real Estate - Seaside Views

Jacksonville, Florida  The latest oceanfront residential project by Cranewoods Development, The Cottages at Ponce Inlet, took more work than usual to create. For the past three years, the town of Ponce Inlet has been working to control future development in this conservative and sophisticated area south of Daytona Beach. 
 
There has been significant pressure on the Council to control real estate development in the area.  The town council was only approving projects that would be sympathetic to historical preservation and sympathetic to the town’s vision. (more…)

PONCE INLET, Fla. — Gopher tortoises in Florida may soon have their status changed to threatened, which would give them more protection. 

But they are still in decline, falling to developers who can get a permit and destroy them. However, a new procedure gives developers new incentives to save the tortoises, WESH 2 News reported.

“Too often, gopher tortoises in this state are actually buried alive,” said Jen Hobgood of the U.S. Humane Society. “They are entombed and they died a slow and inhumane death.”

The developer who will put the cottages of Ponce Inlet on the site has hired a team to excavate the 17 gophers who live deep in the sand in long, narrow burrows. It is expensive and intricate work, but the payoff is that the tortoises will live. (more…)

WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States and volunteers from local animal rescue groups are removing gopher tortoises at the HCM Construction/Cranewoods Development site at the Cottages at Ponce Inlet in Florida. The tortoises will be relocated to a permanent home at Nokuse Plantation in Walton County. (more…)