Neighbors,

Thank you to everyone who showed up, spoke, listened, emailed, signed the petition, shared information, and continued pushing for answers.

Your involvement made Friday happen.

The City held a publicly noticed briefing on the Discovery School issue at City Hall. The room was full. Six of seven City Council members attended, along with city staff, residents, neighbors, and members of the news media.

First Coast News also covered the issue, highlighting the concerns residents have raised about traffic safety, the approved site plan, current construction, and the need for a clear public process. You can watch the story here. 

Mayor Christine Hoffman noted that, in her 13 years serving in elected office, this was the first meeting of its kind called by a council member. That alone shows how significant this issue has become for our neighborhood.

This meeting happened because residents refused to be ignored.

The purpose of the briefing was to establish a common set of facts, discuss what the City can and cannot do, and identify possible next steps related to Discovery School’s approvals, permits, current construction, traffic, buffering, and neighborhood impacts.

The meeting did not resolve everything, but it did move the conversation forward.

Several important points came into focus:

• There are still unresolved questions about whether the 2014 conditions of approval carried forward after the 2018 Planning Commission approval.
• There are still serious questions about whether the current site layout matches what the Planning Commission approved.
• The 2018 Planning Commission record shows that 1582 Shetter Avenue was not owned by the school at the time and was discussed as a possible future acquisition, not as part of the approved campus.
• The 2018 record also states that any modifications or changes to the approved site plan would require Planning Commission approval.
• Residents continue to have concerns about crossing guards, traffic management, buffering, privacy, emergency access, and the impact of continued development on surrounding homes.
• City Council members acknowledged that the City needs to review its Land Development Code and internal processes to prevent similar issues in the future.

This is no longer just about one school, one field, or one neighborhood. This is about how development decisions are reviewed, communicated, and enforced when they directly affect residential neighborhoods.

At the meeting, residents were clear: we are not asking the City to shut down a school. We are asking for the process to be followed, the record to be clarified, and the neighborhood impacts to be addressed.

Our position moving forward is straightforward:

• Identify the governing approvals, site plan, conditions, and variance records that authorize the current work.
• Require Planning Commission review for any material site plan or condition changes.
  Enforce existing conditions related to traffic, crossing guards, buffering, privacy, and site configuration.
• Require immediate safeguards while disputed work continues, including traffic control, crossing guards, buffering, privacy protections, and clear communication with impacted residents.
• Establish a clear path forward with the City, the school, and impacted residents at the table.

Council members indicated that next steps may include further review of the Land Development Code, discussion with Discovery School representatives, review of traffic and safety options, and continued work to identify practical solutions for buffering, crossing guards, sidewalks, signage, and communication.

It is progress, but progress only matters if it leads to action. 

We will continue documenting concerns, requesting records, engaging with Council, and pushing for a fair, transparent, and accountable resolution. We will also continue asking Discovery School to come to the table in good faith and work with the neighborhood on immediate safety and quality-of-life concerns.

Friday was not the end of this effort. It was only the beginning. 

It was a reminder that organized, respectful community advocacy works.

Thank you for standing up for public safety, process, transparency, and our neighborhood.

Our neighborhood matters. Our safety matters. Our voices matter. 

Respectfully,
Donnie Brzuska