City circulates Holidays lighting guidelines to preserve historic character

Melissa Whissel, the city's communications director, presented a one-page handout with guidelines for Nights of Lights to remind downtown property owners and businesses about permitted lighting and to preserve the historic and architectural character of the district.

Whissel said the plan is to distribute the handout to the Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism and Hospitality Council, the St. Augustine Business Coalition, and code-enforcement teams, and to push the guidance via a city news release and social media. Commissioners asked that staff get the information out before businesses purchase displays that might not comply with code; staff said they would push the packet out the same week.