Harbor Bar Deck Plan Gets Torn Apart Before Its Built

A little more than a month ago, the plan to build an outdoor deck on city property adjacent to the Harbor Bar was pushing full steam ahead after receiving unanimous approval from the City Commission on March 18. 

The two parties involved – the city and bar officials – had agreed to an arrangement where the Harbor Bar would build the approximately 1,500-square-foot deck in the shaded area on the east side of the building, located at 840 Main St. 

In exchange for allowing the bar to use the land, free of charge, for an initial period of ten years, the deck would be open for public use during the day before it would become a private patio for bar patrons only after 3:00 p.m. 

But the plan hit a snag a few weeks ago when, during the City Commission meeting on April 1, Commissioner Rick Blake expressed reservations about giving city land to a business owner, especially for that length of time.

“I feel like I definitely missed something at the last meeting as far as the term of this agreement,” Blake said during the Commission Reports portion of the meeting. 

“I don’t think the city should lock themselves into giving up that land for a ten-year period,” he added. “I don’t like the idea of giving up the land for ten years.”

Blake suggested coming up with a new agreement that would change the terms to shorter, renewable periods with a 90-day cancellation notice option for the City. 

The objection led to a motion to reconsider the original agreement, giving city officials time to approach the property owner to find out if they were agreeable to the new terms. 

But in between the meeting on April 1 and the next scheduled commission meeting on April 15, an article was published in the Tampa Bay Times that threw the whole plan into limbo, to the point where now the deck might not get built at all. 

“There were some misconceptions brought up in that article that caused people to look at what we were trying to do in a different light,” general manager John Zemzicki told Patch. 

“They said we were going to throw people off the deck at three o’clock if they weren’t bar patrons, that we were going to have a huge widescreen TV on the deck,” he said. “That was simply not true.”

Zemzicki said the author of the piece called and apologized for misquoting him and printed retractions to the article. 

But the damage was already done.

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At the next commission meeting on April 15, the first hour was spent discussing the issue despite the fact that the matter wasn’t even on the agenda.

“I don’t think it’s on the agenda tonight, but I’m talking about the deck that’s going to be built over here,” resident Dale Tindall said during the Audience to be Heard portion of the meeting.

“I think it’s a very bad idea,” he continued. “Apparently the land belongs to the City of Safety Harbor. This is an issue that once you open up a can of worms, you’re going to have to deal with it.” 

Those comments opened a floodgate of discussion, where everything from the size of the proposed TV set to the possibility of the bar leasing the land from the city was raised. 

For his part, Zemzicki said he understood the concerns that were presented. He is even agreeable to leasing the land despite the fact that it would add to the overall cost of the project, which is already estimated at $25,000. 

He just wants people to be aware of what he is attempting to do with the deck and why. 

“We’re not trying to recreate a sports bar on the deck,” he said. “We want to have a small TV for patrons to check the game scores, acoustic music during a designated time frame, and create a place the entire community can use during the day.”

“The land would look better with a deck there,” he added, saying he will be utilizing the existing tree canopy for cover without adding unsightly umbrellas or a roof. “It’s a drainage property. We want people to use it, to see us as part of the community.”

While Mike Kelly of 8th Avenue Pub spoke out against the deck duriing the April 18 meeting, saying it would cut into public parking, at least one local bar owner is in favor of what Zemzicki is trying to do.

“I am in support of any business that sees an opportunity for growth in Safety Harbor,” Tara McCutcheon of Copperheads Tap House told Patch via email. 

“I can see and empathize with parties who are both for and against the addition,” she added. “However, I think it would be a great benefit to the ambiance of Main St upon entering the downtown area. We are on the cusp of some major growth in this community and I feel strongly that it should be embraced.” 

As of now, the issue is in limbo. City Manager Matt Spoor said he doesn’t believe the item will be on the agenda at the next commission meeting on May 6. 

But Zemzicki remains hopeful the deck will be built.

“There have been concerns raised, but they were addressed even before the commission meeting,” he said. “And I do understand everybody’s concerns.”

“But I want to make sure this deck is associated with the town. We’re trying to be part of the community, not separate ourselves from it.”

Harborites, we want to know your thoughts on the Harbor Bar deck issue. Please share your opinions in the comments below.