Reader Spotlight: "Safety Harbor Has Done Well to Develop Slowly"

The story we ran about Mayor Ayoub suggesting the city sell the Messenger property, a 10-acre parcel located behind Harborside Christian Church, drew a variety of responses.

Many readers said the city should hold on to the land and leave it as green space, others said they would like to see something developed on the spot that had originally been planned to hold sports fields.

Reader Fritz Kirsch made this comment as to how the city should handle this issue:

Safety Harbor has done well to develop slowly. Now it's called charm. Before considering selling off what is considered unnecessary property, considerable study and calculation is necessary. Quick money fixes seldom lead to intelligent decisions. Later park development may be the very thing to improve nearby property values.

What do you think, Harborites? Should the city hold on to the property and try to develop it or sell it off and use the money for other parkland? Let us know in the comments below.