news Yacht Club Safe for Now
In an Epic Meeting, Gulfport Council Reverses BCYC Eviction By Ryan McGahan
The April 6 Gulfport City Council meeting featured a packed house at the Catherine Hickman Theater, as more than 100 people came following news of a recent eviction notice the city, at council’s direction, sent to the Boca Ciega Yacht Club from the building they’ve occupied for over 50 years. The city did not enforce social distancing as people sat wherever they could fit for the staggering four-and-a-half-hour affair. The majority of the meeting involved discussing, arguing – and occasionally shouting about– the city’s potential redevelopment of the Gulfport Marina and surrounding city-owned land into a more publicly accessible area, and the future of the BCYC. By the end of the meeting, the city agreed to rescind BCYC’s 90-day eviction notice and return to their current month-tomonth lease agreement until further meetings and discussions can be had about the Marina. Boca Ciega Yacht Club Evicted, Then Saved While other topics were discussed during the meeting, none were
as dominant as the debate raged owned land surrounding the Gulfover the future of the Boca Ciega port Marina into a public park by Yacht Club and the Gulfport Marina replacing the existing BCYC and at large. After hours of tense deLions Club buildings with a single, bate, discussion, and the occasionlarger, multi-use facility that these al shout and boo, council agreed and other organizations could lease to allow Boca Ciega Yacht Club to as needed, along with extra parking, stay temporarily at a living shoreline, their current build- “A lot of the people in this public bathrooms, ing, but will return an open event city – the vast majority and in later meetings area – instead of to discuss making of the people in this city reserving the land the land around it – have never gotten to for the use of the more publicly ac- go out on that little point two groups only. cessible. city expects and see where the blue The At the March 16 money for the recity council meet- herons nest.” development to ing, council aucome from the $5 thorized sending a 90-day eviction million federal dollars granted to notice to Boca Ciega Yacht Club, not the city as part of the 2021 Amerias part of a stated agenda item with can Rescue Plan Act, the COVID-19 room for public comment, but as a stimulus bill that passed last month. casually worded proposal in May Members of the public, for more or Sam Henderson’s closing comthan two hours in total, took the ments. After receiving the notice, stand to speak on the plan, most of BCYC members, defenders and opthem defending the club’s imporponents filled the Catherine Hicktance to the community. man Theater Tuesday night to make “Tonight I’m going to be lying their voices heard before council. awake: What could I have done? The city’s plan, taken from a 2016 What could I have said? … How meeting, and still in its conceptumany people have been hurt? How al stages, is to redevelop the citymuch division and anger exists now
Gulfport Little League Upcoming Games T-Ball: me r kids so Show out and make suppor
LITTLE ES GAM LEAGUEthis year. a habit
Let's get back to the simple things, like a hot dog and soda at a Little League game.
4
4/17 10 a.m. Egan Park 9101 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach 4/17 11 a.m. Egan Park 9101 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach
Player Pitch:
4/17 10 a.m. Helen Howarth Park 6301 94th Ave. N. Pinellas Park
Junior Little League: 4/17 10 a.m., Hoyt Field 2306 56th St. S., Gulfport
DC STRONG
Home & Condo Maintenance Interior & Exterior Experienced in all work A through Z Call Dennis Strong 727-301-4530 Licensed & Insured
theGabber.com | April 15, 2021 - April 21, 2021
