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Commissioners consider tighter rules for long temporary tents on vacant downtown lots after public comment
Summary
After public comment from a Main Street tenant operator who has used a tent on a vacant Main Street lot, commissioners asked staff to clarify temporary use rules and to propose different time limits for tents on developed versus undeveloped lots; staff said current code is ambiguous and changes would require a formal code amendment
The Safety Harbor commission spent substantial time Monday on how the city should regulate temporary uses — particularly tents — after staff said existing rules are ambiguous and members of the public asked for clarity.
Staff described three temporary‑use permit types in current code: one‑day permits, recurring short permits (two days per week) up to six months, and 90‑day consecutive permits; tents are currently administratively limited to 60 days. Commissioners heard public comment from a Main Street tenant who has maintained a tent on a vacant Main Street lot and asked for more time while he prepares to move into a permanent space. The speaker said the tent had activated an underused block and drawn positive community response.
“I've given away so many things that every child that walked through that door I gave a doll to or a prize,” the tenant said, summarizing the community uses he described.
Commissioners repeatedly said the workshop could not change code that evening but asked staff to return with clearer, written distinctions between temporary uses on developed lots (parcels with a building and parking) and undeveloped/vacant lots. Several commissioners supported allowing short‑term tents for events on vacant lots (for example a wedding or festival) but opposed multi‑week or multi‑month tent uses on vacant Main Street parcels that could degrade the downtown character. One commissioner suggested a shorter maximum on vacant parcels (for example 30 days) while preserving existing allowances for developed properties.
Staff noted the code language lacks a clear prohibition of tents on vacant lots and that a formal code amendment — with public hearings and two readings — would be required to implement a permanent change. Staff also said a change would not retroactively allow an operator to remain beyond an expiring permit: the process would take time and would not immediately change the status of any individual site.
What the commission asked staff to do: return with draft code language that differentiates temporary tents on developed versus undeveloped parcels, clarify cumulative limits on temporary permits in a rolling 12‑month calendar, and propose suitable time limits for each category. Commissioners emphasized preserving downtown “class” and protecting adjacent businesses and neighborhoods while allowing short, time‑limited special events on vacant parcels.
The matter drew the most immediate public participation at the workshop; staff asked that the city attorney be consulted in drafting any code amendment and that staff involve affected property owners and community stakeholders in outreach.
