Resident 'Disturbed' About Marina Basin

By MARK HOLAN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Feb 2, 2008

BEACH PARK - Ralph and Betty Hughes moved into their new home on Sandpiper Road in March.

There are water views from the front and back of the 8,800-square-foot house, which was built on two lots near the west end of Azeele Street.

A few weeks after moving into the $3 million house, Ralph Hughes said he was startled to see two rusty barges and a couple of old tugboats tied up in the marina basin across the street.

"They moved in during the night," said Hughes, owner of Cast-Crete Corp. and an influential Republican activist.

He said docking cleats soon were installed on top of the sea wall along Sandpiper. A crew started driving docking piles in the water.

Hughes said he heard talk of the basin becoming a boat repair marina.

"It was very, very disturbing to us," he said.

Other Beach Park residents also say they are concerned about what's happening in the basin, which is owned by Tampa Bay Marina, 205 S. Hoover St.

The 13-acre parcel features a peninsula of land with an office building and parking lot surrounded by a U-shaped marina - the east basin across from Hughes' house and west basin closer to Mariner Street.

The west basin is filled with recreational boats.

Carter McCain, an attorney representing Tampa Bay Marina, said the waterfront has operated as a marina since the 1960s. He said the city allowed the marina to continue as "a legal, non-conforming use" when the property was rezoned in the 1980s to build the four-story office.

McCain said his client plans to rebuild the east basin docks and replace the west basin docks, as well as do dredging. He said they don't intend to do boat repair or build a high-and-dry boat storage.

"It will be a recreational marina," he said.

The work might not begin for six months and could take six months to complete.

The Tampa Port Authority issued a violation for the piling work in August, then issued an after-the-fact permit for the work two months later.

The city's code enforcement office issued an August notice for industrial storage violation, but the city's zoning department wants to take a closer look at the issue.

"It may turn out that they are not in as gross violation as we originally anticipated," code enforcement supervisor Kevin Amos said.

An administrative hearing is set for Feb. 20.

"We don't want to be bad neighbors," McCain said. "We understand looking at marine equipment might not be the prettiest view in the world."

Reporter Mark Holan can be reached at (813) 835-2102 or mholan@tampatrib.com.