Beach Walk Benefit Walk This Weekend

The 2nd annual Beach Walk will be Saturday January 22, 2011. Sponsored by Chapel-by-the-Sea and RCS Food Bank, the Beach Walk raises funds and food to RCS Food Bank in Clearwater. Registration for Beach Walk open sat 7:30 a.m. at the Palm Pavilion on Clearwater Beach and the Beach Walk starts at 8:30 a.m, followed by a pancake breakfast. A raffle will be held following the Beach Walk with proceeds going to the RCS Food Bank.

The 2 mile course will go along the beach, turning at the Hyatt and returning along the beach walk and Mandalay ending at Chapel-by-the Sea, with entertainment provided throughout. Participants receive a Beach Walk T-shirt ind items from local merchants. Registration is $12 for adults and $9 for children 6 to 18, breakfast is $.

Participants and supporters are encouraged to bring nonperishable food donations to the Beach Walk. For registration call Shari Maxwell at 446-0430.

Clearwater Super Boat Race Course Modified

The Clearwater Super Boat National Championship Festival Race is returning next weekend after a successful event last year.

As Super Boats equipped with F-16 jet canopies race just off the shore of Clearwater Beach while reaching extreme speeds of up to 200 mph during the Bright House 2010 Clearwater Super Boat National Championship Festival Race Sunday, October 3rd, the throngs of fans watching the spectacle of “NASCAR on water” will get a better view thanks to the improved sightline of a new race course. The new race course modifies last year’s course, and will not extend down to North Clearwater Beach, but will instead extend just beyond Pier 60. North Clearwater Beach will be omitted because sightlines of the race are not as good. The new race course will also give racing boats more room to get in and out of the racing area.

While the race is free, VIP race viewing at the Hyatt Regency or the Hilton Clearwater Beach are available for purchase through the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce for $100. VIP Race Experience pass holders will be treated to a variety of VIP race experience activities as well, including VIP parties. All proceeds from the event benefit three local charities, The Clearwater Community Sailing Center, Sailability and the Make a Difference Fishing Tournament.

The race will be followed by an awards ceremony in Coachman Park where the National Champions will be announced.

Race course diagram and viewing area coordinates for boaters are available online at www.clearwatersuperboat.com

Beach Parking Garage Gets City Council Approval

On February 18th Clearwater City Council approved an agreement with L.O.M. Inc. to build a parking garage on Coronado Drive, next to the new Hyatt Regency Resort. The 300 spaces will replace the ones that were lost to the BeachWalk project. The site is currently occupied by Britt’s Laguna Grill and Surf Style, who will occupy the ground level of the new facility. Construction is expected to start by the end of September.

Outback Bowl Clearwater Beach Day

The Outback Bowl Clearwater Beach Day is December 30th. Join the teams, their marching bands and cheerleaders as they enjoy the sun and beaches at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort next to Pier 60. The Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce, City of Clearwater, the Hilton, Suncoast Hospice Foundation, 95.7 the Beat and 93.3FLZ Radio sponsor this fun day which includes live music, skydivers, a tug-of-war and other contests from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Rough Surf May Change Ironman Course

High surf and possible rip currents in the Gulf have closed parts of Clearwater Beach.

Yesterday, buoys were supposed to be placed for the swim portion of the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 but dangerous waters did not allow for it. The Ironman staff is meeting this morning to determine whether the swim should be moved from the Gulf of Mexico to the Intracoastal.

Ironman Schedule and Traffic Pattern

The Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championship is Saturday, with 1800 competitors traversing Clearwater, Largo, Safety Harbor and East Lake.

The race will begin and end at Pier 60, beginning at 6:45 am and lasting about 7.5 hours. There will be a 1.2 mile swim on Clearwater Beach followed by a 56 mile bike course on the Memorial Causeway Bridge, Drew St, Countryside Blvd, McMullen-Booth Rd, East Lake Rd, Bayside Bridge, Roosevelt Blvd, Belcher Rd and Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. It will be capped off with a 13.1 mile run through Clearwater Beach, downtown Clearwater, and Harbor Oaks.

The swim can be watched from Pier 60, and the bike and run can be best veiwed from the courthouse and the causeway. Parking in downtown Clearwater is recommended, there will be shuttles available for spectators.

Police will be present to help drivers at traffic signals along the route. At intersections without signals, bikes have the right of way on the course.

Starting 3 a.m. Saturday, drivers won't be permitted south of the Clearwater Beach roundabout. People needing access to and from the south Clearwater Beach will need to use the Belleair Causeway. There will also be delays at the following intersections, most will be blocked during the race.

• Coronado Dr at the roundabout, 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• MLK Jr. Ave and Court St, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Drew St and Keene Rd, 7:15 to 9:30 a.m.

• Drew St and Belcher Rd, 7:15 to 10 a.m.

• Countryside Blvd and SR 580, 7:15 to 9:45 a.m.

• McMullen-Booth and Curlew roads, 7:30 to 11:15 a.m.

• McMullen-Booth and Keystone roads, 8 to 11 a.m.

• McMullen-Booth and Enterprise roads, 8:15 to 11:30 a.m.

• McMullen-Booth Rd and Drew St, 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.

• McMullen-Booth Rd and Roosevelt Blvd, 8:30 a.m. to noon.

• East Bay Dr and Belcher Rd, 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

• Belcher and Belleair roads, 8:45 to 12:15 p.m.

• Belcher Rd and Gulf-to-Bay Blvd, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Gulf-to-Bay Blvd to Clearwater Beach, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Medians along East Lake Rd between Tampa Rd and Trinity Blvd will be closed.

Sand Key Jetty Will Get Warning Lights

City Council has decided to put navigational warning lights on the Clearwater Pass jetty, by installing a series of yellow flashing lights on the jetty to warn boaters to steer clear.

The rock jetty was built in 1975 to prevent beach erosion and extends hundreds of feet into the gulf from Sand Key Park and stands about 7 feet above the water. Boaters are supposed to stay in the marked channel north of the jetty, which has its lights but the jetty has been the scene of several boat crashes. The channel between Sand Key and Clearwater Beach is narrow and heavily traveled. Despite being well lit inexperience, bad weather, or carelessness can cause boaters to strike the jetty in the dark.

Another boating hazard will also be removed. There is an 85,000-pound block of concrete submerged in Clearwater Harbor off the Seminole Boat Ramp, the remains of the base of a turnstile that was in the middle of the Seminole Bridge, built in 1917. Concrete can still be seen at very low tides and has been struck several times by vessels.

Governor Charlie Crist recently asked the U.S. Coast Guard to install lights on the Bayboro jetty in St Petersburg after a fatal accident on October 2nd where a boat struck the jetty.

Beach Walk Family Festival Scheduled For October

The first Family Fun Festival is planned for October 24 and 25, 2009. Beach Walk will offer arts,crafts, toys and novelties for sale along with entertainment, games, celebrity visits, food and refreshments.

The Family Fun Fest will benefit Tampa Bay Harvest, who's mission is to end hunger in our community by moving good food from super markets, restaurants and other sources to places where hungry people are being fed. Shelters, food pantries and other services are the recipients of the food.

The Clearwater Beach Association is offering volunteers and planning help. Anyone wishing to volunteer can call Rich Gonzalez at 727-394-1012. Crafters can sign up at http://www.familyfunfest.net/

Clearwater Beach Post Office May Close

We could lose the Clearwater Beach post office as early as October. It is on the list of thousands of post offices around the country that may close.

Other Pinellas locations on the list are Countryside, Cleveland St, St Pete Beach and Pass a Grille. The full list is here.

Finally, A Deal For Beach Parking Garage

Clearwater Beach has finally struck a deal to build a city parking garage. City council voted unanimously on a 300 space 4 level garage atop ground floor retail space. Vehicles will enter and exit the garage from Coronado Drive.

The site is currently the home of Britt's Laguna Grill, a popular restaurant on the Beachwalk promenade. A new Britt's will be located on the ground floor. Surf Style Retail Management, who owns the site will pay to build the garage itself, with no city tax dollars. It has not yet been determined what the city will charge for parking, but it will likely be similar the agreement the city has with the Hyatt, which will have 400 parking places for the public in its 750-space garage - rates must be "comparable" to the garages of other beachfront resorts.

The Beachwalk project, which was completed last year, eliminated hundreds of waterfront parking spaces on S. Gulfview Blvd, and the city has been scrambling ever since to come up with replacements. The city is currently leasing 2 vacant lots for parking.

The project is expected to to be complete by next fall.

Sand Key, Island Estates, and Clearwater Beach Residents Seek Independence

The Islands Independence Initiative, a group of residents from Sand Key, Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates are looking into whether the 3 island communities can secede from Clearwater and start their own city. They will present their case tonight at the Island Estates Civic Association meeting. The idea is in its early stages, and they don't know how exactly the de-annexing would work. The will be exploring the legal and practical issues for the next 90 days.

They say they are dissatisfied with the service they're getting from Clearwater and have hired an attorney to represent them. Officials say they're doing their best to serve the barrier islands as well as the rest of the city and are disappointed by the initiative. They site Clearwater Beach's library, marina, BeachWalk, and the Sailing Center on Sand Key, among other benefits to the island communities.

The group decided to explore alternatives after many disappointments with the city. Among them -

• a lack of a beach parking garage while the city builds boat slips downtown;
• a refusal to use Penny for Pinellas money to underground utilities on Island Estates;
• unenforced short-term rental rules on North Clearwater Beach;
• the approval of the Cabana Club project on Sand Key;
• allowing a developer to seek a rezoning for the Shoppes at Sand Key.

Clearwater officials say it would be difficult or impossible to accomplish a secession. All Clearwater taxpayers — not just the island taxpayers who pay 40% of the taxes — own much of the public buildings and infrastructure along the beaches. And, the new city would need to assume its share of Clearwater debt. It would be extremely complicated, and expensive.

Aquarium Announces Wedding Contest Winners

On Tuesday the Clearwater Marine Aquarium announced the winners of its "Wedding of a Lifetime" contest. The winners however, didn't know they were even in the contest - they had been entered by friends. Kevin Freeland and Samantha Stahl were among 77 entries in the contest to win a Valentine's Day wedding at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Island Estates.

They found out Tuesday afternoon at the Clearwater Police Department, where Stahl is a dispatcher. Freeland attended thinking Stahl was going to win a work-related award. Stahl showed up thinking she had an employee evaluation.

David Yates, the aquarium's CEO, was there to give them the happy news. The bride and groom can invite 100 guests to the ceremony at the aquarium on Valentine's Day. The Sheraton Sand Key is providing the reception hall and honeymoon night at the hotel. Publix will donate a wedding cake, and clothing, wine, and flowers will be donated by other local businesses.

Stahl and Freeland met on Match.com about 5 years ago. Freeland has suffered severe health problems, being diagnosed with oral cancer in 2001 with 2 relapses. He is now 6 months out of treatment and in remission. They were engaged in August and planned to marry in October 2009. The prize was a welcome relief to the couple. Due to financial setbacks they had considered eloping instead of having a large ceremony with friends and family.

Cabana Club Hearing Rescheduled

A hearing concerning the building of the Cabana Club on Sand Key scheduled for December 15 was postponed and will now take place in January. Save Our Neighborhood (SON), a community action group formed to fight the building of the new Cabana Club, appealed a decision of the Clearwater Planning Department to allow building code derivations that would permit construction of the $25-million Cabana Club as a proposed 38-room high-end hotel resort at 1590 Gulf Boulevard which would be operated in conjunction with the Belleair Biltmore Hotel scheduled for a $125 million upgrade.

SON gained the support of The Clearwater Beach Association (CBA) and the Sand Key Civic Association (SKCA) and received donations from the groups for its legal battle against Legg Mason, owners of the Belleview Biltmore. SON representatives and Sand Key residents oppose the project because they feel it is not in keeping with the residential character of the neighborhood and would diminish the views of properties adjacent to the site and would create traffic and parking problems.

They oppose the Planning Commission's September 16 approval of code deviations that includes a reduction to the required lot width; a reduction to setbacks; allowance of proposed temporary cabanas and an increase to building height; a reduction to perimeter buffers and a reduction to the width of interior landscape islands. SON has opposed the granting of code variances except for safety or ecological reasons citing a reduction in quality of life and the environment that results from such variances.

Outback Bowl Beach Day

Outback Bowl Beach Day will be held Tuesday, December 30th from 11 - 4, at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort on Mandalay Avenue. This annual event will include live music, skydivers, and contests like tug-of-war. Everyone is invited to join the teams, their marching bands and cheerleaders as they enjoy the sun and beaches at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort. This fun day includes live music, skydivers, a tug-of-war and other contests.

Sand Key Real Estate Transactions September 2008

The following sales closed in September 2008. Data is obtained from the Realtor MLS database

Property Address / Subdivision / Sale Price / # Days On Market
1501 Gulf Blvd #207 / Sand Key Condo South / $280,000 / 34
240 Sand Key Estates Dr #248 / Harborage II / $340,000 / 43
1480 Gulf Blvd #209 / Sand Key Condo / $340,000 / 138
1400 Gulf Blvd #807 / Sand Key Condo South / $375,000 / 90
1480 Gulf Blvd #806 / Sand Key Condo / $380,000 / 86
1290 Gulf Blvd #707 / Lighthouse Towers/ $465,905 / 7
1582 Gulf Blvd #1707/ Cabana Club Condo / $467,000 / 73
1460 Gulf Blvd #1007 / Sand Key Condo South / $530,000 / 21


Average Sales Price $397,125
Average number of days on market 57
Number of properties sold: 8
For more Sand Key Real Estate information & a complimentary market valuation for your Sand Key Condo call PropCo Real Estate 727-585-0800, or visit SandKeyProperty.com

Detour To Clearwater Beach Today

Sandy Key residents who want to go to Clearwater Beach today will have to use the Belleair Causeway and Memeorial Causeway. Access via the Sand Key bridge will be closed for the implosion and television coverage of the Spyglass Hotel.

Citizens Protest Taxes

The Clearwater Beach Property Tax Relief Fund (CB-PTRF), has been formed to protest unfair property tax assessments and explore legal options for residents of north or south Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates who are unhappy property tax assessments, which in many cases far exceeds current market values.

The CB-PTRF is in the process of engaging legal counsel to lead a proactive effort for fair appraisals. Once representation is chosen, a town meeting will be organized. Residents are asked to donate $50 to the CB-PTRF to fund to cover legal and administrative costs. If you want to learn more about how you can support CB-PTRF, please e-mail w2smith@aol.com. You can send contributions to CB-PTRF, 868 Bayway Blvd., Unit #112, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767.

Clearwater Aquarium Open Again

After recent improvements, including an IMAX type movie theater, the aquaruim on Island Estates is open after a 6 week hiatus. Other additions are an expanded gift shop, windows on the dolphin pool, and additional exhibits.

Clearwater Beach Resident Vies For Next Top Chef

A 37 year old Clearwater Beach resident named Spike is one of 16 competitors to compete. The popular Bravo series starts on March 12 and takes place in Chicago.

Short Term Rentals Back On For Clearwater Beach

The Florida Second District Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court ruling allowing residents to operate their homes as short term rentals. The city attempted to enforce a 2003 code banning short term rentals, but the 31 homeowners in the suit claim that they should be allowed to continue because they were renting short term prior to the 2003. The city has not decided whether to appeal, but will enforce the code on other properties. They will be monitoring the use of the 31 properties, and should it change they can lose their "grandfathering".