100 signatures reached
To: Hillsborough County Board of County Commissions
OPPOSE the shut down of Pine Key aka Beer Can Island Tampa Bay
Our mission is to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans and STOP the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners micro managing how Beer Can Island's owners use their property or, at worst, outright take the property. The government has no right to impose its will upon private property owners because they want the property for themself.
Why is this important?
Allowing Pine Key to be zoned (IR) "island recreation" or a similar designation will allow the island to continue to be used as it has been for the past 5+ years. The current owners have staff on the island to keep everyone safe and keep the island clean. If the island does not get the appropriate zoning, the entire island will be shut down with no access to the public.
Turning this island into a privately owned nature preserve that's not allowed to earn money, what happens next? Who pays for the upkeep of the island and who pays the staff to keep people safe and who pays the staff to clean up the island? If the current owners are forced off the property, who's going to protect the island and who's going to fund it?
Is the county going to create an "island patrol" and how much does that cost the taxpayers?
The county made a claim that helicopters could not land on the island, they are wrong, we've done it several times.
Adam Gormly of Hillsborough County also made a claim that we requested to the Tampa Bay Pilots association that the port should change their shipping schedule, to accommodate us, this is also a false statement... And he expressed safety concerns due to ship wakes.
Fact: 99.9% of the ships that pass by the island do not create a hazardous wake, however every now and then there is 1 ship going too fast and does create a hazardous wake... We are only asking that all ships abide by a minimum wake speed as they pass the the island, again 99.9% of those ships already do that. We are only asking for consistency. And by law all vessels are liable for damages caused by their wakes, from a kayak to a cruise ship, this is the law.
In efforts to prevent this beautiful staple to our community from being ripped from us, we're asking for your help by contacting Hillsborough county commissioners and voicing your opinion.
This is our last chance to make them see what we all know and believe this island to be - a place for families to come together and relax on a beautiful island beach right in our backyards. There is nothing like Pine Key Tampa Bay anywhere else in our community.
We are able to take a short boat ride to an ISLAND where we can commune with our friends and family, watch our kids go down the water slide, eat some amazing food and enjoy some food and beverages. This IS a family spot. It's so much more than these commissioners are trying to make it out to be. And safety is something we take very seriously and why we have taken so many precautions and steps to ensure that everyone who steps on our sands are able to enjoy themselves safely.
We have security that stays on the island, we have off duty registered nurses, EMT's, first aide kits and we have space for helicopter landing if need be and have landed helicopters on the island a few times in recent years. We have the steps already in place to help families in our community safely enjoy their weekends on our sands.
The island patrons are much safer with our staff there than they would be without our staff.
Pine Key Tampa Bay has an opportunity to be a hub to Tampa for our boating community to experience an island atmosphere. To get away for the weekend and feel like you're in the Bahamas with your family. We could build this island up to be something truly special in our community if only the county would take a moment to hear our voices, see what actually goes on at the island, and LISTEN to the families who come out weekend after weekend!
"Thank you ahead of time to everyone who signs our petition to help save this beautiful piece of our community"
Turning this island into a privately owned nature preserve that's not allowed to earn money, what happens next? Who pays for the upkeep of the island and who pays the staff to keep people safe and who pays the staff to clean up the island? If the current owners are forced off the property, who's going to protect the island and who's going to fund it?
Is the county going to create an "island patrol" and how much does that cost the taxpayers?
The county made a claim that helicopters could not land on the island, they are wrong, we've done it several times.
Adam Gormly of Hillsborough County also made a claim that we requested to the Tampa Bay Pilots association that the port should change their shipping schedule, to accommodate us, this is also a false statement... And he expressed safety concerns due to ship wakes.
Fact: 99.9% of the ships that pass by the island do not create a hazardous wake, however every now and then there is 1 ship going too fast and does create a hazardous wake... We are only asking that all ships abide by a minimum wake speed as they pass the the island, again 99.9% of those ships already do that. We are only asking for consistency. And by law all vessels are liable for damages caused by their wakes, from a kayak to a cruise ship, this is the law.
In efforts to prevent this beautiful staple to our community from being ripped from us, we're asking for your help by contacting Hillsborough county commissioners and voicing your opinion.
This is our last chance to make them see what we all know and believe this island to be - a place for families to come together and relax on a beautiful island beach right in our backyards. There is nothing like Pine Key Tampa Bay anywhere else in our community.
We are able to take a short boat ride to an ISLAND where we can commune with our friends and family, watch our kids go down the water slide, eat some amazing food and enjoy some food and beverages. This IS a family spot. It's so much more than these commissioners are trying to make it out to be. And safety is something we take very seriously and why we have taken so many precautions and steps to ensure that everyone who steps on our sands are able to enjoy themselves safely.
We have security that stays on the island, we have off duty registered nurses, EMT's, first aide kits and we have space for helicopter landing if need be and have landed helicopters on the island a few times in recent years. We have the steps already in place to help families in our community safely enjoy their weekends on our sands.
The island patrons are much safer with our staff there than they would be without our staff.
Pine Key Tampa Bay has an opportunity to be a hub to Tampa for our boating community to experience an island atmosphere. To get away for the weekend and feel like you're in the Bahamas with your family. We could build this island up to be something truly special in our community if only the county would take a moment to hear our voices, see what actually goes on at the island, and LISTEN to the families who come out weekend after weekend!
"Thank you ahead of time to everyone who signs our petition to help save this beautiful piece of our community"