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Treasure Island looking for ways to preserve beach events

 
The city is hoping to save Sanding Ovations, which it uses to promote Treasure Island as the sand sculpture capital of Florida.
The city is hoping to save Sanding Ovations, which it uses to promote Treasure Island as the sand sculpture capital of Florida.
Published March 25, 2015

TREASURE ISLAND — City officials are hoping to get some wiggle room to negotiate around a court ruling that has effectively halted beach festivals.

Otherwise, all beach events, including the city's signature Sanding Ovations, a beach sculpture event in November, will be canceled.

Its four scheduled beach events this year have been pared down to two — the Fourth of July fireworks and Sanding Ovations — in light of a judge's recent ruling limiting vehicle traffic and parking on the beachfront.

Bands on the Sands on Memorial Day weekend probably will be eliminated.

"Time is running out for us to get a permit," City Manager Reid Silverboard said.

There is still the possibility that the event could be moved to Treasure Island Park or the city's community center. A festival in May to celebrate the city's anniversary already has been moved to Treasure Island Park.

The judge's ruling in a case brought by three hotel owners says that only vehicles needed for cleanup, public safety or repair work are allowed on the beach.

But the city has appealed the decision, which has stayed the ruling. Silverboard said the city attorney is contacting the plaintiffs to see if they would object to the city's plans to hold the two events with vehicles or whether they would file a motion in court to lift the stay.

Arthur Czyszcson, general manager of the Page Terrace Beachfront Motel and one of the plaintiffs, said a decision on whether to pursue further legal action hasn't been made yet.

"Whether or not we will challenge the stay in court is a decision we will make in conjunction with our attorney once we learn all the facts from the city regarding the planned events for 2015, specifically whether and how the city will comply with the law and how it pertains to vehicle traffic on the beach," he said. "The city often says one thing and does another."

City officials are hoping they won't have to cancel Sanding Ovations, which it uses to promote Treasure Island as the sand sculpture capital of Florida.

"Doing away with Sanding Ovations would be a big issue," Silverboard said. "Without trucks we don't know how we will get the sand, 160 to 200 tons, to the beach and then piled up."

In the past, the city used dump trucks and heavy equipment to move the sand into different piles for the sculptures and then level and distribute the sand after the event.

"We are hoping the judge's order is overruled or we can go to trial to get the facts out," Silverboard said.