SEBASTIAN — A meeting between Sebastian city staff and stakeholders in the Working Waterfront project are going well, according to City Manager Al Minner, who said everyone is working together to reach a resolution on various concerns.
“On some of the issues, we’re obviously very close,” Minner said of the discussion he and staff had with Fisherman’s Landing Sebastian’s representatives and tenants.
Issues arose when a tiki bar opened on the deck, live entertainment began to be held nightly and the eatery expanded its role beyond what had been originally planned as “limited” food service.
Minner said that one of the concerns, too, was that the seafood the restaurant offered meet “substantially” Florida seafood standards.
City staff was directed last week to meet with representatives from the non-profit Fisherman’s Landing Sebastian to address a memo from Florida Communities Trust – the state organization that is overseeing the redevelopment and establishment of the city’s working waterfront project.
According to the memo, the project is not in compliance with the management plan. The state put the city on notice that it had 30 days to work out a plan to bring the project back into compliance.
“Everyone’s working together,” Minner said of the involved parties, stopping short of saying that everyone is on the same page in terms of what is and is not allowed at the former Hurricane Harbor.
Minner added that the parties are now working to agreements on paper to bring to the Sebastian City Council by the next meeting, Oct. 12.
And, despite comments to the contrary circulating around the city, the city has not shut down the restaurant inside Fisherman’s Landing.
“Nobody’s threatening lawsuits,” Minner said. “No one’s threatened to walk out.”
Attempts to reach Fisherman’s Landing Sebastian’s attorney Rich Stringer for comment about Wednesday’s meeting were not successful.
