Safety Concerns

The matter of safety is first and foremost. Fortunately, the well-crafted and divisive strategy set in motion by Laramar Corporation's legal and public relations team, where the issue is supposedly "homeowners against renters" has only been subscribed to by The St. Pete Times. [See the article reprinted under History]

The truth, as we all know, is if someone is in trouble in the water, the issue of whether or not they are a homeowner doesn't cross anyone's mind in deciding whether to rescue them or not.

Safety is nonnegotiable

Click on the image above to open an interactive Google Map.

Constructing a Marina that juts out into the heart of Smack's Bayou recreational area that forces boaters towing skiers and kids in inner tubes into the No Wake Zone in order to turn around is unconscionable.

The Laramar Corporation wants to build a Marina to increase the value of their property. The equity increase from just the approval is worth enough to them to invest as heavily as they have in putting a team of lawyers, engineers, public relations experts and lobbyists together to drive this through.

They are within their rights to increase their shareholder value by crowning their property with a Marina. But, we as homeowners and renters, residents and non-residents alike have to impress upon the decision makers the consequences of Laramar's Marina. There are environmental issues as well as issues of precedence and tradition. However, they all pale in light of the one non-negotiable issue of safety.

It is assumed that we will accept this as a fait accompli, an inevitable progressive step forward that just so happens, puts lives at risk. Why you ask? For profit, pure and simple. Who profits? Laramar. Who pays? You, maybe. Your kids, maybe. Your neighbor's kids. Anyone's kids. No matter who or what, it's unacceptable and unimaginable that it's even gotten this far. Yet, with enough spin, the real issues could get buried and we will be expected to trade off our safety for their profit.

Click on the Google Map for an interactive tour of Smack's Bayou. Scroll around, zoom in and out, click on a colored areas so you can fully appreciate the impact that this unprecedented Marina will have on boats towing skiers and kid's in inner tubes who will no longer have a safe area in which to turn around.