If the beach restaurant at the pier and the pier parking lot look crummy, it is because the city has failed to maintain and improve this city property and has not made the pier restaurant operator live up to his eleven year old deal with the city to upgrade the restaurant facility.

Now comes Pete Boinis with his plan to convert the pier property into a huge luxury restaurant. Do we need this?

The beach activist group, the Original Save Our Beach, not only says no, it says there is a better plan. The OSOB states that its "alternative vision" will preserve this part of the beach and the traditional pier restaurant.

Vision

From our discussions with the public, The Original Save Our Beach expresses the public vision of the Historic Pier Restaurant. It is an exciting vision that serves the public. It is a vision that can be embraced by those who love the beach, the ocean and the pier area.

We see the preserving of the Historic Pier Restaurant as desirable and providing these benefits:

Keep Control of this Irreplaceable City Asset for the Public

Preserve the Special and Quaint Quality of the Pier

Have an Old Florida Authentic Small Pier Restaurant

Have a Special Place to Serve the Beach Goer

Preserve the Current Parking Spaces for the Public and the Pier Fishers

Prevent the Traffic Congestion and Problems that Will Result from a Large Restaurant

Use this Pier Restaurant as an Educational Tool

Deerfield Beach Leading the Way in Protecting Quality of Life

Bad Economics if Bounis' Lease Extension and Lease Site Plan Approved.

Keep Control of this Irreplaceable City Asset for the Public

The City has a multi-million dollar asset in the land where the pier restaurant is located and the land where the parking lot is located.It is an irreplaceable asset. The City should control the Pier Restaurant.

As we know, things change. The needs of the public concerning this Pier Restaurant may change over the next 15 years, 30 years and 50 years. For that reason, the city must control this asset. With the City controlling this asset, the City can do what is best for the public rather than have this irreplaceable pier asset tied up by business people with a profit agenda rather than a public interest agenda.

The City can control this asset forever with vision.

Preserve the Special and Quaint Quality of the Pier

The ocean and beach are what makes Deerfield Beach special. Deerfield Beach is a world quality beach.

The Pier is a unique hallmark in the beach area. Even a president has visited the Pier.

The Pier Restaurant is an accessory to the beach and Pier. It is a small restaurant of 1,650 square feet. It has a special and quaint quality. While its special and quaint quality need to be preserved, the restaurant facility certainly can be significantly upgraded (in fact, at the September 17, 2002 City Commission meeting, Connelly was obligated to upgrade the facility within 6 months, which date was therefore March 17, 2003. Connelly did not upgrade the restaurant; the City Manager and City Commission did nothing about this violation).

This Pier Restaurant is being used by actresses Cameron Diaz and Shirley Maclaine for a new movie. This Pier Restaurant needs to be preserved, and can be with vision.

Have an Old Florida Authentic Small Pier Restaurant

Quality of our lives for the present means preserving what is good. We are also stewards in protecting, for our children and future generations, wondrous natural resources like the ocean and beach, and unique historical resources like the Pier and Pier Restaurant.

Deerfield Beach has the opportunity to have an old Florida authentic small Pier Restaurant that will be in keeping with, and be an accessory to, the ocean, beach and pier.

It is an opportunity that is at risk of being lost because the City Manager, developer Mayor and the Commissioners are not listening to the public.

The public has lost much in the beach area in the past few years because the City Manager, developer Mayor and the Commissioners have only listened to the voices of developers, and have ignored the voices of the public.

We beg the City Manager, developer Mayor and the Commissioners to listen to the public! We beg them to see the vision that the public sees!

Have a Special Place for the Beach Goer

On a weekday, a young mother and her small children from the Gates of Hillsboro, Deercreek, Waterford, Starlight Cove, or the many other areas of the city, go to the beach. She would like to get a hot dog and fries for the young children.

On a weekend, a retired couple from Natura, Independence Bay, Century Village, Crystal Lake, or the many other areas of the city goes to the beach for a stroll. They would like to get a quick informal hamburger and soda.

Tourists staying on vacation at a local mom and pop motel or at a larger hotel are at the beach, and would like to sit in their wet bathing suits and get a milkshake and snack.

The Pier Restaurant is where they all should be able to go. It fulfills the niche need of an informal, wet-bathing-suits welcome, kick back sandal, small children dropping food, good ole informal Florida spot. That place does not exist on the beach right now. That is the place that fills a need for Deerfield Beach beach goers and tourists. With vision by our public officials, Deerfield Beach can have such a place.

Preserve the Current Parking Spaces for the Public and the Pier Fishers

There must be a compelling effort to preserve public parking spaces at the pier. This effort is especially so in order to accommodate pier fishers.

As those who fish know, it is invaluable to have safe and convenient parking near the pier so that fishing poles and tackle boxes can be more conveniently brought onto the pier.

Any plans or concepts to eliminate or substantially reduce public parking at the pier are unacceptable. The Bounis' proposal eliminates the public parking at the pier parking lot.

Preserving the current size of the current Pier restaurant facility will preserve pier parking for the public and the pier fishers.

Preserving Pier parking for the public and pier fishers can be done with vision.

Prevent the Traffic Congestion and Problems that will Result from a Large Restaurant

There are a number of problems that will result from a large restaurant where the current pier restaurant and parking lot is located. The Bounis' proposal is for 484 seats, 2 floors, a gross building area of over 18,000 square feet, and a massive valet parking operation at this area that will add to the already bad traffic congestion!

It does not take a legitimate traffic expert to see that this Bounis' proposal will cause even worse traffic congestion in the beach area!

The traffic congestion and problems resulting from a large restaurant will not occur if the Pier Restaurant is preserved and upgraded. The users of the Pier Restaurant will be daytime beach goers who are already at the beach.

It was a lack of vision by the City Manager, developer Mayor and the Commissioners to approve such ill-conceived projects as J. B.'s, with its traffic problems and congestion caused by its valet parking. Why have they learned nothing from their past bad decisions?

Use this Pier Restaurant as an Educational Opportunity

The Pier Restaurant can be used as an educational opportunity. With imagination and vision, the educational opportunities are boundless.

It would be great for the City to have a student from an architectural school, such as the University of Florida, blend the Old Florida theme into a small restaurant setting that exclusively serves beach goers. This plan could be accomplished with the cooperation of the Community Appearance Board and the student would be under the supervision of a licensed Florida architect. If there was not an interest for the architectural aspects of this plan being done educationally, then because of the public nature of this project, exploration of attracting the interest of a local architect should be considered.

With the many educational institutions in the area, including FAU, Broward Community College, Palm Beach Community College, Nova University, and Deerfield Beach High School, the opportunity to make this Pier Restaurant an educational laboratory is exciting and an opportunity for the City and the educational institutions to work for the benefit of the public. Among the opportunities to explore:

Work-study for the students: It could provide an educational opportunity for students and money for their schooling.

Business planning for students interested in the restaurant business

Marketing plan for the marketing and advertising students

Government planning for the government and public interest students to see how public use can be made of public property, and how to properly plan for the niche beach goer restaurant that does not have to compete with private business

Nutritional planning to increase healthy choices for menu items to supplement traditional food items

This beach goer restaurant at the Pier should attract the cooperation and assistance of restaurant owners in the area, since this restaurant will not be in competition with those other restaurants.

And, with all of these educational aspects, this restaurant should still be able to provide some income to the City.

This educational aspect of the Pier Restaurant can be provided with vision.

Deerfield Beach Leading the Way in Protecting Quality of Life

Deerfield Beach has the unique crossroads opportunity to utilize the Pier Restaurant as the starting point in leading the way in protecting the Quality of Life of the Public.

Developers have for too long controlled the destiny of Florida. The public has not been heard above the high priced development industry's hired gun attorneys, land use planners, architects and traffic consultants. Municipal government's false allure to a monopoly board mentality that wants to cover everything with buildings has lead to more traffic congestion, and less safe and convenient access to the beach and ocean. Quality of life has suffered.

There must be some places that are protected for the current and future enjoyment of the public. And, since we are only on this earth for a short time we need to be good stewards, for future generations, of natural treasures of the beach and ocean. There should be safe and convenient access to the beach and ocean. The beach and ocean are for all to enjoy.

We need a Pier Restaurant that compliments the pier, and enhances the enjoyment of the ocean and beach experience.

We do not need another large restaurant on the beach, especially when that restaurant takes away the public's control of public assets, that takes away public parking, and that uses a public asset for the financial windfall of those who are clever enough to manipulate public officials.

We can have a special Pier Restaurant. The public has the vision. Do the City Manager, the developer Mayor, and the Commissioners have that vision? Or are the City Manager, developer Mayor and Commissioners, trapped in the over-development mentality that is ruining Florida?

Deerfield Beach has been a leader in protecting the public with referenda. The public, against the wishes of the City Manager, developer Mayor and the Commissioners, gathered the signatures to put referenda on the ballot and then overwhelmingly voted for those referenda to protect the beach area.

Deerfield Beach now has the opportunity with the Pier Restaurant in leading the way in implementing a protection of the Quality of Life for the public, both present and future generation. It just takes vision.

The Proposed Bounis' Lease Extension and Lease Site Plan are Bad Economics.

If the City Manager, developer Mayor and the Commissioners are going to sell out the public, don't do it so cheaply. The economic terms of the Bounis' lease extension and site plan are hugely favorable to Bounis, and sell the public out cheaply.

A lease with such a long term (54 years) and for such inexpensive rent ($8,333 per month, with very modest increases only occurring after long periods of time) is worth a fortune.

What gives Bounis the entitlement to such a favorable lease deal? Who entitled Bounis to such a fortune from such a vital beach asset of the City of Deerfield Beach?

What gives Connelly the right to make a deal with Bounis or anyone else, where he is bargaining the City's beach asset? And, by the way, since this Pier Restaurant is a public asset, shouldn't Connelly disclose the deal he is making with Bounis?

If the City Manager, developer Mayor and the Commissioners want to sell the City out, why are they doing it so cheaply?

In September 2002, Connelly had his site plan approved and is obligated to pay more in rent under that lease for a 5,104 square foot restaurant than Bounis is offering for a 2 story, over 18,000 square foot restaurant complex.

The City is only obligated to Connelly for approximately 14 more years under a bad lease that Connelly has not even performed under. The City should take this valuable beach asset back because Connelly has not performed.

The public can see a bad economic deal when it is presented with one. In fact, the public can smell this bad deal.

If the City Manager, the developer Mayor and the Commissioners are going to sell out the public, at least they should commission an independent study to see how much many dollars per square foot commercial restaurant space is renting for on the ocean, and it will reveal that the Bounis' deal is one very lucrative deal to Bounis and a very bad economic deal for the public.

For the full color brochure outlining the alternative plan by the Original Save Our Beach, Inc., visit the organization's web site at http://originalsaveourbeach.org.