Local Feud Threatens Palmetto

PALMETTO -- First Fridays on Fifth is a car show and block party that has been held in downtown Palmetto for the last few months. The occasion calls for the closure of Fifth Avenue and features a live music performance at Olympia Theater. Local venders come out to sell refreshments to attendees. When the event started to gain popularity, other shops in the area wanted in on the action. The participation by multiple businesses has now sparked a feud between two key players -- Slick’s Garage and the dabWEAR.

The unresolved fight ended with Slick’s Garage revoking its special permit request from the Palmetto City Commission for a road closure. The board unanimously approved the one requested by the Eccentric Otter. Members chastised the two businesses for not dealing practically with an issue that if resolved, could benefit both parties.

”In this dire economic state, why can’t you guys get along?“ asked Commissioner Alan Zirkelbach. ”It is going to benefit both of ya’ll the best to have it on the same night. You guys have got to get it together, otherwise you’ll lose. The result will not be what you want.“

Commissioner Tambra Varnadore wanted to discontinue the event all together, allotting only two annual events for either party – much like Palmetto’s current garage sale ordinance. Commissioner Brian Williams disagreed, citing that the event has been beneficial for local proprietors at a time when situations are dismal.

DabWEAR and neighboring small retail shops, first began to set-up tents in parking spaces in front of their boutiques during First Fridays on Fifth. After a few months, they decided to take it to the next level by applying for their own permit in order to close an extended section of the street – 10th Ave, between 4th and 5th Street, adjacent to Slick’s Garage. They claim that they first told the neighboring mechanics of their plans, but owners of the garage maintain  that the shop owners went behind their back while they were out of town.

Owners of dabWEAR originally applied for the city permit under the event name First Fridays on Fifth, but when their effort was met with opposition from Jane Hunter, co-owner of Slick’s Garage, they came up with the title The Main Event.

For Jane, it was a slap in the face.

”Don’t you think the name is even condescending?“ she asked, ”as if their event is the main event and ours is just secondary.“

”We never meant for the name to in anyway try to cast her's in the shadows. It was just a play on words because it is on Main Street,“ said dabWEAR co-owner Jacob Stinton.

Jane pleaded with the Palmetto Commissioners on November 15, 2010 to revoke her competitors’ special function permit for the December 5, 2010. She claimed the application was a misrepresentation and the shop was ”piggy backing“ on her on-going event.  The board denied her request on the grounds that it would not be fair to the other applicants to revoke what was already approved, especially since they weren’t present at the commission meeting.

Bus blocking Tenth Street at the Dec. 5 evernt

Last Friday Jane extended the road closure to include not just the 900 block of 5th Street West, but also the 500 block of 10th Avenue West and worked in conjunction with the Palmetto Historical Park’s annual ”Christmas in the Park“ celebration. The event was a success and included kids crafts, Santa, a memory tree and carols as part of the entertainment, but the jovial holiday spirit was ruined when a massive bus called the Java Dawg that sold coffee blocked the public from entering the The Main Event from Tenth Avenue. People wishing to go around the bus had to step over strings of Christmas lights and cones extending off the length of the bus and blocking the sidewalks.

Jane claimed she put the bus there because it was the focal point of the L-shaped closure area. Police Chief Wells called it a safety hazard and warned of fines if it happens again.

”There should not have been a flow issue,“ said Mayor Shirley Bryant. ”I was there both nights and I was very disappointed at the road block.“

Jamie Wilson, co-owners of dabWEAR recounted the occurrence to the Palmetto Board of Commissioners last night. He said that when they asked the owner of the bus to move, he refused because he was under ”direct orders from Jane Hunter to set up there, and she was the boss.“

Jane said she’d rather withdraw her application than be told by "the Man, like a child“ to resolve the altercation. However, both parties say they are willing to compromise. Jane wants the two events to combine as one and is willing to drop the ”5th“ and refer to it just as ”First Fridays“ so it doesn’t ostracize the folks on 10th Avenue. Owners of the retail shops won’t agree to a combined event because they don’t want to be under current regulations, but they would agree to promote ”First Fridays“ as two events under one name.

Commissioner Tamera Cornwall questioned the success of Bradenton’s ”Get Down Downtown.“

”What do they have that we don’t?“ she asked.

CRA Director Jeff Burton said that ”Get Down Downtown“ is run by Bradenton’s Downtown Development Authority, which is why there aren’t any altercations between participants. Board members are going to look into all the requirements needed for Palmetto to adopt a similar situation.