Festival may stay put for another year

Faced with litigation, Largo officials may give the Renaissance Festival more time to find a new location.

By MICHAEL SANDLER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 25, 2002

LARGO -- City officials may keep the Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Largo one more year, helping to avoid a legal showdown scheduled to begin next week.

City Manager Steven Stanton said the two parties have been "engaging in discussions" that might stop the lawsuit filed by the festival owner earlier this month, after the city decided the festival had to go.

Stanton called the talks routine and said they would have continued at 7 tonight had he not been subpoenaed earlier this week.

"I wouldn't characterize them as a settlement," said Stanton of the half a dozen phone calls between attorneys that have transpired since the suit was filed April 8.

Festival owner Jim Peterson sued after the City Commission voted 5-2 in March to terminate the final three years on his five-year lease. The festival has been in Largo for almost 23 years.

Peterson said the city was obliged to give him 30 days notice before April 14, the last day of this year's festival. He is seeking to re-establish the lease, and he wants damages. The first hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Since the contract was severed, hundreds of festival supporters have signed petitions, sent letters and e-mails, placed phone calls and made speeches at City Hall. Peterson has said he would drop the suit if given one more year, a deal that would allow him until 2004 to find a new location for the festival.

"It seems, on the surface, that being granted one more year does not impact the city significantly," said Peterson. "And it does help me with respect to the timing required to secure permits" at another location.

Even if the attorneys can reach terms, the one-year lease would have to be approved by the City Commission. That could be tricky.

Some commissioners cited growing frustration with Peterson as a reason for terminating his contract. They complained that he continually requested to amend the terms of deal.

Many saw their vote as final.

"My eyebrows are up," said Commissioner Harriet Crozier, who voted in favor of terminating the lease and had no idea the city was in negotiations that might retain the festival for a year. "If Mr. Stanton is going down doing the negotiations, he should have talked to those of us who did not support it."

Said Commissioner Charlie Harper, "That's quite a surprise to me, and one that I would not support without overriding reason."

Mayor Bob Jackson is among the minority who support keeping the festival one more year. He has repeatedly asked his colleagues to reconsider, but he said he senses some are skeptical that Peterson will be satisfied with one more year.

"There's not a lot of trust on part of some commissioners," said Jackson. "I don't know how you build it back up again."

-- Michael Sandler can be reached at 445-4174 or sandler@sptimes.com

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