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Fight over plans at beach intensifies
By AMY WIMMER, Times Staff Writer
MADEIRA BEACH -- The fight to keep a new restaurant off a public beach is getting personal. The descendants of Albert Archibald and David Welch say they only are trying to protect their grandfathers' legacy: 500 feet of beachfront the two men donated to the federal government 70 years ago. "Regardless of all the malicious rumors down there, my family's goal is that it be returned and maintained as a public use beach, and that there not be a restaurant," said Alex Archibald, grandson of Albert Archibald, The U.S. Department of the Interior called off work on the property Feb. 14, ruling that the city was turning an old concession stand into a destination waterfront restaurant in violation of an agreement with the federal government. City Manager Jim Madden has since replied to the government, outlining ways the agreement can be tweaked so the restaurant can proceed. Work has resumed on the new restaurant, after restaurateur Frank Chivas presented documents demonstrating he is not violating Federal Emergency Management Agency rules. Then the federal government stepped in again. "All work on this structure should be suspended until a revised concession argument has been approved," Federal Lands to Parks Manager Bill Huie wrote to Madden in an e-mail Feb. 26. Madden said he has since received permission to continue installing a roof. "Then why," asks Archibald, relying on information from a friend who keeps tabs on the project locally, "are they also working on the inside?" At least one local business person, Patricia Hubbard of Hubbard Enterprises, questions how the descendants of Archibald and Welch can claim their grandfathers had altruistic motives when they donated the land. The men made the donation, Hubbard points out, because they were trying to convince the government to build a bridge to the beach, which allowed them to develop more land and make more money. "The idea that Albert Archibald would be appalled to think that a restaurant was going to this dedicated land -- that concept is ridiculous," Hubbard said. "They were pioneers, and they were land speculators." Meanwhile, rumors run rampant about the motives behind trying to block Chivas. After a City Commission meeting last week, emotions reached critical mass when Maureen Cadzow, a friend of Alex Archibald's, who has been asking questions about the plans at City Hall for months, ran into Joe Jorgensen, the chairman of the city's Board of Adjustment, at a local restaurant. Also dining with Jorgensen were City Commissioners Doreen Moore and Jan Sturgis and commission candidate Ken Schwartz. "The woman seemed to want to get into everybody's face that night," Jorgensen said. "We were all trying to eat. Finally, after she approached us about the fourth time, I said, 'Would you leave everybody alone? Go away. We're eating.' Then I said to the management, 'You want to get these people out of here?' " Cadzow says Jorgensen took his remarks a step further, accusing her of working for Art Broderick, a Madeira Beach businessman. Jorgensen would not confirm that he made that accusation publicly, though he did say he had heard the rumor about Broderick. Broderick has plans to open Leatherbacks Steakhouse at the site of the old Apple Restaurant. He says his plans have been slowed by questions from Madden and Community Development Director Paula Cohen. He also admits that he opposes the city's plans to turn the Archibald Park Snack Shack into a full-fledged restaurant but says his opposition has nothing to do with trying to keep Chivas from opening a competing restaurant. Broderick and Cadzow both said they met once at a cocktail party but never discussed the Archibald Park situation with each other until this past week, when Cadzow contacted Broderick after hearing the rumor that she was hired by him. "I understand why this is being done," Broderick said. "Because people have a lot of things to gain or lose, and they're trying to put a lot of heat on someone else." Archibald, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, said he is growing more frustrated by the city's insistence on forging ahead. Madden said he's tried to negotiate but the Archibald family won't back down.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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