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Letter to the editor

Yacht clubs' deal takes a tack closer

Members of the Pass-a-Grille club vote 132-72 in favor of merging with the St. Petersburg club.

By CRISTINA SILVA, Times Staff Writer
Published August 12, 2007

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club and the Pass-a-Grille Yacht Club are one step closer to becoming a single enterprise.

Pass-a-Grille club members voted in favor of a merger that would allow the St. Petersburg club to operate both facilities and acquire the Pass-a-Grille club's assets and liabilities.

At a club meeting Thursday night, members approved the merger in a 132-72 vote.

"The deal is not final; it is still subject to a contractual negotiation," said Pass-a-Grille club secretary Mike Beilis. "It's like two countries trying to merge. ... They all bring their own baggage."

Fred Bickley, commodore of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, said his members do not have to vote on the merger per the club's bylaws.

"This is the first step," he said. "Now we will be able to move forward."

Yacht club managers on both sides of the deal declined to talk about the merger Friday afternoon. The agreement stipulates that club officials will not talk publicly about the sale until it is final.

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club is at 11 Central Ave. on the downtown waterfront. Established in 1909 and renovated in 1992, the club has more than 2,500 members.

The Pass-a-Grille Yacht Club is at 2301 Pass-a-Grille Way in St. Pete Beach. The club was chartered in 1934 and has 254 voting members.

Both clubs already share a few members and casual discussions about a potential merger have floated around for the past 15 years.

For Pass-a-Grille club members, the allure of the merger lies in the St. Petersburg club's financial prowess. In recent years, the Pass-a-Grille club has experienced a decline in membership, and seen an increase in property taxes and insurance costs.

The sale, "is in the memberships' best interest, considering the financial concerns the club is facing at this time," Beilis said.

"It will also be helpful for the St. Petersburg Yacht Club to have access to the beach and the ocean, which is more than they have now if they want to go directly into the Gulf of Mexico."

But the deal is not without controversy. Some St. Petersburg Yacht Club members have complained that they have not yet had the opportunity to vote on the agreement. They also worry about the risks of acquiring the Pass-a-Grille club's debt.

Pass-a-Grille members who voted against the deal were concerned about preserving the club's traditions.

"Not everyone was a happy trouper," Beilis said. "There have been some arguments."

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 11, 2007, 23:27:55]