Martin County and Stuart are taking baby steps in reopening. Downtown was especially hard hit in the past weeks when businesses were closed due to the pandemic. The City and the downtown business owners have taken great strides over the past 30 years to make the area a destination spot that drew visitors from literally the entire United States.

By writing an innovative code that allowed for individual “mom & pop” stores to thrive, the City showed that downtown would be revived and not turn into an outdoor mall with chain stores and too many bars and restaurants. This may now be in jeopardy because of the City government not following its own code.

The plan that was initiated for the downtown’s rebirth had mainly two ideas. The first was to limit chains by using design standards. In many instances, this precluded a Talbot’s, for instance, from renting space. This preserved the small-town charm and unique characteristics that have encouraged tourists and others venturing here to have a great experience.

The other part of the plan was to limit the sale of alcoholic beverages to not more than 30% of the downtown area. In that way, Stuart would not become a miniature Clematis Street or Delray Beach. Bars and restaurants can afford to pay higher rents. If allowed to multiply, those quaint boutiques would soon be out of business because they would be unable to compete.

Both have been instrumental in creating the downtown we have today. Now that is being threatened by either the City Development Office not knowing its own code or willful defiant actions of that code. A business expansion in one case and the signing of a new lease in another will place the City in an untenable situation.

The Black Marlin is expanding (with permits) into the Cigar store that was next to it, and Development has allowed the Cigar store to sign a lease in a new space knowing that its plan is to sell alcohol. Those two actions will result in over 30% of the downtown area selling booze in one form or another.

It is astounding to me that this could occur. Only the Commission can change an ordinance…not staff. Yet, here is Stuart with two businesses that have spent a substantial amount of money to expand with staff ignoring the 30% rule. What are the next steps?

In all probability, the Commission will retroactively allow for these exceptions to avoid possible litigation. The staff will beg forgiveness if pushed, but the Commission may never even know why they are saying yes to the doing away of the 30% rule. Staff is good at the mumble jumble of bureaucratize.

There were good reasons why that rule was placed in effect. Maybe it should be changed after discussion and input. That is not the point here. Staff does not make policy. The Commission does.

If staff did not know its own code, that is a real problem. If staff ignored the code because they thought they knew best, that is an even bigger problem.

A few years ago, this issue came up when the restaurant in the Arcade Building was being refurbished and expanded. Then before going forward, it was vetted by different interest groups such as Downtown Business Association and Stuart Main Street. A solution was found, and there was substantial public input into that result. There has been no input this time.

With all the speeches about transparency and involving the people, it seems to me that the City (or least some of the staff) has decided that it finds the citizens, and maybe even the Commissioners, superfluous. This is the bureaucratic boondoggle that citizens complain about.

I hope the Commission pushes back. It would be great if downtown boutiques did so. At the very least, citizens have a right to know who is in charge and why this and other similar things have happened recently.  By ignoring what has worked well in maintaining Stuart’s small-town charm, while remaining a destination, we may find ourselves a different place.