Clearwater tackle shop covers forbidden fish mural with First Amendment

CLEARWATER -- The owner of a Clearwater bait and tackle shop is using the First Amendment to cover up a mural that city officials said violated city ordinances.

Andrew Quintero, left, helps his father, Herb, hang a banner with the text of the First Amendment over a fish mural on a wall of his Clearwater tackle shop, the Complete Angler. [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | TIMES]

Today was the deadline to get rid of the fish mural, so Herb Quintero, owner of the Complete Angler at 705 N Fort Harrison Ave., covered it with a banner displaying the text of the First Amendment.

"As passionate as they are that it's a sign, I'm more passionate that it’s not a sign,'' Quintero said today.

Code enforcement officials say they're simply enforcing Clearwater's strict sign ordinance, which forbids murals on the outside walls of a business that depict a product that a business is selling. Since the mural is on a tackle shop, the fish mural is forbidden, city officials say.

Since he's not selling the First Amendment, his new banner apparently is okay.

The ordinance, which also forced many Clearwater businesses to downsize or lower their signs beginning in the 1980s, is credited with reducing clutter and improving the look of the city’s main thoroughfares such as Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.

Jeff Kronschnabl, the city's director of development and neighborhood services, says the city has no choice but to enforce its codes consistently and impartially, without making exceptions. If not, he said, something like a lingerie store or adult entertainment business could display a large mural depicting its products.

"If he can do that, that means everybody else has a right to do that,'' Kronschnabl said.

Despite covering up the mural, Quintero says this isn’t over: "I’m not trying to be difficult, but I can't just let them railroad over me.''

Mike Brassfield, Times staff writer

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Comments

[FLBobcat]

Have any of the nit-witted city officials even bothered to compare the shop's products to what's depicted on the mural? To use their mistaken analogy, a lingerie shop would then not be allowed to display a mural depicting a bunch of drooling guys with their tongues hanging out!

[Q]

With all the empty store fronts all over Clearwater, the City should be glad there is a business to put a sign anywhere of anything.

[littlegator]

That doesn't make any sense - don't put murals up of things you are selling...what knuckle heads signed that into law?

[Barnboy]

The city of Clearwater has lost a considerable amount of beautiful artwork over the last several years because of this ricidulous ordinance. To name just one, remember that attractive sausage mural on Myrtle Avenue? Murals should be measured by their artistic merit, and not by their conent alone.

[observer]

Does he sell fish?

[JR]

He does not sell fish so how come it isn't legal? AND..when is the last time you drove by a lingerie store that had it's contents for sale painted on the outside wall? Just another stupid law by what we call and have elected..'city officials'. They don't know anymore than anyone else people!! They just knew how to run for public office! I hope the tackle store prevails. And..if it has taken since the 1980's to clean up Ft. Harrison....you better come up w/ some new rules because that place is still a S&*(hole.

[!]

I'd paint little feet on all the fish and let them try and connect those dots to what I was selling. People dressed as fish? Nope, tackle and bait!

[BL]

Sad, these friendly, hard-working people have been nothing but a positive business asset to downtown and particularly North Ward. The city should be giving them an award of merit for improving the area, not a rash of hassle for developing a business that complements the city-owned Seminole Boat Ramp across the street. Also, the weekend Bar-B-Que they have is excellent.

[carl]

The city "officials" should think twice. Then again,perhaps that's not possible. Thinking doesn't seem to be very high on their list of things to do. What is on their list? Sucking every penny from a hard working small business! C'mon People! It's ART! It's nothing offensive,in fact I enjoy looking at it when I drive by. Maybe if their heads weren't so far up their (you know whats) and grubbing for every last red cent they can get they may remember who put them in their jobs. Just us little ol'hardwoking citizens and business-people like us. Think I'll open a tomato stand,paint a big bucket of manure with their heads on it for my sign.

[Wolf]

I truly believe that when you are elected to any public office, you automatically lose 50 intelligence points! What are these idiots trying to do, Run the rest of the businesses out of Clearwater?

[Wolf]

Oh, wait, maybe I'm right! Then Scientology could have the whole city and then they could start annexing Bellair and Largo. Pretty soon we could be known as Ron Hubbard county.

[Houston]

So, HE is allowed to have a mural of a woman in lingerie?

[Houston]

as long as she is not a MERMAID, right?

[matt goldman]

A bait and tackle shop usually doesn't sell fish per se. Rather see tasteful murals than obnoxious signage of verying heights.

[redpill]

The boneheads who run the city spend taxpayer money for "art." Here a citizen gives it to us for free, but he is harassed. I hope the art can stay.

It is a mistaken notion that the First Amendment protects us from local government actions. The Constitution only applies to the federal government.

[Smart person]

What is wrong with our IDIOT politicians? They're all a bunch of cry babies that wake up every morning and look for things to be offended about instead of making this country better. Grow up Kronschnabl. Stand up to stupid rules. The people would appreciate that more than whining about a d@#m mural. WHAT IS WRONG WITH A PICTURE OF A FISH ON A TACKLE SHOP? Has it come to this? Really???

[jjmucr]

Hey, Redpill, the First Amendment protects us from local governments. Read the 14th Amendment, section 1. Look it up on Wikipedia. Please don't disseminate misinformation. That makes you like the dysfunctional government officials.