Friday, June 02, 2006

Gram's Place

In the Times there's a story about Gram's Place, the quirky hostel in Tampa Heights. It could be facing closure over code issues and a lawsuit

Heartbreak (maybe) hostelAn oasis for young travelers with backpacks faces an uncertain future over clashes with the city and a neighbor.

I saw the place on one of the Tampa Heights home tours. It is very interesting. Just down the street from the graveyard.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting that you haven't interjected your opinion on this one David. Aside from saying you've visited the place, on a tour (which leads me to believe at one point, the neighborhood felt it an important enough part of the fabric to include it), you don't have anything else to say.

It is ironic though that right after posting this link, you link and quote an article about a hard nosed code enforcer. Is that your statement? Are you "by the books" then, and believe the time for Gram's Place has gone, that gentrification outweighs "funky" and that those that help establish neighborhoods either need to keep up with the times or go by the wayside?

Anonymous said...

LandMark Come On! It looks like a dump! Why should this guy not have to follow code or zoning requirements?

The sad thing is if this guy sells his b&b the new owners could get more money renting rooms to sex affenders. Think about it. How can you prove a rooming house isn't a b&b.

They need to go get proper zoning .

Anonymous said...

And that's the problem with informal variances.
You can do it... but I can't.
Dawn let so many people get away with crap around here the neighborhood looked like Gram's Place.
How many informal variances were granted?

Anonymous said...

I looked at the pictures. I saw some stairs on the roof. I could see the house next door and it looks like they can see this giant tree house.
It looks jacked up and I would be complaining if I lived next door.
Maybe they complained years ago and nothing was done.
Is there enough parking?
If the owner sells the property what would the new owners do with it (sex offenders)?
If Gram's place wanted to help the community they would have applied for rezoning instead of trying to get Noriega to use his influence to bully people around.
There also appears to be an outside bar...an outside BYOB bar??
That should go over well.
Any responsible business owner takes steps before they open to ensure they are following certain guidelines.
What would you say if I opened up a giant rooming house next to your home.
You would probably be pissed.
Times are a changing and now everyone is mad because they have to follow the law.

Anonymous said...

You make it sound like you own Gram's.
Things change and besides...that doesn't mean it can't house other criminals.
I am pro good business.
Not attorney's who try and find loopholes to operate things that should have been shut down years ago.
Now it has turned into a spectacle.
Are you going to be in favor of the scientologists as well?
It's the same thing.
Too many people coming and going.
I want a nice residential community not a flop house.

Anonymous said...

and FYI, there are several anonymous's here because I didn't leave those other messages.

Anonymous said...

I think Grahams should stay and those who try to pedle fear (i.e. sex offenders) should leave that to our current adminisration. Which is my point, this is intolerance on the local scale and using current code/law structure to bully those you dont understand or fine to be "different". AS Is
with an economy on the fritz real estate slowing down why would any tourist town want a decrease in INTERNATIONAL exposure. These kids who come here will someday comeback with bigger budgets and families. I have afriend in Miami with a similar operation. It is a god send to the neighborhood and is visited regularly by city officials. Clean up the place give it some gardening panache and paint. But remove it? Idiocy delivered by bullies.

Anonymous said...

have you ever seen Miami's code enforcement?
I lived there.
Try to open up a rooming house in residential.
Here's an idea.
Let's have your address and we will move all the sex offenders next door to you since you like them so much.

Anonymous said...

He needs to break it up into units and rent em' out to section 8. I'm sure his neighbor would love that,and it should be OK on the zoning

Anonymous said...

I find it humorous that so many people hide behind the option "anonymous".

Cowardly comes to mind...

Anonymous said...

Hey anon 1:44 PM,
I'm not sure you're aware, but the Franciscan Center monastery/convent is only about a half mile from Gram's Place. If you're really concerned about sex offenders in the neighborhood, I would start there.

Anonymous said...

I find Anony 3:04am's comments to be hateful and offensive. If opinions such as these are allowed to remain in this blog, there is no telling to what depths the conversation will descend.

Anonymous said...

As a recovering catholic I thought it was funny. If "the conversation will descend." any further I'm anxious to see it.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes the truth is hateful and offensive. Especially when the broom is all worn down from years of sweeping things under the rug.

Anonymous said...

there is no zoning that would work and not open the property just about any commercial use.

Where did the the city big shots dream up charge of "landscaping the right-of-way". That must be one of those rules they only bring up when they really don't like you downtown.

Unknown said...

Gram's Place is thriving and a wonderful neighbor. I should know, I live right next door. I also know that the the pain and agony that Mark Holland endured due to proceedings that took place over his very creative way of surviving in this world put the knife in his heart. I hold several people directly responsible for pushing Mark's buttons to jump off. The Holland family is a wonderful addition to Gram's Place, they treat their guests with care and dignity and they have embraced the ownership of Gram's Place. Mark's Spirit is alive and well and long live the creativity of Mark Holland. The guests at Gram's Place are a fortunate addition to Tampa Heights. You people that have so much bitterness, fear and hate in your hearts, I feel sorry for you.