“It’s not a matter of not liking sand or statues or trees,” said Campany.

It endured the destruction of Isabelle, it was spared in the Solomons fire, but can the Tiki Bar now survive the county planning commission? 

On April 21st the Tiki Bar launched its famous opening weekend bedecked with sand, palm trees and impressive Moai statues. Many delighted in the renovations and the Tiki beach atmosphere. However, it has several Calvert officials up in arms.

On May 9th an injunction was leveled against the bar’s owners and they were ordered to cease using the new entry road, and the drink stands, and to stop hosting a food vendor on the property. Chris Campany is with the Calvert County Department of Planning and Zoning, in the Zoning department section. He explains the problem with the Tiki Bar is that since its renovations it is in violation of Calvert County ordinance requirements and the laws and rules that apply to businesses in the area.

“They needed Planning Commission approval and to submit a site plan for approval,” Campany said, speaking to The Bay Net last week. “They now need to cease using the unapproved entrance and have told the county that they’ll remove the trees, sand and statues by May 30th.”

“It’s not a commentary on what they’ve done with the business,” stressed Campany, “it’s just the rules.”

According to Pat Donovan, one of the Tiki Bar owners, at a meeting with Planning and Zoning they showed officials the original site plan from 1989, when there had been a motel, retail facilities, and a restaurant on the property. “The parking was designated for those businesses not for the bar itself,” says Donovan. “We’ve shut down twelve rooms in the motel which parking was designated for, and so the requirement is not as great.”

“There was some discrepancy over the need to submit a new site plan or whether to make some minor changes that would be able to be done in-house. Chris Campany said he’d work with us and try to get us through the minor adjustments,” claims Donovan. “Chris was friendly and helpful to start with and then all of a sudden things changed. I can only think someone made a phone call and that’s why their whole attitude changed from being friendly and accommodating and trying to work with us to one of confrontation.”

“Suddenly we were told we needed to pull the sand out right after the opening, and we were told there needed to be a new site plan.” 

Donovan speculates a citizen put pressure on the county commissioners, and they in turn put pressure on the Planning and Zoning officials. 

“Our interpretation of the ordinance was that we didn’t need a new site plan for the renovations,” Donovan said. “At this point we’re trying to work with the County and to find a way to satisfy their requirements without removing everything, which is probably the way it’s going to end up. A lot falls back to Planning and Zoning, which has been more enforcement-oriented in the last few years and less interested in working with the people.”

“Safety is not an issue,” Donovan claims, pointing out the bar had 50 security guards on opening night