not good.....l don't think he was blight to the neighborhood. This could be the beginning of the end of our love affair with Gulfport.

So if I own a tree service in Largo and I get called to Gulfport to work on some trees, do I need special permits/license/equipment before I can accept the job? Does my vehicles or equipment need to be inspected prior to accepting the job? Just want to know if they are as 'articulate' as Saint Petersburg.

So starts the demise of what was a free cool little town. As new home owner I have found that according to contractors Gulfport is a town most of them prefer to avoid due to over reaching codes. For example across the line in St Pete a home owner can provide detail drawings for a garage conversion, however in Gulfport we are required to submit professional drawings and the cost I was quoted ranged from 500.00 to 1200.00. I suggest that we nip the problem in the bud and demand the end of this abuse of power in order to generate revenue. Fire the Special Magistrate and review all codes for cost.

I think Gulfport should be trying to keep the businesses they have instead of chasing them off. I doubt the neighbors on that street were complaining and think that is just an excuse. I guess they don't need his tax dollars. Yes, it is time we all go to those meetings and we all need to do our homework before we vote on anyone including city council.

This business ALWAYS struck me as irresponsible and a bad neighbor in the way they used the front of their property. I say good for Gulfport for putting their foot down.

Do other tree service businesses have these problems in Gulfport? Or was it unique to this business? Well-run businesses make an effort to comply with the local codes and be good neighbors when located in residential areas. The Special Magistrate process seems to be working very well and the council that implemented it should be thanked. I think "freedom" to do just as one wants without regard for others in the community can be taken beyond what is reasonable, especially these days. Many people object to inspectors and getting permits or submitting professional information prior to a major renovation, but repairs or renovations done by the clueless endanger more than just the property owner. There are costs associated with running a reputable business and with doing renovations. One has the personal "freedom" to select what one can afford or choose not to run a business or do a renovation until one can afford the reasonable costs. Whether the costs imposed are in fact reasonable should be discussed.

My fellow Gulfporters,
There is a middle ground on these views. WE need to keep the spirit of individuality and openness that characterize our wonderful town but we also need to have our property owners keep their property at acceptable levels of compliance. This business was warned and repeated the violation. Therefore, he chose to move rather than comply. This seems dumb and I suspect he had other reasons and used this as an excuse. I do think we need to all pay attention to the decisions of our council people and let them know we want them to be very sensitive to the middle ground. But let's not condemn the process but improve it.

LYNDA SHEHAN 2406 52ND STREET SOUTH GULFPORT FLORIDA, A 12 YEAR RESIDENT AT THIS SAME ADDRESS, Patch, I would suggest that you interview ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION. If anyone in this city would like for this business to be 8 houses from your property, the property where you have your entire life savings in, watched the value of the property, due to the economy, become half of what it was worth 6 or 7 yrs ago, then at the entrance of your street a JUNK YARD APPEARS. URGENT TREE COMPANY WAS GIVEN A PERMIT TO HAVE A TREE SERVICE, I HAVE AN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE TO RUN A PET CARE BUSINESS.......BUT I KNEW WHEN THAT OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE WAS GIVEN TO ME, PLUS EACH YEAR WHEN I PAY THE $150 FOR RENEWAL, I KNEW THE CODE LAWS OF GULFPORT MEANT THAT I COULD SIT ON MY PROPERTY AND RECEIVE PHONE CALLS TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS....SUCH AS URGENT...THEY CAN BE ON THAT PROPERTY AND RUN A TREE COMPANY 24/7, but according to the laws of Gulfport I can not bring 25 dog kennels on my property and fill them with barking dogs, URGENT TREE COMPANY needs to only read the laws to find they cannot have big trucks, chippers, earth moving machines, full dumpsters sitting on the property daily. Gizmo Properties has probably not seen the activity on the property they own in Gulfport, as absentee owners, nor do they care because if anyone owned a property that looked like a junk yard, which this property which I drive by many times per day reminds me of properties seen on the back roads of NC.

LYNDA SHEHAN 2406 52ND ST SOUTH, 12 yr resident & property owner. To continue my comment. Now that we are passed the look of the property, I want to comment on what happens on this street every morn and afternoon. URGENT TREE COMPANY's property was not large enough to run the business, thus they chose to occupy 52nd St.S. The street became either blocked or a one lane street. If they felt necessary, a driver would have to BACK DOWN THE STREET FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE. If you chose NOT TO BREAK THE LAW and back down the street you were warned by Mr. Crawford that you must & should you complain it is easy to get your license plate number & find where you lived. I am 10000000000% of these comments as I have received this warning my personal self. Why did the city of Gulfport allow them to break the law for 5 yrs. I don't know, why are they taking action now. I confess, my fault, I felt it strange that no other business in city looked like this business, I didn't complain, but the business became more and more abusive & I wasn't aware there was a code in place. Closing down the street, personal threats & senior citizen neighbor who felt it IMPORTANT to take photos of the site as we saw our property values sink, who wants to buy a home where the entrance to the street there is junk yard. This senior citizen's car was not on their property, she felt she was on city property when she was photographing the mess, but her car blocked by URGENT vehicles, license plate, know where she is

Another business leaving Gulfport because of Code Violations. Not surprising. Code Officers did everything they could to run my business out of Gulfport. Of course this was before the Special Magistrate. In my case they called my customers and threatened them with code violations if they continued to do business with me. I am so glad I moved my business out of Gulfport. Wonder why there are so many failed business's? Talk to someone who tried to set up a business in Gulfport and you will hear the horror stories.

Thank you Lynda for providing more details. I had heard bits and pieces of what you stated and you just put it together. We don't need business owners that are not willing to be good neighbors.

I wouldn't want to live next to what Lynda described. There are enough people in this town who do not take care of their homes and lawns that are eyesores, and how hard would it have been for the tree service to keep his equipment behind the fence...sounds like laziness to me.

LYNDA SHEHAN 2406 52ND ST SOUTH, I am a true fighter for the small business, that is what America is all about, been a small business all my working life. When you have a business that does not care about their community, a community that I put in thousands of hours of free time, organizations put in thousands of dollars to advertise that we are very special, neighbors of the business place their life savings into their properties and the absentee owners, I cannot stress this enough, and business owners could care less, THEY CHOSE TO MAKE THE PROPERTY A JUNK YARD, THEY CHOSE TO MAKE MY, MY, MY PROPERTY VALUE DROP, THEY CHOSE TO BREAK THE CODE LAWS OF THE CITY OF GULFPORT and they could care less, their business is moving from our city, I say we do not, I DO NOT WANT THAT ATTITUDE IN THIS CITY. The CITY MANAGER was placed under a huge amount of pressure as the residents phoned him daily. HE HAD THE CODE ENFORCEMENT LAWS BEHIND HIM. If the owner of the property or Mr. Campbell was unable to read the code laws, I'm confident we could have found someone to read the laws to him & Gizmo Properties.If Mr.Campbell did not realize that if you threaten people for complaining, they will file a police report. I have no problem if Mr. Campbell wants to take Urgent Tree Company to any street in Gulfport. The building where the Dive Bar on Shore Blvd & Beach Blvd is available. Perhaps those of you who feel Urgent Tree Co should stay in our city have a space next to YOUR HOME.

I drive by this business almost every day and it's an eyesore and a junk yard and I would be very upset if it was close to my house. I have been held up in traffic by them moving their equipment in or out of the property. The buildings are in dire need of attention and one reason they probably didn't put the equipment behind the fence is because it was so full of junk behind there that I wonder if they could find room. The property looked like it was well on it's way to becoming an episode of "Hoarders" and most of the junk there was not anything to do with a tree service. I am very glad that the city finally decided to do something about it and I'm equally glad they are moving out of town. Having no respect for your city or your neighbors is not what I want from the people sharing space near where I live, or anywhere in the city for that matter. Keeping our diversity and quirkiness does not mean letting your property fall into such disrepair that it looks like it should be condemned.

LYNDA SHEHAN I ATTENDED THE MAGISTRATE TRIAL AND URGENT TREE CO WAS TREATED WITH SUCH RESPECT I EXPECTED THEM TO BE INVITED TO DINNER THEN THE LAW WAS READ, PHOTOS FROM ONE HOUR BEFORE WAS PRESENTED, GUILTY they chose to leave Gulfport, we do not allow slums, THANK YOU CODE ENFORCEMENT, THANK YOU CITY MANAGER COME INTO THIS CITY BE RESPECTFUL, DO YOUR BUSINESS DO NOT LEAVE TRASH BEHIND, DO NOT ASK OUR CITIZENS TO B ACK DOWN THE STREET SO YOU CAN TAKE OVER OUR STREETS AND DO NOT THREATEN US IF WE DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO TAKE OVER THE VERY STREETS OUR TAX DOLLARS PAY FOR If any of you want a b usiness beside you that tells you "if you call the police, everything will be over before they get here" I would contact Urgent tree company. PATCH get the entire story before you go to print. I was at the meeting Thursday, short, fat, red hair woman in black outfit.,..........get the story right or don't be concerned. The story you printed made me sick

Just want to say, as a very proud home owner on Pinellas County's road with the most potential, 49th Street South, we are sincerely honored and whole-heartedly welcome Urgent Tree Care to our street. Sad loss for Gulfport's tax base and reputation, but a definite score for the exciting future of 49th Street South. We welcome any and all businesses to 49th Street South, especially when they are helping workers make a well-deserved buck. Ultimately this will prove to be a good move. I just hope the soon-to-be vacant lot on 52nd does not become another high-profile bruise to Gulfport's struggling image as a place to open a business.

Thank you all for sharing your concerns, comments, opinions and more with all of us. We greatly appreciate everyone's willingness to join the conversation and share how you all feel. – Cherlene

I will not speak for those at the company in question, I will speak on my experience, no matter where I have lived or worked, I have always had rules that I needed to follow. if I did not pay my rent on time, there were late fees, of I did. if I did not pay my mortgage on time, there were late fees and other penalties, of I did not clock in, or failed to follow company rules, there were penalties. I believe that all of us, individually and corporately need to follow said rules, for there are consequences for disregarding these rules. it is a shame that said company feels the need to leave, Apparantly the rules do not apply to them. if a company or residence has received code violation notices, the onus is on the shoulders of the owner of this property to rectify these violations. to me, the departure of a property owner in such a manner is akin to bullying, it tells the others in the community, that they have to abide by the rules, they do not.