SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — Voters in Safety Harbor passed an amendment to preserve one of the town's oldest treasures.
Baranoff Park and a massive oak tree have been on Main Street for more than 300 years. It’s believed to be the oldest live oak tree in Pinellas County.
Zach and Crystal Wall are newlyweds. They said they spend many afternoons sitting at the park.
“The way it extends out and over an area, it's like how a family spreads out I feel like over generations,” Zach Wall said.
It's the talk of the town and the buzz around the local election. There's an amendment on the ballot to say Baranoff Park shall remain a public park and cannot be for sale, lease or donation without a vote.
“The charter amendment is a feel-good formality, let's call it. Yeah, it feels good, but it's not really necessary,” Safety Harbor Mayor Joe Ayoub said.
Mayor Ayoub said the city took ownership of the property in 2019.
“They had plans to build another commercial building here so we feel that when we agree to purchase it from them we were basically preserving this green space forever,” Ayoub said.
He agrees the bustling town is growing, but said there's no plans for it to become another storefront.
“I think it would be equivalent to New York trying to sell Central Park. It would be so unpopular. It would be an impracticality. It would never happen,” Ayoub said.
“Having a greenspace like this and a beautiful tree in a park area, I think is essential,” Wall said.