A bait and tackle shop owner who sued the city of Clearwater over his fish mural has reached an agreement that will let him keep the artwork on his building, though the agreement still needs city council approval.
City spokeswoman Joelle Castelli said today that the city will pay the owner $55,000, he will drop the suit and the city will allow the painting to stay without citing the owner.
Council members will discuss the agreement early next month and potentially approve the agreement Aug. 6.
City officials had fined Herb Quintero, owner of The Complete Angler at 705 N. Fort Harrison Ave., finding that the mural violated city code. The American Civil Liberties Union represented Quintero in federal court, arguing that the city was violating his First Amendment rights.
Quintero said he bought the building in December 2007 and invested more than $500,000 in renovations. Just after opening in February 2008, he commissioned local artist Matt Evanson to paint a mural.
Quintero said he was trying to improve a blighted area of the city.
Within a couple of months, city inspectors cited him.
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