The Citrus County Commission on Tuesday night unanimously approved changes to the county's land-use codes which would allow operation of a restaurant and bar, commonly referred to as "The Freezer," in Old Homosassa.

The vote was 4-0, with Commissioner Dennis Damato absent, as he is still recovering from surgery.

The Freezer is part of the old Cedar Key Fish and Crab Company, which has been at that location since the 1960s. John and Joanne Lawson took over the facility in 2004, and later decided to open a restaurant and bar when fishing revenues began drying up.

But the act of opening The Freezer came with friction from residential neighbors surrounding the bar in the historic district and from county government. The county has been in court for years with the Lawsons' attorney, and at a 2009 meeting, the county nixed the application - which led to more litigation by the Lawsons' attorney.

The Lawsons' new plan, presented to the county's Planning Review and Development Board on Feb. 17, was approved 5-2 - providing the Lawsons meet 16 stipulations (it was 18 originally, but county staff cut it to 16). Those stipulations included hooking up to the county water a sewer line, putting in drainage, installing a fence between the business and the residential property next door and reducing the number of boat slips from 29 to 20. The Lawsons seek to change the county's Comprehensive Plan, Atlas Amendment and Planned Development Overlay.

The county commission's last brush with the Lawsons' and their attorney was on July 22, 2009. The commission voted 3-1 to deny the establishment's request to be changed from Low Intensity Coastal and Lakes (CL) to Coastal and Lakes Commercial (CLC).

The Lawsons made a few changes to that to update their 2011 approach, which basically seeks the same designations.

The issue of the tavern and restaurant being in the same location as the fish house has taken an emotional toll on both the Lawsons and patrons of the establishment and those Old Homosassa residents aligned to speak against the tavern's presence. Sharp words have been exchanged at public hearings and county commission meetings for years.

Emotions also ran high on Tuesday night, as they have on every other occasion when bar patrons and their supporters butted heads with Old Homosassa residents and their supporters. Charges of too much noise, open alcoholic containers, unruly patrons and litter once again came to the forefront for the county commissioners to listen to - on a commission populated this time by two new commissioners.

One of those commissioners, J.J. Kenney, who represents Homosassa, told the public that he had been a patron of The Freezer before he was elected. Still, Kenney said, he would only vote for the development's approval if an off-duty Sheriff's Office deputy would be present to monitor the establishment for public nuisance violations. Fellow commissioners agreed, and a six-month period was agreed to by the Lawsons for surveillance of Freezer activities. The tab for the deputy would be picked up by the Lawsons.

Kenney also lobbied for lowering the speed limit next to residential homes to 20 mph in that area, which is currently set at 25 mph.

Referring to the "Chickee hut" on The Freezer's premises - a reportedly Seminole Indian-blessed structure, Kenney asked John Lawson what tribe he belonged to. He was told, "the tribe of Homo Sapiens." So, the structure will now be referred to as a Tiki hut.

He also asked Lawson what guarantee the county had that all conditions laid down by the PDRB and county staff would be met. Lawson said, "If I don't meet all the conditions, I'll close the doors."

For Commissioner Rebecca Bays, it all came down to a spat between "neighbors" and creating jobs. Noting that The Freezer had approximately 14 people in its employ when the county shuttered the facility in 2009, Bays said, " I am satisfied a good and fair compromise (the Lawsons' latest land-use proposals) was presented to us, and I trust our staff will hold feet to the fire."

Two commissioners who voted against The Freezer's last land-use proposals in 2009 were commissioners Joe Meek and Winn Webb. This time around, both were in favor of the land-use change proposals.

Meek said that the 2009 proposal was a "blanket" proposal, and lacked specifics. This new proposal was a package that was more specific, he said, and he approved because of that.

Webb said that the two parties involved in the ongoing dispute - the Lawsons and their Old Homosassa residential neighbors -- needed to communicate more with each other.

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