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A public picnic shelter built atop a Native American burial ground in Safety Harbor may soon be scheduled for removal, officials confirmed Wednesday.

As of December, shelter house No. 9 in Philippe Park can no longer be reserved, with county leaders now making plans to tear it down.

"There's a very wide interest in understanding the past, preserving the past, and interpreting it," said Monica Drake, operations manager for Heritage Village, which tracks and maintains Pinellas County history.

The decision regarding the park's shelter comes after a 2019 study conducted by Thomas Pluckhahn, a USF anthropology professor.

Pluckhahn determined a burial cemetery mound likely holds the remains belonging to members of the Tocobaga tribe, which were some of Florida's original inhabitants.

According to historians, between around 1250 and 1500, Tocobaga Native Americans lived in a village that would become Philippe Park.

"I'd say at least two-thirds of the village is probably intact in some sense," Pluckhahn told FOX 13. "This site in particular is important. Tocobaga, they're kind of the rightful heirs of Tampa Bay, the rightful namesakes of Tampa Bay."

The central point of the village, according to experts, was another mound that Pluckhahn said was likely home to the tribe's chief. That site, which is made up largely of shells and sand, is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

The burial mound is located a short distance away.

"It was formerly, I think, between 10 and 15 feet tall and about 100 feet in diameter," said Pluckhahn, who published his initial findings in 2021.

The village was eventually burned down by invading Spaniards in the 1500s. Centuries later, the land was purchased by Odet Philippe, who is believed to be one of the county's first non-Native settlers.

The park was constructed and named after him decades later.

In the 1930s, scientists with the Smithsonian Museum uncovered about 100 remains, Pluckhahn said, but many more are likely still there.

"This site is also just kind of like - it crystallizes a lot of the history of Tampa Bay," he said.

Along with the removal of the shelter, the county plans to close a nearby playground in March. It's being replaced with a new playground closer to shelter No. 5, Drake said.

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — A Safety Harbor family is starting the new year without a home, but not without support.

Neighbors are stepping up to help a family after their house caught fire the morning of New Year’s Eve.

What You Need To Know

Safety Harbor Fire Department says the call came in Sunday around 5:30 a.m. Fire Department officials said a 17-year-old occupant, a dog and cat were able to escape the fire without injury.

A neighbor told Bay News 9 that the dog alerted the teen to the fire.

First responders reported that damage was contained to the second floor, but there was significant smoke and water damage to the first floor.

When they heard about what happened, members of the community came together to help their neighbor.

"They literally have to start all over again,” said Shawnee Fox, with the American Legion Auxiliary.

She helped organize a fundraising event to help the mother and son who live in the home, saying Safety Harbor is strong when neighbors are in need.

"I’m so proud to be a part of this community," Fox said. "I’ve been here since 2005, and anytime we’ve asked for something, like, people just step up."

The Peers were among those who stepped up by bringing donations to American Legion Post 238 first thing on New Year’s Day.

"I grabbed all my extra shoes and then based on a list of things they needed, which is stuff that you need like right away, we brought in some soap and some shampoo and things l like that,” said Don Peers, who said the decision to help was an easy one. "Because we can. And those who can should. And those who need should get what they need."

Needs this community is trying to meet for their neighbor.

Fire Department investigators said the cause of the fire was still under investigation, but noted that it does not appear any suspicious circumstances were involved..

Donations for the displaced residents are being accepted at American Legion Post 238 on Main Street in Safety Harbor until 7pm New Year's Day.

For more information, visit the Safety Harbor Strong Facebook page. Monetary donations are also being accepted via a GoFundMe campaign.

GoFundMe.com, or any other third-party online fundraiser, is not managed by Spectrum Bay News 9 or Spectrum News 13. For more information on how GoFundMe works and its rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety.

WUSF is part of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, which provides up-to-the minute weather and news reports during severe weather events on radio, online and on social media for 13 Florida Public Media stations. It’s available on WUSF 89.7 FM, online at WUSFNews.org and through the free Florida Storms app, which provides geotargeted live forecasts, information about evacuation routes and shelters, and live local radio streams.

The town's pier and park were flooded following Hurricane Idalia.

People came out to gawk at the flood waters at Safety Harbor Waterfront Park on Wednesday.

Waves were lapping over the sidewalks and could be knee-deep in some places.

Some were wakeboarding across it, others were going for a run, splashing around as if it was a routine day.

Kylee Joseph and her family live in the area.

They came out to get some fresh air after hunkering down while Idalia passed.

"I kind of slept through it honestly. Really fortunate that, you know, we didn't get a direct hit. And hopefully everybody further north is doing OK, and staying safe,” Joseph said.

Joseph added that her family noticed a bunch of trash that the storm spit out from the Gulf onto shore.

She said it was the perfect time to collect the garbage and recycle it.

Tammie Anderson lives in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Safety Harbor, which she says is low-lying.

So, she and her family stayed in a hotel overnight. And they planned to stay away an extra night to let the potential flood waters level out.

"I'm trying to keep my dad from going back. He's ready to leave his room and go back to the house. But I told him, ‘We haven't even got the other part of it yet — the back end. So, stay there to make sure you're safe because once it comes in, we can't say whether you gonna get the help you need.’ ”]

Anderson says you have to have patience in these kind of situations.

In the meantime, her granddaughter Liyana kept busy in the floodwaters.

"I took one step and it all splashed!" she said.

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla — A popular Satey Harbor cafe has decided to not renew its lease after being told its rent would more than double in 2025.

Bassano Cheesecake Cafe is right on Main Street in Safety Harbor. Cindy Bassano and her husband, Tom, know nearly every guest by name. They always make sure there's room for their four-legged guests, too.

"Hi, Charlie! This is Charlie and John...Charlie is blind," Bassano explained.

The Bassano's have spent years planting roots right on Main St.

"She's seen my wife since she was pregnant, and we've been taking Charlie out since she was two weeks old," another long-time customer, Jake Chulla, said.

That's why patrons were heartbroken after reading their post on social media announcing their closure. On top of other expenses, the Bassano's said they just can't afford to move forward.

"The landlords want more than double the rent, and there's just no way for us to be able to afford that," Bassano added.

"They've been a staple in this community for so many years... We come here maybe five times a week," long-time customer John Duffy explained.

Duffy told ABC Action News he looks forward to spending his days at Bassano, especially since they offer him a taste of home.

"This is a black and white cookie. It's a staple in New York City. In fact, this cookie came from NYC. They have them shipped, not just for me, there's other people!" Duffy said.

Duffy will soon have to go elsewhere for his favorite cookie because a rise in rent is forcing the Bassano's to close up shop.

"I don't want to see them walk out that door for the last time... We love this place. We love the Bassano's. We love their family. We love their dogs. I hate to see them go. Its very sad," Duffy explained.

Bassano said when they close their doors in 2025, they will still find a way to sell their famous cheesecakes.

They told us it's the relationships they've built in Safety Harbor that they'll miss so much, and they're forever grateful for the people who've made it feel like home.

"Thank you again... We're going to continue doing... what we have been doing and more, and have the best year and four months that we can possibly have," Bassano added.

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — A restaurant in Safety Harbor has implemented a commission-based pay model to pay servers and other support staff.

Southern Fresh on 3rd Avenue North adds a 20% service charge to every check for customers who dine at the restaurant.

The fee does not apply to takeout orders.

Servers receive 15%, while other support staff like bartenders and runners share the other 5%.

"At the end of the day, it lets everyone work based on commission rather than hourly and tips," said Aaron Stewart, owner of Southern Fresh.

"There has always been a bridge, a big gap between front-of-the-house pay and back-of-the-house pay, and this has allowed us to bridge that gap," said Stewart.

Southern Fresh has been in business for nearly 12 years. About a year ago, the restaurant implemented the service charge.

Customers may add an additional tip for exceptional service. If a customer leaves an additional tip, the server receives it in full.

Stewart said the new pay model allows them to avoid raising menu prices and fight the rising costs of operating a restaurant.

"We certainly hear of people that say we’re not coming back because of that model, but as a restaurant, our sales in 2023 rose 20% on top of 2022, so we are thriving," said Stewart.

Stewart has a sign on the restaurant's front door notifying customers about the service charge. There is also a sign on each table.

"This has allowed us to not only go out and recruit industry top performers but have more of them on and provide a better quality of life resulting in a better product at the table," he said.

Stewart said the restaurant went from critically short staffing levels to fully staffed. The restaurant is also expanding hours instead of reducing hours.

Zachary & Christina Feinstein implemented the commission-based model at their restaurants. The Feinstein Group operates Sonder Social Club, The Living Room, and The Black Pearl in Dunedin. Zachary Feinstein said the change has been successful and boosted wages for employees.

Faizan Ali, an associate professor at USF's Muma College of Business, said the restaurant's decision to adopt a service charge and commission compensation model reflects a newer trend in the service industry.

He added in an email, "The basic idea is to address wage disparities between front-of-house and back-of-house staff, providing a more equitable distribution of income. The move towards predictable and stable income for restaurant staff aligns with ongoing discussions about fair wages and worker compensation in the industry. In my opinion, while this approach offers potential benefits, effective communication with customers is very important to navigate potential resistance and ensure an understanding of the new compensation structure. Moreover, monitoring customer feedback, staff satisfaction, and overall business performance will be important in evaluating the success of this innovative model in Safety Harbor."