Country Thunder submits application to move event to Clearwater after wildlife concerns on St. Pete Beach

Country Thunder concert moving to Clearwater?

The Country Thunder concert is only a few weeks away and stirring up controversy in St. Pete Beach. Now, there is word of possibly moving to a new venue. FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A city of Clearwater staff member confirmed to FOX 13 that an application from Country Thunder has been received for the use of Coachman Park, a 19-acre waterfront venue known for hosting large events and concerts.

Officials declined to comment further, saying they were not at liberty to say more.

The city’s special event permit process typically takes about 90 days, though applications can be expedited.

What we know:

The event is scheduled for May 8-10 at TradeWinds Resort on St. Pete Beach. Neighbors and wildlife advocates, including the Audubon Society, have protested the event as it falls during sea turtle and shorebird nesting season.

There have been protests outside the TradeWinds Resort.

In St. Pete Beach, city leaders have asked organizers of the concert to revise their plans and move the event off the beach due to environmental concerns. Officials say they have not received a completed application addressing those issues.

Dig deeper:

City officials said the fact that tickets for the festival were being sold before a special event permit had been approved, violates city regulations.

During a recent meeting, organizers acknowledged they did not yet have a permit, despite selling non-refundable tickets, and said at the time they did not have a backup venue.

The festival is expected to feature major country artists, including Kane Brown, Shaboozey, Gretchen Wilson, Randy Houser and Zach Top.

Despite uncertainty over the venue, tickets are still being promoted online for the original St. Pete Beach location at the TradeWinds Resort.

Earlier this month, Travis Johnson, the TradeWinds resort manager, said they were confident the event could be held safely and responsibly and were moving forward with the event.

What we don't know:

However, neither the resort nor its public relations team has responded to recent questions about a possible relocation.

It’s unclear when and if a permit will be issued for Coachman Park.

At Coachman Park, the only potential scheduling conflict appears to be a regularly scheduled market event during the day which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. According to Country Thunder’s website, the first act on that Saturday starts at 2 pm.

FOX 13 is working to find out whether there will be enough time to coordinate with local police, fire and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

It’s unclear how that would impact people who have already purchased tickets or booked rooms at the TradeWinds Resort. The current parking plan is for concertgoers to park at Tropicana Field and be bused to TradeWinds.

It is unknown if Country Thunder is exploring other potential backup locations.

Festival organizers have not responded to requests for comment.

What's next:

FOX 13 has learned an announcement regarding a possible venue change could come as soon as Tuesday or by the end of the week.