Filming disturbs St. Armands merchants

It was March 17 — St. Patrick’s Day, a big day for businesses on St. Armands Circle — and a film crew descended on the high-end shopping district to grab footage for a new TNT dramedy.

Although the crew got positive receptions from other local locations used for filming, it wasn’t a laughing matter for St. Armands merchants. At a March 21 meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District, St. Armands Circle leaders shared frustration with the intrusion on a Friday in the height of season.

“It was extraordinarily disruptive,” said Michael Valentino, a BID board member and owner of Island Pursuit.

In addition to generating some complaints, the filming also raised questions about the special event regulations on St. Armands Circle. In 2014, the City Commission approved special rules for St. Armands Circle Park, restricting events during peak season.

Merchants asked for those regulations because they didn’t want any distractions during the busiest time of the year. But the restriction didn’t prevent the film crew from getting a permit to use public space on the Circle.

“I was told because it wasn’t a special event, the blackout doesn’t apply,” said Diana Corrigan, executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association.

City staff said the procedure for getting permission to film on public property is relatively easy. The city and the Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office work together with the crew to make sure the necessary permitting and insurance is in place. As long as there isn’t a high-profile effect — gunfire or pyrotechnics — approval is mostly a formality.

“There really isn’t any requirement to notify folks in the area,” said Toni Welicki, an employee in the city’s special events office.

But that doesn’t mean film crews ignore residents and businesses. The filming in question was for the upcoming TNT series “Claws,” which focuses on employees at a fictional Manatee County salon. Jeanne Corcoran, director of the film office, said production coordinators made sure businesses were aware the filming would be taking place.

“I’ve gotten a lot of very positive feedback from the locations they did use,” Corcoran said.

And Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown organized a meeting before the shoot to make sure the crew could coordinate effectively with Circle leaders.

“At the end of the meeting, it was all love and kisses,” Brown said.

Still, St. Armands officials expressed a desire to discuss the filming policy with the city to see if restrictions could be established during season.

News Innovation Editor Alex Mahadevan contributed reporting.