Garry Dodds was a happy man on Tuesday afternoon.

One day after Safety Harbor city commissioners approved an ordinance that allowed Dodds to display scooters outside his Harbor Lake Drive shop, he and partner Adam Bergman were busy getting their new business venture off the ground.

Precision Motorsports of America will sell and repair a wide variety of scooters and also order parts for all types of cycles, motorbikes and ATVs.

“We got our conditional use permit last night, and we just got our business license today, so we’re official now,” Dodds said outside of his shop, which is located off of Ninth Avenue North.

“We will sell scooters, trikes and bikes, not limited to any brand or model ... but our primary focus is on the sales and service of scooters.”

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Dodds, who has more than 25 years of motorcycle repair work under his belt, had been using the facility as a storage and work area for his private collection for the past two years. 

After meeting Bergman, who had a scooter rental business on Clearwater Beach and recently relocated to the same complex, the two decided to go into business together. 

But in order to use the storage shop as a retail business, they had to apply for a conditional use permit because the location is zoned for light industrial use.

“We’ve got 30 feet of access here,” Dodds said regarding the area at the end of his units that face Harbor Lake Drive. “So we considered what we could do to promote our business.”

After much debate over the request, the commission unanimously approved the permit, with two conditions: the scooters have to be tucked up against the property, and Dodds needs to provide two parking spaces for customers.

“We want to see people like you and other businesses owners and property owners do well,” Mayor Andy Steingold said. “That’s our goal.”

Dodds and Bergman plan to start promoting their business right away. They already attend 3^rd Friday and other local festivals, and they are looking into new signage and websites.

But for now, they are satisfied that they’ve been cleared to do what they love to do.

“We’ve got real good products here. Most of the bikes cost under $1,000, and some get over 100 miles per gallon,” Bergman said.

“We’re going to do the best we can to get this off and running,” Dodds said.

Precision Motorsports of America, Inc.

Address: 920 Harbor Lake Dr.

Phone: 727-858-9776

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5pm; Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon; Sunday, closed

Website: www.PMAcycle.com