BRADENTON BEACH – A landscaping
project for Bradenton Beach’s gateway area
at Cortez Road and Gulf Drive, coordinated
by Commissioner Gay Breuler, never made
it to a vote last week.
Breuler, who said she was disappointed,
had received permission from three condominium associations – Bridgeport, Imperial
House and Gulf Watch – to plant native
landscaping on their roadside beachfront
across Gulf Drive from the condos, as
specified in a draft contract between the
condos and the city.
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Some of the landscaping,
which would have been low enough to
avoid interfering with motorists’ visibility,
also would have been planted on the Florida
Department of Transportation easement
adjacent to the condo property.
Landscape designer Mike Miller, of Anna
Maria-based Perfect Environs, suggested
that a sand walking path could be incorporated
into the landscape design to guide
people over the dunes to the beach, and
extend along Gulf Drive from the Beach-
House restaurant to the Gulf Drive Café.
The city had $2,600 in its budget earmarked
for the gateway project, and
Breuler said she expected to complete it for
$2,000, suggesting that the fee for the city
attorney to review the contract could come
from the remainder. But her motion to approve
the project died for lack of a second.
“I don’t like this project,” Mayor John
Shaughnessy said, adding that the city
would supply everything while the condo
associations supplied nothing.
Spending public funds on private property
is a bad precedent, Shaughnessy said,
suggesting that the money be spent instead
on city hall.
“I wish you had told me in advance,”
Breuler said.
Commissioner Ric Gatehouse said he
objected to the portion of the contract that
would allow the condo associations to remove
the landscaping from their property.
Gulf Watch Condominium Association
Vice President Larry Matzen said that the
condo owners have a right to change things
on their own property.
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh thanked
Breuler for her efforts, but expressed
concern that pedestrians would trample the
new landscaping.
After the decision, some condo officials
discussed installing bollards along Gulf
Drive to keep people from parking on their
roadside property, Breuler said.
City officials are in the process of making
improvements to the gateway area, and
a new, low, horizontal Bradenton Beach
welcome sign has been proposed for the
northeast corner of the intersection of
Cortez Road and Gulf Drive to welcome
visitors to the Island. The existing vertical
sign at the dead end of Cortez Road would
be removed.
Event banners no longer will be allowed
at dead end, and are not allowed elsewhere
in the city, according to the city clerk’s office.
