BRADENTON BEACH – The Bradenton Beach City Commission has approved Gulf Drive Café owners George and Wendy Kokolis’ request to install a 120-foot-long residential dock and boat lift for their multi-unit residential property at 110 Fifth Street South.
The entrance to the four-foot-wide residential dock will be located across the street from the Kokolis’ property at the corner of Fifth Street South and Bay Drive South, near an existing opening in the mangrove shoreline that may require additional trimming.
Representing the Kokolis family, attorney Patricia Petruff presented the dock and boat lift requests to the Bradenton Beach City Commission on Thursday, Nov. 15.
The commission unanimously approved the four-part request that Planning and Zoning Board members unanimously recommended approval of in September.
The four-part commission approval includes:
- The city granting an easement for the small piece of city land between the road and the water at the corner of Fifth Street South and Bay Drive South;
- A special use permit for a non-commercial boat dock and boat lift in the Public Recreation Area (PRA) zone district;
- A special use permit for a non-commercial dock exceeding 65 feet in length from the mean high-water line;
- A request to reduce the south setback from the dock and boat lift to 10 feet from 25 feet.
As she did at the Planning and Zoning Board meeting, Petruff noted the Kokolis’ permitting requests are consistent with previous dock permitting requests granted throughout the city.
The commission offered no objections to the construction of the dock and the installation of a boat lift, but the commission approval also includes a stipulation regarding commercial use of the residential dock.
“Any fishing charter boat using the dock shall not meet charter customers at the residential property.”
– Patricia Petruff, Attorney
Petruff said the Kokolis’ son planned to live in one of the units located on the property across the street and she believed it would be his boat occupying the boat lift that would also be available to other tenants and guests staying on the property.
City Planner Alan Garrett confirmed that more than one boat is allowed at a residential dock.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry asked Petruff if she would be opposed to a stipulation that stated the dock could only be used for residential purposes. Petruff said the dock would not be leased for commercial purposes, but there could theoretically be an instance where a visiting charter fishing captain trailers a boat to the Kokolis property and as a rental guest would be allowed to use the dock while staying there.
Petruff said she didn’t envision a charter captain coming down from Nantucket and renting one of the Kokolis’ units for the entire tarpon season, but she would not agree to a stipulation that placed limits on her clients that are not placed on other dock owners.
After a lengthy discussion on this topic, Petruff and the commission agreed to the following stipulation read aloud by Petruff: “The dock approved by the city adjacent to the property located at 110 Fifth Street South may only be used by the property owner or a person who is leasing a unit on the property. Any fishing charter boat using the dock shall not meet charter customers at the residential property.”
Kokolis said charter customers could, however, be picked up at the Coquina boat ramps or some other docking facility.
Mayor John Chappie sought and received assurances that a dock that length would not interfere with boat traffic in the navigational channel that runs offshore from the North Coquina Boat Ramp to the Bridge Street Pier. The City Commission has frequently expressed a desire to dredge that channel if and when approximately $400,000 in funding can be secured for a dredging and seagrass mitigation project.
Chappie also sought and received assurances that the street-end dock area would continue to provide access to the water for kayak users and others at that corner.
