BRADENTON BEACH – Bridge Tender Inn & Dockside Bar owner Fred Bartizal is seeking City Commission approval for a six-slip, 100-foot extension of his existing commercial dock.
After reviewing the dock request on Wednesday, Nov. 14, the Planning and Zoning Board recommended commission approval.
City Planner Alan Garrett told the planning board members the request comes with a stipulation proffered by the Bartizal that states the expanded dock cannot be used for overnight mooring and the slips cannot be rented to others.
Garrett said he would only recommend approval of the permitting requests if the mooring and rental stipulations are included. A Nov. 1 memo Garrett included in the meeting packet said the dock is to provide temporary docking slips for patrons of the establishment.
During the meeting, Garrett said the dock expansion would not interfere with any future dredging projects in that area.
“I think that’s very important,” he said.
Tom Glancy, from Duncan Seawall, Dock and Boat Lift, represented Bartizal at the public hearing. As a planning board member, Bartizal recused himself from the public hearing discussion.
“It’s strictly to allow additional patrons to come and go from the restaurant,” Glancy said of the dock.
The permitting process requires three City Commission approvals:
- A special permit use for the expansion of a commercial boat dock in the General Commercial (C-2) zone district;
- A special permit use for a commercial dock exceeding 65 feet in length from the mean high-water line;
- A special permit use for a commercial dock exceeding 500 square feet in area.
Glancy, a former marine biologist, said the dock extension was also being reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and their permitting is pending.
“None of the slips or any of the structures will be over any seagrass. They’re all in deep water. Nobody will be prop-drifting out there,” Glancy said, noting that there is another nearby dock that extends further into the bay.
Board member Bill Morrow asked if the state agencies require an extended dock to be lighted for the safety of passing boaters. Glancy said that’s not a state requirement for a dock that length. He said for the safety of patrons however, the dock would likely be lighted using solar lighting or by extending the current dock’s existing electrical lines.
Distance requirement?
Morrow asked Glancy if there’s a defined distance that must be maintained between the end of the dock and navigable waters near the pier, which he referred to as a “mooring field.”
Glancy said he didn’t know that the city ever actually delineated a designated and authorized mooring field, but there would be at least 15 feet of space between the dock and that area.
“I think those are actually illegal moorings as the State of Florida would look at them. If you’re going to have an established mooring field, you have to show that you have pump outs and things to show that people basically aren’t squatting out there,” Glancy said.
“So, your contention is the boats on the far western edge of the mooring field might be illegally parked?” Morrow asked.
“I would think any boat that’s parked there for a long time is probably illegally parked. You can pick up and move anchor and work around some of those rules, but when people start putting down roots for more than 30 days they’ve established, basically, an illegal mooring,” Glancy said.
Barbara Baker, president of the nearby Old Bridge Village Condominium Association, was the only meeting attendee to provide public input. Baker said she was glad efforts were being made to protect the seagrass. She said she doesn’t oppose the dock expansion request as presented with the stipulations, but she asked the city to be diligent in making sure the dock is used as requested, with no additional commercial uses.
Ken McDonough, Andrew Mincieli and Morrow then voted in favor of recommending City Commission approval of the three permitting requests made. Garrett said he expects the dock request to be heard by the City Commission in January.
