BRADENTON BEACH – The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) finds itself in a race against time to complete the long-desired installation of a police department boat lift next to the Bridge Street Pier.
The boat lift project must be completed by Sept. 30 in order to take advantage of a $50,000 West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND) grant approved by Manatee County commissioners in May 2017.
The police boat currently sits on a trailer parked near the police station and must be trailered to a boat ramp to be placed in the water.
Complicating matters is the necessity for the boat lift to be connected to the floating dock that must first be repositioned to the east by approximately 8 feet by Hecker Construction Company, which installed the pre-manufactured dock in mid-2019 for $11,600.
Before the boat lift can be installed, the floating dock must be repositioned approximately 8 feet to the east, toward the far end of the pier. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Further complicating the boat lift installation timetable is the need for contract engineer Joe Foster to separately engineer the dock repositioning and the boat lift installation.
During the Wednesday, Sept. 2 CRA meeting, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said Mayor John Chappie had sought an extension for the WCIND grant in vain.
“Moments ago, I received the information that we do not get an extension, so it must be completed by the end of the month,” Perry said.
Lt. John Cosby, of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, also addressed the growing sense of urgency.
“This WCIND money for this boat lift has to be expended by Sept. 30th, which means we have to approve this vendor and they have to get this boat lift installed. It has to be invoiced, it has to be paid and I need a canceled check by Sept. 30th in order for us to receive this money,” Cosby said.
If installed as planned, the boat lift will be placed perpendicular to the pier and floating dock in the open space between the west end of the dock and the corner of the pier walkway near the Anna Maria Oyster Bar’s outdoor seating area.
Police Chief Sam Speciale and the CRA members originally envisioned installing the boat lift on the north side of the pier. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection would not approve that location because it would infringe on the riparian rights of the neighboring Pines Trailer Park.
The proposed boat lift would be located at the west end of the repositioned floating dock. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Aug. 27, Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift General Manager Steve Porter submitted the only response to the city’s request for proposals to install the boat lift.
Duncan’s bid response proposed a $41,279 cost to install a 16,000-pound-capacity aluminum and stainless steel boat lift manufactured by Golden Boat Lifts and supported by four pressure-treated, marine-grade pilings driven into the bay bottom.
Before Wednesday’s CRA meeting began, Porter emailed Perry an additional quote for a 10,000-pound-capacity lift that would cost $37,813.
During the meeting, Porter said the cost estimates include the water and electrical lines and connections, the remote control, the security lighting and a walk-up catwalk. Porter said the lift, as currently designed, must be located at the west end of the floating dock.
Porter said the police boat weighs 3,000 pounds and he recommended a 10,000-pound-capacity lift.
“Give us two weeks after approval and it’s installed in a week,” he said.
This illustration shows the proposed boat lift configuration and location. – Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift | Submitted
CRA Chairman Ralph Cole said Hecker Construction needs a barge to reposition the floating dock and he did not know how much advance planning that would require. He said he would do his best to get that work done as soon as possible.
Perry said she would help coordinate the efforts to get all the needed work done in the remaining timeframe.
“If I cannot get this engineering done and I cannot get the dock moved in time, we’re probably not able to move forward and I don’t want to bind the city to expend $50,000 at this time. Truth be told, we don’t have it in our budget to do that,” Perry said of the boat lift project’s current reliance on WCIND funds.
The CRA members were divided on the need for Foster to engineer the boat lift installation but given the time constraints, they approved doing so.
The CRA members approved the installation of a 10,000-pound-capacity boat lift, contingent on the WCIND funds being available, and Porter said he understood the CRA’s position and time constraints regarding the grant money.
ANNA MARIA – The group consisting of Brian Seymour, Vic Mattay and Nick Graham is the city commission’s top choice to operate the City Pier grill and bait shop.
During Friday’s emergency meeting, the commission favored the proposal Seymour presented over the proposal Mike Coleman presented on behalf of FP Growth Partners LLC.
Mayor Dan Murphy is now authorized to negotiate a five-year lease with Seymour for the group’s operation of a grill and bait shop in the smaller of the two city-owned buildings at the T-end of the new City Pier. The initial five-year lease will provide Seymour’s group with an option for one five-year renewal.
Murphy hopes to present a negotiated lease for final commission approval on Thursday, Sept. 24. If lease terms cannot be reached with Seymour’s group, Murphy will seek commission authorization to negotiate a lease agreement with FP Growth Partners.
Commissioners Carol Carter, Jon Crane, Joe Muscatello and Mark Short each said this was a difficult choice to make.
“I think both parties, both proposals were outstanding. We couldn’t go wrong, and it was a very hard decision,” Short said.
Two finalists named
Friday’s meeting was preceded by an emergency meeting on Tuesday that resulted in the commission unanimously naming Seymour’s group and FP Growth Partners as its top two choices. This eliminated from further consideration the proposals submitted by Harry’s Continental Kitchens and the father-daughter tandem team of Sherman and Sarah Baldwin.
Harry’s Continental Kitchens proposed paying $1,500 per month in base rent or a percentage-based rent to be negotiated. The Baldwins proposed $2,000 per month in base rent, plus up to 10% of gross revenues.
The mayor and commission expressed concerns about the risks associated with percentage-based rents and the four bidders did not address the commission on Tuesday.
Carter expressed concerns about Coleman’s public criticism of the city commission in a recent letter to the editor that ran in a local newspaper. The letter referred to an amended alcoholic beverages ordinance the mayor later vetoed. Carter said it’s important for the city to have a good working relationship with its pier partner.
Seymour’s group proposed paying $6,000 per month/$72,000 per year in base rent, with an annual 2.5% increase. Seymour’s group anticipates spending an additional $41,350 to complete its share of the interior buildout for the bait shop building.
Seymour is the owner-operator of the Anna Maria General Store & Deli on Pine Avenue. Mattay owns Dips Ice Cream, which shares space inside the general store. Graham manages Dips and he and his brother, Aaron, own and operate Graham Slam fishing charters in Cortez.
Seymour, Mattay and Graham are equal one-third partners in the Pine Avenue Bait & Tackle store that opened next to the general store earlier this year and the trio plans to form a similar partnership for their City Pier business operations.
FP Growth Partners proposed paying $5,500 per month/$66,000 per year in initial base rent or 6% of gross revenues, whichever was higher.
FP Growth Partners offered to take the bait shop building as is and complete the interior buildout at no additional expense to the city. Murphy said that could save the city $50,000 to $75,000 in upfront costs.
FP Growth Partners operates multiple Poppo’s Taquerias, including the Pine Avenue location.
In the mid-2000s, Coleman and restaurateur/businessman Ed Chiles completed the Pine Avenue Restoration (PAR) project along Pine Avenue that continues to provide retail, office and vacation rental/residential space.
Coleman presentation
On Friday, Coleman and Seymour were each given 10 minutes to explain and elaborate on the written proposals the commissioners reviewed prior to Tuesday’s meeting.
Going first, Coleman touted the success of the PAR project and Poppo’s Taquerias.
“If you want to find out what somebody’s going to do, take a look at what they’ve done already,” he said.
Coleman said his sons Casey and Patrick and Patrick’s wife, Rowen, founded Poppo’s.
“They own 60%. I own 10%,” he said.
Coleman estimated the pier grill and bait shop could gross up to $1.5 million per year and 6% of that would equate to $90,000 in rent for the city.
“The promise is $5,500. The opportunity is 6% of $1.2 to $1.5 million. As the business does better, the city does better,” he said.
Coleman reiterated the group’s willingness to take the bait shop as is and spare the city those buildout costs.
Mike Coleman presented FP Growth Partners’ proposal. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
FP Growth Partners’ proposed menu included $3-5 breakfast sandwiches, $4-9 fresh ground beef burgers, $5-8 fried clam bellies, $8-12 wild-caught fish sandwiches, hand-cut fries fried in duck fat, seasonal soups, soft drinks with no high fructose corn syrup, $4-6 draft and local craft beers and $6 sangria.
Coleman said the menu items remained open to discussion, but his group would not compromise on Poppo’s quality standards and use of fresh ingredients.
Coleman also said FP Growth Partners spent the past 18 months testing an app-based delivery system and automated ordering kiosks.
“If you’re fishing halfway down the pier, we’ll bring the food to you. If you’re coming on your boat, place an order on your app,” Coleman said.
His group’s proposed bait shop offerings included live shrimp, frozen shrimp, frozen squid and possibly fresh fiddler crabs and pinfish.
Coleman addressed Carter’s previous concerns about his relationship with the city. He noted he previously paid for a half-page ad in which he praised the city’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I don’t want my kids’ opportunity to be canceled because someone took a personal objection to something I said,” Coleman said.
He also noted his group’s willingness to also lease the larger pier building originally intended for use as a full-service restaurant.
Muscatello asked Coleman what he had in mind for the larger building.
“Our personal vision for that is more of a historic reminder of who we are. I think you could have a great, low-impact retail operation over there that’s both educational and profitable,” Coleman said.
The future use of the larger pier building on the right remains unknown. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
FP Growth Partners proposed operating the grill and bait shop from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Murphy asked Coleman who would serve as the group’s main point of contact.
“I handle site selection, lease negotiation, financials, all that kind of stuff,” Coleman said.
He said once that initial process was complete, his office manager would be the main point of contact.
Seymour presentation
Seymour said his group plans to use approximately 36 square feet of the larger pier building for a portable refrigerator and a portable freezer. He said those two appliances would be on wheels and could be easily relocated if the larger building is leased to another tenant.
“We can do this because within a block of the pier we have our three brick and mortar businesses. And I have a massive walk-in cooler there already. We’re not going to run out of product,” Seymour said.
He also noted much of the grill prep work could be done ahead of time at the general store.
Seymour said his group is also interested in the larger pier building that could possibly provide additional indoor seating, but that was not the primary focus of the city’s request for proposals for a grill and bait shop.
Regarding his group’s proposed menu, Seymour said, “We have added items that are pier-friendly, keeping in mind that we are not a full-service restaurant – nor do we want to compete in the future with a potential full-service restaurant right next door.”
The proposed menu includes a $4 breakfast sandwich, a $7 American breakfast, a $5 yogurt, granola, fresh fruit parfait, a $7 City Pier Burger, a $3 Pier Dog, an $8 Cuban sandwich, chicken wings, chicken tenders, clam strips, shrimp, a wedge salad and more. It also includes $2 domestic draft beers, $3 canned beers, $4-5 craft beers and $4-6 glasses of wine.
The menu notes orders could be placed ahead of time by phone.
Regarding the pier bait shop, Seymour said, “We’ll build our own live well. We’re going to stock tackle that we know is going to sell – hooks, line, leader.”
Seymour said the bait offerings would include live shiners, shrimp and pinfish when available. The frozen bait offerings would include shrimp, squid, sardines and sand fleas.
“All the things we currently have – and we have that shop a block away to support that bait shop on the pier,” he said.
In response to questions from Muscatello, Seymour estimated $1.3 to $1.4 million in potential annual gross revenues, and said he planned live acoustic music from 5-8 p.m. and the installation of removable shade sails above the picnic tables and deck area behind the bait shop.
In response to a question from Short, Seymour said he envisions the window facing the shore for ice cream service, the windows facing the Rod & Reel Pier for the snack shop and beer and wine service and the rear window for the bait and tackle sales taking place mostly outside using a handheld point of sale device.
Seymour’s group hopes to have the grill and bait shop open before Thanksgiving. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Carter asked Seymour about staffing. Seymour envisions three to five employees working at any given time and a total staff of 16-20 people, including some current employees who would like to work on the pier.
Seymour said the grill and bait shop would be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in accordance with the commission’s previously expressed desires.
Seymour said he would be the main contact, but Mattay and Graham would also be available.
“We’re not and have never been absentee owners. Our vision for the City Pier is to once again become the number one tourist destination and local destination for Manatee County. We promise to be good stewards of the pier and we’ll work tirelessly with this city,” Seymour said.
Short made the motion to select Seymour’s group. Crane said he was leaning toward Coleman’s group because of Poppo’s food quality and fresh ingredients, but he later supported Short’s motion. Sensing Carter’s support for Seymour’s group, Muscatello said, “To make it unanimous, I’ll say yes.” Carter then made the vote unanimous.
From left, city commissioners Mark Short, Jon Crane, Carol Carter and Joe Muscatello said their decision was difficult but their options were excellent. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Final thoughts
“We’re looking forward to partnering with the city and quickly getting this pier back open seven days a week for locals and visitors alike,” Seymour said after the meeting ended.
“My goal is to be open before Thanksgiving if everything goes smoothly,” he said later.
“I’m excited to get this thing going,” Graham said.
“All three of us are excited about the bid we have for that pier and we’re going to make it a great place for everybody to visit,” Mattay said.
On Saturday, Coleman provided the following statement via text message: “We congratulate Brian and his team on their excellent presentation. While we sincerely believe we offered the best short- and long-term proposal for the city and its taxpayers, the commissioners, in their prerogative, selected Brian and his group, whom we respect and have supported for years. We wish them the best.”
Are you starting to feel like you’re in prison? Granted it’s a really nice prison and you’re enjoying the views, but since you haven’t left recently, even the beach gets redundant. Welcome to what I’ve started calling “Prison in Paradise.”
Staying home for so many months either because of schooling or job or just plain not being able to travel has made everyone start noticing the things in your home you wanted to change. This has driven the home improvement frenzy we’re experiencing. Home Depot, Lowe’s and other home improvement stores were deemed essential services during the lockdowns in many states and allowed to remain open. In fact, Home Depot has been running an increase of at least 35% of its business from last year since April.
Americans stuck at home without much to do have started painting, building, fixing and decorating, long overdue home improvements. Government stimulus checks and stay-at-home meals have put some extra money in the pockets of many people and they are putting it to good use, especially if they’re thinking about selling.
Curb appeal is an old real estate adage that never loses its importance and this is a good place to start. There are buyers who won’t get out of their car if they see something they don’t like and it can be something very minor like a broken flowerpot or walkways in need of repair. Little things like doorknobs that are loose or worn, peeling paint or rotting wood around doors and windows send the wrong message.
We live on an island. Paint your front door with a bold hue, reminding buyers you live on the coast. Add a colorful piece of furniture to cozy up the entry and add plants or replace the ones that are starting to get tired. Lighting outside is also important, so a few walkway lights highlighting your manicured lawn will start to make a difference going into the winter months when sunset comes early.
Whenever I talk about getting your home ready for sale, I always mention clean windows. It may seem like a logical and little thing, but believe me, if you live on or near the water, clean windows are a constant challenge and one you need to be especially vigilant of when selling.
The other thing I always talk about is removing objects from your home. Clean off countertops in both kitchen and bathrooms. It’s nice to have some family photos, but walls and walls and tables covered with them are only a distraction to potential buyers. Same with any collections you have displayed on shelves or bookcases. The less stuff you have, the larger your living space will appear. Turn the lights on, open the window coverings and illuminate any dark corners.
This sprucing up comes at an opportune time for Anna Maria and the coastal communities of Manatee County. Typically, homeowners who may be thinking about placing their property on the market would be getting ready to work on their punch list before selling. Now, however, many of the jobs are already done and even though the summer market has been really good, we can anticipate that the fall and winter market will be even better.
Think of your home as purchasing a really elegant dress and then adding shabby, worn shoes. Peeling paint, dead plants and broken walkways are the shabby shoes of your home. Keep painting and stay safe.
CORTEZ – Developer Marshall Gobuty plans to enlarge the homes in the proposed Hunters Point project in Cortez, but will not increase the proposed number of homes, he said.
Gobuty, the founder and president of Pearl Homes, told The Sun that he plans to build 86 new homes in the Hunters Point Pearl Homes & Marina. The new homes will be built on the 18.7-acre property at 12505 Cortez Road W. surrounded on three sides by a canal that connects to the Intracoastal Waterway.
The Hunters Point Resort & Marina project narrative first released in late 2017 included this illustration of a proposed coastal cottage. – Pearl Homes | Submitted
In 2018, the Manatee County Commission unanimously approved the Hunters Point rezoning request and preliminary site plan that allow 86 single-family homes to be built on 32½- by 62-foot lots that provide 2,113 square feet of space per lot.
The county approvals also allow for 62 hotel rooms, 11,100 square feet of commercial space, a 17-slip marina, 31 boat slips along the canal and one water taxi slip.
When the project was presented to county commissioners, architect Beth McDougal said the two-bedroom “Florida Cracker” style cottages would provide approximately 494 square feet of air-conditioned space.
“We’re trying to make them a little bit bigger. People want another bedroom.” – Marshall Gobuty, Pearl Homes President
The original project renderings showed “coastal cottages” with a single living level and wrap-around and rooftop decks. The renderings now posted at the Hunters Point website illustrate homes that feature two elevated living levels above ground level garage and storage areas.
In February 2019, The Sun toured the single-level Hunters Point model home constructed inside a warehouse in Palmetto, minus the ground level garage and storage area. The two-bedroom model home did not feature a second living level and the rooftop served as a large open-air deck that also provided space for solar panels.
In February 2019, the Hunters Point home plans looked like this. – Pearl Homes | Submitted
When discussing the ongoing design modifications, Gobuty said, “We’re trying to make them a little bit bigger. People want another bedroom. We’re trying to get a third bedroom.”
The design revisions will also create more air-conditioned space.
“The presentation we did for the county shows a total living space of 3,302 square feet. That was based on the deck and the house itself. We’re still looking at overall living space of around 2,300-2,400 square feet, but the under-air space is probably going to run 800 to 1,500 square feet,” Gobuty said, noting homeowners will have the option to enclose their lanais to provide additional air-conditioned space.
In February 2019, The Sun toured the model home built inside a warehouse in Palmetto. – Pearl Homes | Submitted
Gobuty said each Hunters Point home will come equipped with solar panels and solar batteries as originally proposed. The intent is for each home to generate more electricity than it uses, thus achieving the net-zero energy use standard.
Gobuty envisions people moving into their new homes in early 2022.
Gobuty said the design modifications do not require additional county commission approval.
“That’s what’s approved, that’s what’s entitled, that’s not changing. I’m entitled for 148 units. We’re going to build 86 homes. That’s almost 50% less than our approved density. We said we’d build net-zero, LEED-certified homes and that’s what we’re building,” Gobuty said.
When contacted Monday, Manatee County Building and Development Services Director John Barnott confirmed Gobuty’s statement regarding additional county commission approval.
“We would review that in the final site plan. He still has to meet the setback requirements, but if the density’s not changing, it’s OK. The board approved x-number of units and that’s what we’ll hold him to,” Barnott said, noting the final site plan review will be conducted by county staff.
Gobuty said the proposed location for a hotel at the southwest corner of the property is no longer available because the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) plans to use that area for stormwater retention as part of its future Cortez Bridge replacement project.
“FDOT came to us and said we can’t build there, so we are focused on the 86 single-family homes. We are entitled for 62 hotel rooms and maybe we’ll make 20,” Gobuty said.
Gobuty said the development could include some retail/commercial space as an alternative to hotel rooms, but the space lost to the bridge project prevents the inclusion of both.
Sales team announced
According to a press release dated Aug. 11, Pearl Homes has named Compass Development Marketing Group as the exclusive real estate agent for Hunters Point.
Issued by Compass, the press release mentions a “148-unit coastal lifestyle community soon to be constructed in Cortez overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.”
According to the press release, “The resort community and marina will consist of 99 homes for sale as well offer several dozen hotel units for sustainably-minded travelers.”
The site plan rendering Gobuty provided with the press release indicates 99 numbered lots, a small office building and no hotel.
This latest site plan rendering provided by developer Marshall Gobuty indicates 99 residential lots. – Pearl Homes | Submitted
When asked about the press release and site plan referencing 99 homes, Gobuty said the press release is already outdated due to the ongoing discussions with FDOT. He reiterated that his primary focus is to build and sell 86 single-family homes.
Property ownership
While operating as Florida Land Enterprises in early 2016, Gobuty and Bradenton resident Eric Grimes purchased the property formerly known as Hunters Hill from Swedish businessman Peter Thurell for $10 million.
Thurell bought the property from Frank Cipriani in 2002 and planned to build 36 two-story, single-family fishing village-style cottages and six townhouses atop 7,000 square feet of retail space.
According to the Certificate of Amendment to Operating Agreement dated June 8, 2016, Gobuty and Grimes were each listed as having 44% interest in Florida Land Enterprises at that time, with Pete Hoyt having 5%, Dennis LaSota having 5.5% and Bradford Meek having a 1.5% interest in the LLC.
In November 2016, Florida Land Enterprises changed its name to Cortez Road Investments and Finance, with Gobuty listed as president.
According to Gobuty, Grimes is no longer part of the Hunters Point project.
“We parted ways before the project was presented to the county commission. Pete, Brad and Dennis are still involved,” Gobuty said.
Grimes did not respond to The Sun’s request for comment.
MANATEE COUNTY – Churches and all other houses of worship are now excluded from the mandatory face-covering provisions included in a recent Manatee County resolution.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, county commissioners voted 6-1 in favor of immediately excluding churches and places of worship from the face-covering mandates included in county resolution R-20-116, adopted on July 27.
County Commissioner Carol Whitmore made the motion to exempt houses of worship and to direct the county attorney’s office to present at the next commission meeting an amended resolution reflecting this change.
Whitmore said she made the motion because County Administrator Cherri Coryea and Public Safety Director Jake Sauer ensured the commission that the spread of the COVID-19 virus is currently flattening and declining in Manatee County.
County Commissioner Carol Whitmore proposed the face-covering exclusion for churches. – Manatee County | Submitted
Although they supported Whitmore’s motion, commissioners Reggie Bellamy, Betsy Benac and Misty Servia expressed lingering public safety concerns about church congregations potentially contributing to the spread of the virus. Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said houses of worship should never have been included in the resolution.
Commissioner Steve Jonsson cast the only opposition vote. He said this was because of his general opposition to the original resolution, and not because he opposed excluding houses of worship.
In July, Whitmore, Benac, Bellamy and Servia supported the face-covering resolution and Baugh, Jonsson and Priscilla Trace opposed it.
“An individual in a business establishment must wear a face covering while in that business establishment,” the resolution says.
According to the original resolution, “The term ‘business establishment’ also includes places of worship.” The language referring to houses of worship is no longer valid and will be removed in the amended resolution.
The county resolution applies to the unincorporated areas of Manatee County, which includes Cortez. It also applies to the cities of Bradenton Beach and Palmetto, which have not adopted their own city-specific face-covering mandates. Face-covering mandates previously enacted in Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton do not specifically reference houses of worship.
County Attorney Mickey Palmer and Chief Assistant County Attorney Bill Clague told the commission that removing the houses of worship reference does not diminish the county’s ability to defend the resolution being challenged in a lawsuit filed on Aug. 2 by Joel Tillis – Senior Pastor of the Suncoast Baptist Church in Palmetto – and State Rep. Anthony Sabatini. The lawsuit alleges the county resolution is unconstitutional because it violates the privacy, due process and religious freedom clauses in the Florida Constitution.
Tillis was among the religious leaders who attended Tuesday’s meeting and called for the houses of worship exclusion.
Pastor Joel Tillis asked county commissioners to exclude houses of worship from the county’s face-covering mandate. – Manatee County | Submitted
“I do not call into question the intent of your mask resolution. But I do call into question the unintended consequences that have inflicted unnecessary difficulty and strain on one of this nation’s most sacred institutions: that is houses of worship. The resolution redefined houses of worship fundamentally to be no more sacred than a Walmart or Wendy’s. Surely you did not intend that,” Tillis said.
“The resolution is fundamentally unfair to houses of worship. One can reserve a table for 15 at The Cheesecake Factory and take off the masks for two hours to eat and drink, yet to do so in a house of God is to break the very resolution that you have passed. The people that I represent have, are, and will continue to defy what we believe is an unconstitutional and insensitive resolution. I humbly ask for you to provide an exemption for houses of worship,” Tillis said.
When contacted later in the week, Palmer was asked what impact the commission decision has on the still-pending lawsuit.
“We believe that the plaintiff’s lawsuit complaint is rendered moot as it relates to houses of worship. There are other aspects of the plaintiff’s complaint, however, that are unrelated to the houses of worship issue. As to the unrelated issues, those will presumably survive the mootness argument but may very well be disposed of in a forthcoming motion to dismiss,” Palmer said.
The clear, pale green halo of light stood out in stark relief, surrounded by inky dark water at the end of the boat basin. The properties and docks that encircled the water, normally bustling with activity, were eerily quiet in the pre-dawn darkness.
Captain Rick Grassett cut his outboard 100 yards away and used the electric trolling motor to ease us into position so we could peer into the netherworld below. Turning off the electric motor, we drifted into casting distance and quietly lowered the anchor. As we stripped line from our fly reels and prepared to cast, an ethereal world appeared. Schools of small baitfish and mullet darted into and out of the shadows and the dark shapes of snook and tarpon prowled the edges of the light.
On his first cast, a 30-pound tarpon tracked Grassett’s fly from the edges of the light, turning off only a few feet from the boat’s transom. On the next cast, a snook pounced on the fly just as it landed near the circle of light. The snook put on a characteristic aerial display with multiple jumps and a few spirited runs before it was landed, revived and released. The action put the other fish down and when we would have normally backed off and let them return, we decided to head to a local pass for the change of tide before dawn.
Grassett was one of the first anglers to popularize night snook fishing in the Sarasota/Venice area, and for more than three decades, he has divined the secrets of nocturnal gamefish.
These highly-sought-after species congregate around lights on the Intracoastal Waterway and in the local passes. The lights are a magnet to small baitfish, shrimp and crabs, and snook, tarpon, redfish and other predators target them there. Grassett has learned the best time to target fish at night is during a moving tide. Through trial and error, he has found that these predators prefer certain dock and bridge lights during a falling tide and others during a rising tide. He has also learned the important relationship between lights and nearby structure, ledges and grass flats.
After a short run to a nearby pass, we pulled close to a lighted dock and once again got into position to cast. The tide was just starting to come in and I wondered if the move might have been a mistake. There were a few fish in the lights and one occasionally came to the surface to chase a shrimp, but the action was slow and the fish deep in the water column. In the next few minutes, the whole scene morphed completely as the tide picked up steam and snook piled into the lights, crashing prey at the surface. In the next 45 minutes, we landed and released more than a dozen snook before the action started to slow.
We left the fish biting as the horizon started to lighten because we wanted to check a couple of other areas for tarpon before the summer sun chased us off the water. The air was cool as we headed towards Longboat Key and as a bonus, we were treated to a fiery sunrise over the Sarasota skyline. When we arrived at our first stop, we immediately saw a large tarpon roll in the basin we intended to fish. Moments later other small fish rose to the surface. I was fishing a sink tip line with a small white baitfish fly while Grasset used a DOA Terrorize on 8-pound spinning tackle. A few minutes later Grassett was hooked up to a tarpon we estimated at 25 pounds. The fish put on a hard 15-minute fight with several jumps before we landed and released it. Once again, we left fish to scout one more spot across the bay. The tarpon were thick in a basin there too but weren’t in a feeding mood so we headed back to the ramp before the sun rose above clouds on the horizon. The only time we broke a sweat was as we loaded the boat on the trailer, but the promise of air conditioning and the action we experienced that morning made it all worthwhile.
If you can forgo a few hours of sleep in the pre-dawn hours during our “Dog Days” of summer, you can experience some epic action. The combination of cool temperatures, with peace, quiet and action makes it one of my favorite times to fish. Grassett can show you the ropes, a good way to be introduced to this nocturnal world. He can be reached at 941-350-9790. Check out his web site at www.snookfin-addict.com.
ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce’s 20th annual Bayfest celebration has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chamber officials hoped to host a two-day Bayfest event on and along Pine Avenue beginning with a parade on Friday, Oct. 16, concluding with the traditional Bayfest activities on Saturday, Oct. 17.
During Thursday’s meeting, the Anna Maria City Commission delayed the approval of the chamber’s special event permit request that had been previously and tentatively approved on June 11.
Mayor Dan Murphy prefaced Thursday’s discussion by noting that when the permit was approved in June, it was stated that the permitting approval might have to be re-evaluated as the Bayfest date drew closer.
Bev Kilpatrick and Cathy Pizzo represented the chamber at Thursday’s meeting.
Kilpatrick told the commission the chamber planned to take all necessary precautions to help ensure the safety of the Bayfest volunteers, chamber members, festival attendees and vendors. She said the precautions would include limited entry and exit points; mandatory masks for all attendees and participants, temperature checks for volunteers and chamber members, plexiglass partitions and 6-foot social distancing requirements.
Pizzo said approximately 40 vendors expressed initial interest in participating in Bayfest 2020.
Commission Chair Carol Carter asked how many people attend Bayfest at a time. Pizzo guessed there might be 1,500 people in attendance at any given time.
Commissioner Mark Short noted the city remains under a declared local state of emergency due to the ongoing pandemic. Murphy said the local state of emergency and the city’s indoor mask mandate would not preclude an outdoor festival from taking place.
Commissioner Joe Muscatello noted the city already canceled its Veterans Day parade scheduled for early November. Carter noted the city previously canceled its Memorial Day and Fourth of July celebrations and the Thanks-Living potluck dinner at City Pier Park is not taking place this year.
Carter said she was concerned about the impact a large gathering might have on the city’s elderly residents.
Commissioner Jon Crane said, “This particular chamber is one of best I’ve seen, but I’m very conservative about crowds. I’m really concerned about that. I’d love you guys to do well, but I don’t want my constituents to get sick.”
Muscatello asked if postponing Bayfest until early 2021 might provide the chamber with a more successful event in terms of fundraising. He was told Bayfest would be the third AMI Chamber fundraiser to be canceled this year, preceded by a food truck festival and a golf tournament. It was noted these three events account for a significant portion of the chamber’s event-oriented fundraising efforts.
“It’s a great event. The chamber is invaluable to the Island, but like Commissioner Crane, I do share the same concerns of having potentially several thousand people walking the streets of the city,” Short said.
City commissioners were concerned about large Bayfest crowds walking the streets during the ongoing pandemic. – Tom Vaught | Sun
Short noted mandatory masks and maintaining 6 feet of social distancing can be difficult to enforce at large gatherings and it would only take one carful of people coming into the festival without masks to create a chaotic situation.
“I have big concerns about the timing of the event, given we’re still not through the COVID issue at this point in time,” Short said.
Muscatello said he was sorry to make the motion to delay approval of the special event permit. He said he hopes the city will do all it can to help ensure that Bayfest is a success if held early next year. The commission voted 5-0 to delay the special event permit issuance.
Kilpatrick and Pizzo said they understood the commission’s concerns, appreciated the city’s support and want to continue the successful partnership that exists between the chamber and the city.
Last year’s Bayfest was held at The Center of Anna Maria Island due to inclement weather.
BRADENTON – The budget for West Manatee Fire Rescue’s 2020-21 fiscal year is one step closer to approval.
Commissioners held a first public hearing for the new budget during an Aug. 25 meeting held via Zoom. No members of the public offered comment on the budget, though they’ll have a second chance when commissioners hold a final budget hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Chief Ben Rigney said that the budget process began in January with a mid-year update and budget conference for commissioners in late April. Commissioners opted to go with a 2.6% increase, well below the allowable 5.46% increase limit. The amount the district can raise rates is based on a rolling five-year personal income growth number used to estimate increases in taxpayer income. WMFR collects fees from property owners in the district using a non-ad valorem assessment rate which is tied to the size of a property, not its value. A base rate is assessed and then an additional rate per square foot over 1,000 square feet, with different rates for residential and commercial properties.
The 2.6% increase is the break-even point for the district. Rigney said that he estimates $7,519,795 will be brought in from assessments. At the end of the 2020-21 fiscal year, Rigney said he estimates that about $500,000 will be left in the district’s unassigned fund after planned expenditures, including the construction of new administrative offices.
Few changes were made to the budget from the preliminary budget presented in the spring, he said. Some of the changes include a $20,000 increase in personnel services due to increases in worker’s compensation insurance. Due to more firefighters electing to pursue additional training, Rigney said about $2,000 was added to the training budget. With the prospective construction of a new administration building, $25,000 also was added to the special services budget for contract services.
Including planned capital expenses, the district’s total operating expenses are planned to end the year at $9,410,362, including the spending of $180,000 in impact fees and $1,451,000 in saved unassigned funds to help build the new administrative offices.
HOLMES BEACH – Roger the mannequin is back home in one piece, and his owner, Maggie Patall, is thrilled.
“He’s happy to be home with his community,” Patall said after Roger’s missing limbs were found and returned to her last week. “I’m so grateful to all my neighbors and friends for helping in the hunt for Roger. I’m sure that’s why I have him back!”
Roger went missing from Patall’s second-floor balcony on Thursday, Aug. 20, though the kidnapping – officially designated a theft – wasn’t noticed until Saturday. Patall’s friends, community members and local law enforcement all began searching for the missing mannequin and one priceless item that he was wearing when he disappeared – a tuxedo jacket that had been owned by Patall’s deceased husband.
Several social media posts, including one on the Nextdoor app, helped locate Roger’s head and torso, which were found on the beach on Friday, Aug. 21 and confiscated by a Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy. Holmes Beach police officers took possession of the grisly finds as they continued the investigation into the crime.
Patall had almost given up hope that the rest of Roger and her husband’s tuxedo jacket would be found when Omar Padro reached out on Facebook, posting a photo of the mannequin’s arms, legs, sunglasses and tuxedo jacket, all of which he found the following Tuesday, dumped unceremoniously at a beach access in Holmes Beach.
Padro’s post made it to Patall’s friend, Melissa Rash, who helped him get Roger’s limbs and clothing back home to his owner.
Padro declined to be interviewed by The Sun but said he was glad to have been able to help bring Roger and his tuxedo home to Patall.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the overwhelming response from locals and tourists alike,” said Rash, who spearheaded the social media call to arms seeking information about Roger. “Our community is absolutely amazing and so supportive of our residents. Residents were scouring beach ends and digging through trash cans trying to locate Roger and the missing tuxedo.”
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer delivers Roger’s torso home to Maggie Patall. – Submitted | HBPD
HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer cleaned up Roger’s torso and head and returned them to Patall, enabling her to put Roger back together again. She reported that Roger was relaxing in his favorite chair on her second-floor balcony overlooking Gulf Drive by Tuesday afternoon.
“We are very happy to be able to return Roger to his rightful place in Holmes Beach,” Tokajer said, adding that Patall was “ecstatic” to get both the mannequin and the tuxedo back. “We’re glad to have him back with Maggie where he belongs.”
With nine teams in the league, the ninth seed team was destined not to make the playoffs. Last place Gulfview Windows, finishing with a record of 2-4-2, found itself out of contention with a tie against Blalock Walters last Thursday night.
The two goals by both Daniel Adan and Keith Mahoney, along with a single by Raul Loera, just was not enough for the Gulfview team.
Five points were put on the scoreboard by the Blalock offense. Matthew Plummer nailed two shots. Teammates Austin Nutting and Matthew Staggs had solo goals in the game, contributing to the team’s scoring.
Beach Bums solidified the first place seed with their 7-4 win against Moss Builders. Kevin Roman had the hot foot with five goals in the game for the winning team.
Like old times, PJ Smargisso takes the soccer field at The Center for some community center adult league fun. – The Center | Submitted
Ryan Moss, Aaron Parkin and Tim Holly were the scorers for Moss Builders in their loss, putting them in the #7 position going into the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
Leading the pack early in the season, Sato Real Estate ended the regular season in second place. Their win Thursday pushed them past the other top contenders, Ross Built Construction and Solid Rock Construction.
In another tie ballgame, Ross Built Construction and Signature Granite each snuck three soccer balls past the defending goalie. The late game included goals by Greg and Jake Ross, as well as Garrett Furman for Ross Built Construction.
Zack Lieb and Kris Yavalar scored the three points for Signature Granite.
The top scorers of the league finishing the regular season are Chris Scott and Daniel Adan with 17 goals each. Roman finished a close second. scoring 16 goals in the nine weeks of friendly competition.
Joey Hutchison’s statistics note eight assists in the season to top the charts. Hutchison is followed by Amy Ivin, Parkin, Scott and Danny Anderson with seven assists each.
The league’s goalkeepers were kept very busy in the eight games that they played in The Center’s summer league. Moss topped the charts with 63 saves. Steve Oelfke had 62 stops with Mark Long in third getting in the way of 57 shots.
The playoff season starts Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. with Solid Rock Construction going head-to-head against Vintage Beach. The second playoff game has Moss Builders versus Ross Built Construction on The Center’s pitch.
Top-ranked Beach Bums faces former champions Blalock Walters at 8 p.m. The last game of the night puts Sato Real Estate on the field with Signature Granite vying for the last semifinal seat.
The above-the-fold headline in a national newspaper a couple of weeks ago said this: “Home sales reach lofty heights.” My real estate heart started fluttering even before I read the first sentence, and by the time I was done, I was swooning.
As it turned out, my flutter was well-deserved and somewhat understated. According to the National Associations of Realtors, existing home sales rose 24.7% in July from a month before; just to be clear, that’s one month. The annual increase in sales from July of last year increased 8.7%. The last time sales activity was this high was in December of 2006.
These are spectacular numbers nationally, leading Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtor’s (NAR) chief economist, to say, “the housing market is actually past the recovery phase and is now in a booming stage.” A strong housing market is always a positive sign for the economy; home purchases lead to increased spending across the board on furniture, appliances, renovations and landscaping.
How is all this possible? We’re still in the middle of a pandemic. Millions of people are out of work, it’s summer and it’s an active hurricane season. The answer in part appears to be that Americans are totally rethinking where and how they live and they are not wasting any time looking for a change in lifestyle. According to a survey by realtor.com, about 40% of home buyers are looking to buy soon and are not waiting for the virus to slow down.
Everyone wants a reboot after being stuck at home for five months watching the walls closing in. Condominium owners want single-family homes and single-family homeowners want larger and more spread out property. City dwellers want the suburbs or country living and everyone wants to change the negative features in their homes that they may have just noticed. This activity is not only affecting the resale market but the new home market, which represents about 10% of the real estate market, is also roaring back.
And speaking of spectacular, Manatee County’s sales numbers for July are right up there with the national numbers.
There was a 26.7% increase in the sale of single-family homes from July of last year to this year. The median (half above, half below) price of single-family homes was $358,963, a 10.5% increase from last year. It should be noted that the national median home price for July was $304,100 – a record high.
The single-family average sale price was $476,011, an increase of 21.7%, with a median time to contract of only 37 days. Pending inventory was up 25.7%, and we’re still suffering from a serious lack of inventory down to only 2.3 months available properties.
Condos closed 16.5% more units in July over last year and the median sales price was $220,000, up 15.2%. The average condo sale price was $270,527 up 24.9% from last year and the median time to contract was 64 days. Pending inventory is up 42% and the month’s supply of available properties is 3.6%.
Another interesting turn is that nationally, first-time buyers accounted for 34% of sales in July per the NAR. Many of these first-time buyers are millennials who are being motivated by the virus to get off the sidelines, start families and adjust their lifestyles. This is a surprise to me but it’s true, a lot of young people are working remotely, still getting paid and for some reason don’t want to let the virus dictate their future. Good for them.
Well, now that my heart’s rhythm is back to normal, I can stop worrying about the real estate market for a while and concentrate on COVID and hurricanes; there is always something. Stay safe.
ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy plans to present city commissioners with a shortlist containing his top two recommended City Pier grill and bait shop bidders on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
During the emergency city commission meeting at 10 a.m., the current four-member commission that consists of Carol Carter, Jon Crane, Joe Muscatello and Mark Short will accept, reject or modify Murphy’s proposed shortlist. Due to her recently announced resignation, Amy Tripp’s commission term officially ends Tuesday and she will not participate in the discussion.
The two commission-approved shortlist candidates that emerge from Tuesday’s meeting will then be given an opportunity at a future meeting to present their lease proposals and plans to operate a takeout grill and bait shop in the city-owned bait shop building at the T-end of the new City Pier.
When those presentations are made, the commissioners will individually rank the two finalists according to their first and second preferences. The individual rankings will then be tallied and Murphy will be authorized to attempt to negotiate a five-year lease with the commission’s top-ranked bidder.
The commission agreed to move forward in this manner during Thursday evening’s regular commission meeting. When recommending the shortlist approach, Murphy did not indicate which two bidders would make his shortlist or whether he had yet made that determination.
The city received four bid proposals in response to its request for proposals (RFP). The RFP sought a grill and bait shop tenant to occupy the bait shop building on the left side of the pier, as viewed from shore. According to the RFP, the bait shop building provides approximately 300 square feet of interior space.
The sealed bids were opened at city hall on Friday, Aug. 21. The names of the bidders were announced, but no additional bid proposal details have been provided to the public. The proposals have been provided to the commissioners for their review.
The city received proposals from:
F.P. Growth Partners, represented by Patrick Coleman, whose business operations include Poppo’s Taqueria locations in Anna Maria and Bradenton;
Brian Seymour, Vic Mattay and Nicholas Graham from The Anna Maria General Store & Deli and Dips Ice Cream in Anna Maria and Graham Slam fishing charters in Cortez;
The father-daughter team of Sherman and Sarah Baldwin, whose Tevatan LLC operates Paradise Boat Tours and Bridge Street Bait Shop in Bradenton Beach and Hart’s Landing in Sarasota; and
Harry’s Continental Kitchens in Longboat Key.
The city is not currently seeking a tenant to operate a full-service restaurant tenant in the larger pier building, whose future use remains undetermined.
On July 30, the commission voted 3-2 to reject the lease proposal submitted by Mike Ross and Ugly Grouper LLC. On Jan. 10, the commission unanimously rejected a lease offer proposed by Mario Schoenfelder, the longtime tenant of the old City Pier, which was closed in 2017 and demolished in 2018.
On June 19, the new City Pier opened on a limited basis and currently remains open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City Pier will be open seven days a week when the grill and bait shop tenant begins business operations.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, city hall capacity remains limited. In-person meeting attendance is allowed, but attendees must wear face coverings. Tuesday’s meeting can also be accessed via teleconferencing by calling 1-929-205-6099 and entering the meeting ID, which is 81286532578.
BRADENTON – The horseback riding operations along the Palma Sola Causeway on Manatee Avenue West are again under scrutiny, this time by Bradenton City Council members.
During an Aug. 19 emergency meeting, council members voted unanimously to have City Attorney Scott Rudacille look into what the city can do to help mitigate issues caused by the riding operations. Issues discussed include the damage to seagrass, which could potentially lead to erosion and cause damage to the roadway, pollution from animal excrement and safety hazards from having so many horses on the side of the road in an area where families come to relax on the beach.
The same issues were discussed the week before in a Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity meeting when two Palma Sola Bay residents, Robert Lombardo and Clif Gaus spoke. The two also appeared at the Bradenton City Council meeting.
The Sarasota County Water Atlas lists both the north and south sides of Palma Sola Bay as impaired according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s impaired waters rule. Impairments listed include fecal coliform and other bacteria. The latest water tests were done in late December 2019. Seagrass coverage for the area is listed as regressing from continuous to patchy in the north side area where the horses are ridden.
The issue of the horses was brought up in late 2019 before Manatee County commissioners who decided not to pursue regulation. Under Manatee County law, the horses also are labeled as a form of transportation, allowing them to be ridden on the causeway. Though the business is conducted in FDOT’s right of way, the city of Bradenton is charged with enforcement in the area.
While the horses aren’t a new fixture on the north side of the causeway, recent barriers to the practice in Pinellas County have led to more companies moving their riding businesses to the causeway. During the Palma Sola CME meeting, one member stated that 10 companies now advertise horseback riding on the causeway.
Maps from the Florida Department of Transportation show that the department lays claim to the right of way stretching 75 feet from the center of the roadway. A 2012 letter from Lance Grace with FDOT in response to concerns about the riding businesses states that while the department’s concern is for the “safety of the traveling public,” it allows for use of the right of way on the causeway for public recreation purposes and cannot block one recreation use while allowing others to continue. The letter suggests pursuing the issue with local governmental agencies and the Manatee County Department of Health, which monitors water quality in Palma Sola Bay.
View from the saddle
While some of the riding operators who have spoken to The Sun are not opposed to some type of regulation over the businesses using the causeway, they don’t want to see riding banned as it was in Pinellas County.
Carmen Herrmann Hanson of C Ponies, one of the companies offering horseback rides along the causeway, said that she feels the uptick in the number of horses on the roadside beaches is due partially to the COVID-19 pandemic. With people trying to find safe, outdoor activities, she said she feels more people are coming out to play on the causeway, from riding Jet Skis to riding horses or just relaxing on the sand.
As for her business, she said her employees know where the seagrass is and they stick to the harder, sandy areas where it’s not so soft that it could cause the horses to stumble. She suggested that the city or FDOT put signs in the area to specify that horses or small watercraft are not allowed to launch where the seagrass is, noting that the watercraft used on the south side of the causeway at low tide cause serious damage to seagrasses.
Hanson said she’s not opposed to some type of regulation for the riding businesses and even suggested that the horse operators and other companies doing business on the causeway contribute to a seagrass mitigation fund to help repair some of the damage to the area’s seagrass, though she added that the suggestion didn’t go anywhere with area leaders.
Tropical storms Laura and Marco missed Anna Maria Island, but summer storms continue; here, clouds roll towards Jewfish Key, south of the Island in the Intracoastal Waterway.
HOLMES BEACH – If you travel down Gulf Drive, you may notice that something’s missing.
Roger the mannequin, a beloved neighborhood personality, is gone.
Roger sat on a second-floor balcony at Maggie Patall’s home, watching over Gulf Drive and giving a friendly wave to passersby. Patall dressed Roger up for every occasion from Easter to Halloween, New Year’s Eve and every holiday in between. Neighbors and visitors alike say that they always looked forward to visiting Roger and seeing what he was up to.
While Patall slept on Thursday night, Aug. 20, someone managed to climb to the second-floor balcony where Roger sat and took the mannequin. Patall didn’t notice the theft until Friday and she contacted the Holmes Beach police, who are looking into the case. A local Holmes Beach resident, Gale Tedhams, said that she saw a mannequin torso on the beach early Friday morning. The mannequin torso was reported to authorities and picked up by a Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy, then later claimed by HBPD officers.
Maggie Patall gives Roger the mannequin a smooch after dressing him up for Halloween. The tuxedo jacket Roger is wearing and the one that Patall hopes is found, belonged to her late husband, Peter. – Submitted
No other pieces of Roger have been found.
A shark attack has not been ruled out.
Once the community found out about Roger’s theft, social media posts spread with people expressing their sympathy to Patall and trying to find the missing mannequin.
“The neighborhood and community have been so wonderful,” Patall said of the support she’s received. “It’s heartwarming to see the concern expressed by neighbors and the local police.”
And while Patall mourns the loss of Roger, what she really misses is what he was wearing – her late husband’s tuxedo jacket. When the torso was found, the tuxedo jacket was nowhere in sight. Patall asks that anyone with any information on the theft or the location of the missing tuxedo jacket contact the HBPD at 941-778-COPS (2677).
