Year: 2023

BRADENTON BEACH – The proposed hotel/restaurant/retail project on Bridge Street is a go, with 106 rooms, a 60-seat restaurant, 5,396 square feet of retail space and 154 on-site parking spaces.

At the end of a four-hour city commission public hearing on Thursday night in which revisions to parking and hotel design were presented, commissioners voted unanimously to approve the project.

Following a Nov. 13 recommendation by the city Planning and Zoning Board, the Dec. 7 hearing was the second public hearing at which commissioners considered three items: A major development consisting of a resort hotel, restaurant, retail space and parking; recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Board; and the second reading of Ordinance 23-552 establishing a Planned Development Overlay District.

“I want to tell the commission that this is a dream of mine,” co-applicant Shawn Kaleta said at the hearing. “We care deeply about the Island. This will be an aesthetically pleasing high-end luxury resort.”

Kaleta and his co-applicant, Jacob Spooner, were represented by attorney Stephen Thompson of Najmy Thompson, architect Shaun Luttrell, planner Susan Swift and traffic engineer Jay Calhoun. Spooner is a Bradenton Beach City Commissioner and recused himself from the hearings.

DESIGN CHANGES

At their first public hearing on Nov. 16, commissioners expressed concern about the design of the hotel, specifically a lack of balconies and covered pedestrian areas, along with a shortage of parking. The applicants’ team came prepared on Dec. 7 with a number of changes to the design.

“At the last hearing your comments were heard loud and clear,” Luttrell said.

Luttrell’s new plans consisted of the addition of an 8-foot covered walkway, bike racks, balconies and additional on-site parking with 38 dedicated spots for a lift system. The parking lift elevates a vehicle hydraulically on a platform, creating space for another vehicle to park underneath. Valets will park vehicles on the lifts.

“With the lift system, this brings us up to 154 spots, which is 10% above what is required,” Luttrell said. The previous parking plan had 99 designated parking spaces.

In a Dec. 5 email to City Planner Luis Serna from Luttrell, the following stipulations were proposed by the applicants in response to commission concerns from the Nov. 16 hearing:

• “Gulf Drive Setback – We will abide by the 15-foot building from the property line along Gulf Drive setback in lieu of the previously proposed 10-foot and 20-foot staggered building setbacks;

• Bridge Street Pedestrian Experience – Feedback was well received and we will pursue a covered walkway at the ground level to allow a more pedestrian-friendly experience, free from the elements. This will still allow pedestrians along Bridge Street to utilize the private property of the hotel to access the shops along Bridge Street;

• Bridge Street Activity/Engagement – Again, feedback from the commissioners was impactful. Accordingly, we will pursue a series of balconies at all guest suites to improve the social interaction between the hotel rooms and Bridge Street.”

Commissioner Jan Vosburgh asked about the timeline for the project.

“The sooner the better,” Kaleta said. “I have my demo crews mobilized.”

Demolition on Joe’s Eats and Sweets on Gulf Drive began on Monday.

PROJECT SIZE CONCERNS

Commissioner Ralph Cole expressed concern about the Land Development Code and city Comprehensive Plan that state that 18 units per acre are allowable. The 106-unit hotel will be on 1.61 acres. He also expressed concern and questioned whether the rooftop pool area would boost the building into four stories, in excess of the allowable three stories.

“I want to approve this, but I want to make sure I’m not changing the face of Bradenton Beach,” Cole said.

Swift and city staff addressed Cole’s concerns.

“I think the confusion is because the city’s code uses many terms for different kinds of units in the Bridge Street overlay,” Swift said. “Your code is challenging. It specifically says commercial uses, allowable uses – this is on Bridge Street – equal hotel, motel, bar, restaurant, retail etc. So I think what’s causing the confusion of the 18 units per acre, that is not the right measure. That talks about timesharing, Airbnb, those kinds of units which are more residentially designed so that is why they used 18 units per acre. This is a hotel, an integrated building, not with separate entrances. They’re not residential units that are being used for renting.”

As commercial buildings are measured by floor area ratio, Swift said the hotel project is well within those guidelines.

Building official Steve Gilbert cited the Florida Building Code, which confirmed that a rooftop-level pool deck is not considered a fourth story.

Kaleta said that he owns 12 lots on the property that could be built with 10 units each with a total of 240 bedrooms.

“That is substantial density,” Kaleta said. “We have eliminated roughly 150 units (with the hotel).”

“We understand what could be there,” Mayor John Chappie said.

While there was no public comment session during the second hearing, Bob Bolus, a Bradenton Beach property owner who has been a vocal opponent of the hotel, stood up during the meeting and told commissioners the hotel is a mistake.

Chappie told Bolus he was out of order and two police officers stepped forward. Bolus left the meeting without further incident.

“This is going to court,” Bolus said following the hearing, adding that he plans to file a lawsuit to stop the project.

Prior to the commission vote, Thompson addressed commissioners.

“We’re going to meet all of your parking requirements,” he said. “You have a rare opportunity for a quality project on Bradenton Beach.”

Thompson urged the commission to make a decision.

“We need an answer. We need a decision,” he said.

Kaleta also addressed the commission prior to the vote.

“I’m here to get an answer,” he said. “I have to make a business decision in a timely manner. We’re coming into season and I have to remove one building. I can’t do that until there is a commission approval or denial.”

Commissioners Cole, Vosburgh and Chappie, along with Commissioner Marilyn Maro voted unanimously to approve the project. Maro, who has been absent with excuse from the commission meetings since January, voted by telephone.

One stipulation of approval is that applicants will split 50/50 any cost associated with any litigation the city may incur related to the approval of the project. Also, the city would be held harmless for any damage caused by the lifts in the parking garage.

The commission also adopted two recommended stipulations for the Planning and Zoning Board – the hotel will have blackout curtains and educational information about sea turtles and the prevention of ambient lighting from rooms facing the beach, and the applicants shall provide an easement to the trash receptacles serving the Daiquiri Deck property at 107 Bridge St. and grant an easement for the use of the hotel’s dumpsters.