We would like to extend a special thank you to all who spoke during public comment at the public hearing for the extensive site plan application for the former Wells Fargo property in Holmes Beach City Center.
What was previously a “sleepy” bank at an already tenuous intersection where there was a recent fatality, there will now be retail, indoor and outdoor dining, miniature golf, an arcade, a tour boat, an ice cream shop and storage facilities. It will have 125 seats, 93 parking spaces, six golf cart spaces, and 36 bicycle spaces.
There were multiple knowledgeable speakers addressing obvious issues – traffic, safety, noise, parking, exodus of residents from overdevelopment, etc. We were pleased to even have a speaker from Anna Maria, an articulate one we might add, just like the others. Thanks to all!
Regardless, the application passed unanimously. It was reminiscent of the county’s Aqua by the Bay hearings, or the county meeting where wetland barrier protections were rolled back. We will be forthright in adding that all of this has been on the heels of buzz about the applicant’s contributions to the recent mayoral campaign.
When is intensity too much intensity? Commercial zoning is not an unlimited license for special exceptions for development. One speaker said succinctly, “Is there any weight for the residents? The city needs to please the residents, not the developers, tourists and contractors.”
So residents, please hang on. Bridge Street is “coming soon to a theater near you,” smack dab in the middle of Holmes Beach City Center. You might want to heed a bit of advice from a former city commissioner: “Never underestimate how far a 5-year-old can hit a golf ball!”
Dick and Margie Motzer
Holmes Beach
