ANNA MARIA – The mayor and city commissioners strongly oppose Manatee County’s latest concept for the installation of a Gulf Islands Ferry landing alongside the soon-to-be-built Anna Maria City Pier walkway, but they remain hopeful that a workable solution can be found.
Not allowing the county to install as a separate project a county-funded ferry landing alongside the walkway could jeopardize the county’s anticipated $2 million contribution to the city’s $8 million pier walkway replacement project.
On Sept. 25, Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short presented city commissioners with the latest ferry landing diagram he received from the county. The color-coded diagram proposes a ferry landing near the T-end of the pier where a new and larger 90-foot-long enclosed ferry boat would dock (highlighted in green), passenger loading and unloading areas at the bow and stern of the larger ferry (highlighted in orange), a lengthy gangway that would serve as a passenger waiting area (highlighted in blue) and a perpendicular metal wave attenuation wall between the docking area and the T-end pier building occupied by Mote Marine.
Short said the proposed landing structure would extend approximately 350 feet along the east (right) side of the soon-to-be-built pier walkway, as viewed from shore.
Designed to accommodate the larger, enclosed ferry boat that the county hopes to put into service later this year for the Manatee River route between Anna Maria and downtown Bradenton, the new City Pier landing would replace the public boat landing previously used by the smaller pontoon ferry boats before Hurricane Milton destroyed most of the pier walkway that now awaits replacement.
Short said he and county officials are trying to finalize an interlocal agreement for the county’s tourist development tax-funded $2 million contribution to the pier walkway reconstruction project. Short said county officials are “pretty adamant” that the city-county agreement must allow the county to install a ferry landing alongside the pier at the county’s expense.
Earlier this year, city and county officials discussed several potential ferry landing options and city commissioners favored the option that proposed a much smaller ferry landing and attenuation wall being installed along the west (left) side of the pier, as viewed from shore.
“I’m not happy with this,” Short said of the new proposal. “I’ve already told the county I’m not so sure this is going to work. They’re going back to the drawing board.”
Short plans to consult with an independent industry expert to garner additional insights on a workable ferry landing solution.
Participating by phone, Commissioner John Lynch said the county’s latest proposal is not a viable solution because it takes away the functionality, visibility, aesthetic design and historical perspective of the City Pier.
Lynch questioned whether accommodating the county’s desire to bring a larger ferry to the City Pier benefits the city and its residents.
“Do we want to have a 90-foot boat parking at our pier? I know that’s the desire of the county and the TDC (Tourist Development Council) but is that what we, the residents of Anna Maria, want?” he asked.
Regarding the potential loss of $2 million in county funds, Lynch said, “We’re being held hostage to that.”
Commissioner Gary McMullen said the latest proposal would effectively make the entire east side of the pier unavailable for fishing and other activities. McMullen opposes the additional gangway waiting area and he said the ferry landing needs to be as small as functionally possible.
Commissioner Kathy Morgan Johnson asked what happened to the county’s previous proposal to install the ferry landing along the west side of the pier walkway. Short said installing the landing there would obstruct the view of Egmont Key, the Gulf and the sunsets.
Commissioner Chris Arendt said he’s OK with a ferry landing on the east side of the pier but he opposes the additional gangway waiting area.
Regarding the accommodation of a larger ferry boat, Arendt noted the two currently utilized open-air pontoon boats are weather dependent, rarely run in inclement weather and don’t provide reliable public transportation.
“This is an all-weather ferry – enclosed, heated, cooled. It’s going to run on a timetable that would allow employees that work on the Island to use it for transportation during the peak traffic season,” he said.
He said those employees could then catch a free Island trolley at the foot of the City Pier that would get them close to their workplaces elsewhere on the Island.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Arendt said.
Commissioner Charlie Salem questioned the need for such a lengthy ferry landing. He said the people designing it for the county should discuss the potential drawbacks and benefits with the mayor and commissioners. He’s also puzzled by the county’s pier replacement project funding being tied to the city’s ferry landing approval.
“It would be better for everyone if they focused on helping us rebuild the pier and using the commitment of those tourist-generated dollars for a largely tourist-visited pier, instead of having the residents of this city front the money,” Salem said of the pier replacement costs.
