ANNA MARIA – Mayor Mark Short told city commissioners that Manatee County officials will respect the city’s wishes regarding the design and installation of a county-funded ferry landing alongside the City Pier.
In January 2024, the 49-passenger pontoon boats currently used by the county-contracted Gulf Islands Ferry service began docking at the public boat landing at the T-end of the City Pier. In October 2024, Hurricane Milton destroyed the landing and the City Pier walkway.
With no landing area, ferry service to Anna Maria remains suspended until a new pier walkway is built and a new ferry landing is installed alongside it. Mayor Mark Short expects the new pier walkway to open in the fall of 2026 and county officials want a ferry landing operational as soon as possible after the pier reopens.
On Sept. 25, Short and the commissioners expressed strong opposition to the latest ferry landing concept proposed by the county. The opposition pertained primarily to the inclusion of a lengthy additional gangway that would serve as a ferry passenger waiting area. Concerns were also expressed about which side of the pier walkway the ferry landing would be installed on.
During the commission’s Oct. 9 meeting, Short said he spoke with a county representative earlier in the week and was told the additional gangway waiting area has been removed from the plans.
In reference to the gangway waiting area highlighted in blue on the county drawings, Short said, “The blue staging area is off the table. That is not going to happen.”
Short said the county has committed to developing a ferry landing concept that meets the approval of the mayor and city commission and he noted that county commission approval is required for a ferry landing installed alongside the city-owned pier. Short said it hasn’t been determined yet if the ferry landing will be a fixed or a floating structure.
Short said the county also committed to working with the city regarding the type of wave attenuators to be installed near the ferry landing. The county has proposed metal attenuating walls but Short said he suggested the consideration of cement wave attenuators that attract and support fish and other marine life, similar to the attenuators located near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Commissioners Chris Arendt and Gary McMullen liked Short’s wave attenuator idea.
McMullen said he would oppose a floating ferry landing in part because of the past damage that’s occurred to the floating dock and fingers docks installed alongside the Bradenton Beach Pier and in part because the Tampa Bay waters near the City Pier are much rougher than the inland waters near the Bradenton Beach Pier.
“The bottom line is they want to work with us,” Short said regarding the ferry landing location, its distance from the pier walkway and the type of wave attenuators to be installed.
Commissioner Kathy Morgan-Johnson said she’s concerned about the larger, partially enclosed 90-foot, 100-passenger ferry boat that will soon join the Gulf Islands Ferry fleet resulting in many more passengers congregating on the pier walkway while waiting for a ferry.
Short said he discussed that with the county representative and one suggestion included using the on-land pavilion area at the pier entrance as the passenger waiting area.
“That’s how Disney does it and it works very well,” General Manager Dean Jones added.
No commission decisions were made and the ferry landing discussions between the city and the county will continue.
