HOLMES BEACH – Due to public opposition, the city of Holmes Beach’s multi-use path enhancement project along Marina Drive will not include a brick paver sidewalk along 65th Street.
According to the initial plans presented to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) members in October, the now-discarded brick paver sidewalk would have been at least 5 feet wide and would have extended from the Marina Drive/65th Street intersection to the beach access near the Gulf Drive/65th Street intersection.
The proposed 65th Street sidewalk was intended to enhance pedestrian access between the Marina Drive multi-use path and the 65th Street beach access.
The revised project plan diagram obtained from the city now includes a new sidewalk to instead be installed along 45th Street, between Second Avenue and the 45th Street beach access. The new sidewalk will connect to an existing sidewalk that extends from Second Avenue to Gulf Drive.
On Oct. 30, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommended county commission approval of the city request to use $395,011 in tourist development tax revenues to install a section of 8-foot-wide, concrete multi-use path along Marina Drive between 56th and 66th streets. The new section of multi-use path will replace the last remaining section of a narrow sidewalk that connects to the wider and newer multi-use path at either end.
Holmes Beach resident Julie Andrews was among the residents who sent emails to city officials expressing opposition to a path or sidewalk being installed along 65th Street, where no sidewalks exist.
On Nov. 14, Andrews received an email from Holmes Beach Commissioner Steve Oelfke that stated the 65th Street component was no longer included the plans. In his email, Oelfke stated he was pleased with this outcome and appreciated the efforts of Andrews and others to bring their concerns to the city’s attention.
When contacted on Nov. 20, Mayor Judy Titsworth confirmed the plan revisions and she said she didn’t expect the changes to impact the city’s TDC-supported funding request that has not yet been presented for final county commission approval.
