BRADENTON BEACH – Hurricane recovery, city staff changes and Pines Trailer Park’s existence marked 2025 in Bradenton Beach.
Pines
Pines Trailer Park residents received city approval to repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes but on Jan. 4, park ownership, Pines Park Investors LLC, stated that the park will be closed.
Pines residents asked the city on Feb. 20 to deny any future land use or zoning change requests for the Pines Trailer Park by Pines Park Investors LLC or its manager, Shawn Kaleta. City Attorney Ricinda Perry said at a Jan. 16 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting that the property owner had confirmed the planned redevelopment of the parcel.
The Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA) Inc. filed a lawsuit against Pines Park Investors LLC in part to stop evictions and the park’s closure. On Aug. 8 the suit was dismissed pending a confidential settlement agreement allowing residents to remain at the park for an undisclosed length of time.
106 23rd Street N.
With 85% of a building project completed under a 2024 city permit, a stop work order was issued at 106 23rd St. N. by city Building Official Bill Palmer, who said the prior permit for the two-story addition was approved in error by the previous building official. After discussion at five city commission meetings, commissioners reached a compromise solution and approved a special use permit for the property.
Turtles
With the loss of sand dunes from Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella expressed concern about a possible increase in sea turtle disorientations.
“Without dunes as a barrier, hatchlings and adult sea turtles that head towards artificial light may find their way into the road,” Mazzarella said
Hay bales were placed along beaches to mimic dunes.
Turtle release
Hundreds of onlookers gathered at Coquina Beach on June 23 for a scheduled loggerhead sea turtle release. The sea turtle, named Winnie, had laid her nest earlier that day and was outfitted with a satellite tag prior to her release. She participated in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Tour de Turtles race and finished in 10th place.
Green turtle record
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring celebrated green turtles breaking their 2023 record of 12 nests on Anna Maria Island.
“We now have 13 green turtle nests on the Island and hope to get even more before nesting season comes to a close,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in a July 25 email.
The majority of turtle nests on Anna Maria Island are laid by loggerhead sea turtles.
Building official termination
The city suspended the contractual services of Building Official Darin Cushing on Jan. 22 pending discussion at an upcoming city commission meeting.
Mayor John Chappie did not give a reason for the suspension, but the city had been at odds with Cushing over his approval of a permit for the tiki hut at Drift-In on Bridge Street.
On Jan. 21 Cushing had posted on Facebook, writing in part: “They’re trying to take me out to bend over for developers. I will not compromise my integrity or my license.”
Chappie read aloud a memo at a Feb. 20 city commission meeting addressing the job performance of Cushing, outlining what the city said were deficiencies in his performance.
Bill Palmer, the city’s new building official, began work on March 5 and laid out a timeline as he stepped into his new role.
“My initial focus as building official will be reviewing the permits we have in backlog for storm-related repairs so people can get back into their homes and then work on new construction permits,” Palmer wrote in an email to The Sun.
Drift-In tiki bar
The construction of a tiki hut at the Drift-In bar triggered a major development application.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry said at a Jan. 16 city commission meeting that a permit approved by Cushing for the construction should not have been issued based on the city-owned easements on the property, as well as the size of the new tiki structure. She said the project should be classified as a major development and must undergo a public hearing process.
Commissioners unanimously approved the Drift-In’s major development application on April 8.
The Bridge Street bar reopened, at least temporarily, pending city review, on April 4.
City commissioners unanimously approved an amended easement agreement at a July 17 meeting.
In October, the Drift-In celebrated 100 years in Bradenton Beach
Bungalow Beach
Bungalow Beach Resort owner Gayle Luper filed a lawsuit against the city after commissioners denied her a permit to offer paid parking through the use of a resort pass.
Commissioners questioned paid public parking through the purchase of a resort pass, saying the beachfront bungalows at 2000 Gulf Drive N. had been destroyed during Hurricane Helene.
During a quasi-judicial hearing on the application on April 17, City Planner Luis Serna recommended denial of the application and city commissioners denied the paid public parking lot application. They allowed a temporary use permit allowing only Luper, resort guests and employees to use the lot daily until 9 p.m.
Luper appealed the decision at a July 19 quasi-judicial hearing. Special Master Marisa Powers later ruled that she, as the special master, did not have jurisdiction to override the city’s ruling.
Attorney retires
City Attorney Ricinda Perry’s 21-year tenure as the Bradenton Beach city attorney came to an end on Sept. 18 when she announced her immediate retirement at a city commission meeting.
She made the announcement two days after city commissioners met to evaluate her performance following allegations that she had named Drift-In owner Derek Williams as the source of a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) complaint against a neighboring business, the Anna Maria Oyster Bar.
In response to Williams’ public records request, FDEP confirmed that no complaint had been filed, which triggered a Sept. 16 work meeting. At that meeting, the commission granted Perry’s request to allow her more time to respond to the allegations.
New city attorney
In October, the mayor and commissioners appointed then-Holmes Beach City Attorney Erica Augello to serve as the Bradenton Beach city attorney on an interim basis for up to six months or until a permanent replacement for selected. At year’s end, Augello was no longer serving as the Holmes Beach city attorney and she may be considered as Bradenton Beach’s long-term city attorney in 2026.
Changes in officials
Ward 4 Commissioner Jan Vosburgh decided in August not to run for another term. Her seat remains open pending applications from interested parties.
Fred Bartizal was chosen as the new chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board at the board’s Nov. 5 meeting. Bartizal, owner of the Bridge Tender Inn, succeeded former chair Bill Morrow.
