ANNA MARIA – The mayor and city commissioners are one step closer to the final adoption of a new parks and recreation ordinance that will establish new regulations for beach cabana and tent rentals.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, the mayor and commissioners were presented with the first reading of a proposed city ordinance that was previously presented in draft form during a Jan. 5 city commission work session.
Beach cabana rentals and all other commercial activities are currently prohibited in the city’s coastal conservation zones and recreation open space zones that encompass most of the public beaches in Anna Maria
During the Jan. 5 work session, the commission tentatively agreed to allow regulated beach tent and beach cabana rentals only in the recreation open space zone known as Gulf Front Park, which extends from Oak Avenue to Magnolia Avenue and does not include the public beach areas in front of the Sandbar restaurant.
During the Jan. 22 meeting, the commission agreed to maintain the proposed 13-foot by 13-foot (169 square feet) total coverage area for a single tent or cabana, whether rented or privately owned.
The commission decided to revise the proposed ordinance says, “No more than two commercially rented cabanas may be placed within 50 linear feet of each other, measured in any direction.”
When providing public input on Jan. 22, Tiffany Adell, from Beach Suites AMI, told commissioners their 6.5 feet by 6.5 feet tents and are much smaller than the 10-by-10 or 13-by-13 cabanas and tents often used by other rental companies.
Adell suggested allowing more smaller tents to be located in the same 338 square feet space to be allowed for two larger side-by-side rented tents. That change will be included in the revised ordinance presented for final adoption in February.
