ANNA MARIA – On Aug. 11, WSP Parking Solutions Senior Planner Christine Fanchi presented the WSP parking study findings to the Anna Maria mayor and city commissioners.
Fanchi’s presentation served as an introduction to a proposed citywide parking program that would begin in March, if implemented, and include a resident permit parking component that offered free parking to registered Anna Maria residents, a paid parking component and areas where parking would not be allowed.
The proposed resident permit parking program would allow Anna Maria residents to park for free in city-owned paid parking spaces. Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, Cortez, Bradenton and Manatee County residents would not receive the same free parking privileges.
Fanchi said employees, landscapers, contractors, service providers and others who work in Anna Maria but don’t live in Anna Maria would have to buy a special permit that would allow them to park in restricted or paid parking areas.
When presenting the study’s preliminary findings, Fanchi said there are currently 4,573 parking spaces in Anna Maria, of which 113 are privately owned. She proposed creating 1,119 city-owned paid parking spaces and charging $4.50 per hour to park – with an additional 65-cent processing fee per parking transaction that would go directly to the parking program provider, Passport Labs Inc. Fanchi also proposed a three- or four-hour time limit in a paid parking space.
Fanchi said the proposed $4.50 hourly rate would generate $11 million in annual paid parking revenue, with an average daily revenue generation of $25,000, and questions have been raised regarding the accuracy of the estimate.
Fanchi said Passport would not receive a percentage of the revenues generated by the $4.50 hourly rate and the city would instead negotiate an additional annual flat-rate agreement with Passport – but she did not estimate what that flat-rate annual expense to the city would be.
During the Aug. 11 WSP presentation, Mayor Mark Short noted the paid parking map Fanchi presented was not completely accurate in its representation of the residential paid parking spaces. Short also said the future status had not yet been determined for the parallel parking spaces along Pine Avenue and Gulf Drive that currently provide free parking. Short said the city might need 1,100 paid parking spaces or it might only need 200 paid parking spaces, and that final number was not yet known.
The city’s paid parking program would not include the privately owned perpendicular parking spaces located in front of several Pine Avenue businesses.
Fanchi did not elaborate as to whether the city-owned parking spaces near the Anna Maria City Pier would offer free parking or paid parking. She implied paid parking would be implemented down the street at Bayfront Park.
The findings and recommendations Fanchi presented raised many questions that have not yet been answered, fully explained or subjected to city commission decision-making.
In an effort to garner more public input, and to present any updated, revised or clarified parking study-related maps and information, the city will host a public meeting at The Center of Anna Maria Island, at 407 Magnolia Ave., on Monday, Aug. 31, at 4 p.m.
CITY STATEMENT
On Thursday, Aug. 20, the following statement was posted on the city’s Facebook page: “The city of Anna Maria has received numerous positive and negative comments regarding its plan to address parking challenges that exist in the city. A public hearing is scheduled August 31 at 4 p.m. at The Center, located at 407 Magnolia Ave., in the city to discuss parking options.
“A presentation given to city commission on August 11 was intended to provide the Commission an update on the progress of the parking evaluation. In that presentation, hypothetical scenarios were given by the consultant on parking options and a DRAFT map was provided outlining parking zones to provide a visual on how the various options could work.
“At the Aug. 31 public hearing, updates will be provided on the parking options being considered and a map broadly reflecting the intent of parking areas will be provided.
“The city is still in process of evaluating its options regarding parking. One thing however is clear, the city does need, and fully intends to address the parking challenges that exist,” the city’s statement says.
PETITION STARTED
In response to the proposed paid parking, A.M.I. Cool Beans coffee shop owner Morgan Bryant started an online petition at change.org titled “Keep Anna Maria a Gem; Say no To Paid Parking.”
The petition lists Mayor Short and city commissioners Chris Arendt, John Lynch, Gary McMullen, Kathleen Morgan-Johnson and Charlie Salem as “The Decision Makers.”
The petition says, “We, the undersigned residents, business owners, employees, and visitors of Anna Maria Island, respectfully ask the mayor and city commission not to implement paid public parking in the city of Anna Maria.
“We recognize that parking, traffic and congestion are real challenges, and we appreciate the work our city leaders do to address them. We simply do not believe paid parking is the right solution.
“Anna Maria is a gem because it is different. It has retained the ‘Old Florida,’ small-town character that people love and that is becoming increasingly rare in Florida. We should be careful about introducing the very things people come here to escape.
“Paid parking could also hurt our local businesses. Anna Maria sits at the far north end of the Island, and visitors already pass beaches, restaurants and shops in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach before reaching us. Adding another cost and inconvenience may encourage people to stop elsewhere instead of continuing north.
“It could also push visitors looking for free parking into private business lots, taking limited spaces away from actual customers and leaving small businesses responsible for parking enforcement.
“This isn’t simply about the cost of parking. It’s about protecting the welcoming character of our city, supporting our small businesses, and preserving what makes Anna Maria special.
“We respectfully ask the mayor and city commission to keep public parking free and pursue other solutions to our parking challenges.
“Protect our small businesses. Preserve Old Florida. Keep parking free. Let’s keep Anna Maria a gem,” the petition says.
The stated goal is to garner 1,000 signatures and as of Tuesday morning, Aug. 25, 743 people had signed the online petition.
QUESTIONS RAISED
North Shore Drive Café owners and Coconut Avenue residents Nathan Scott and Colleen Geller shared with The Sun their questions and comments regarding the proposed parking program.
“Was there an impact study done to see the effect of paid parking on local business and overall visitor traffic to the Island?” they asked.
“How will the city work with guests of homeowners?” they asked.
“Last night, our 9-year-old daughter, Vivian Rose, hosted classmates from Anna Maria Elementary school to swim, eat hotdogs, watch a sunset and play. Most of her friends live in Holmes Beach. Seven parents needed to park to drop off and pick up their children. With what’s proposed are our friends and families required to pay to park when they visit?” they asked.
“This proposal will change the way we gather on our Island. Will book clubs, walking groups, family and friend cookouts or the Roser church moms group continue to gather in each other’s homes? Paid parking on our residential streets and our main street creates obstacles for interaction, therefore chipping away at our community,” the couple said.
There are currently several free streetside parking spaces along North Shore Drive, near the couple’s café. It’s not yet known if those spaces would be designated as paid parking spaces or resident permit parking spaces.
“This proposal will affect our family in every way: Our business, our employees, our own living and our community,” they said.
Anna Maria City Pier tenant and Anna Maria Island General Store owner-operator Brian Seymour distributed a letter to his fellow Anna Maria business owners urging them to attend the Aug. 31 meeting and share their thoughts on the paid parking proposal.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Fanchi’s Aug. 11 presentation raises many questions that will need to be answered at some point.
How accurate was the parking map Fanchi presented on Aug. 11?
How many paid parking spaces would be created, how much revenue would those paid parking spaces generate, and what would it cost the city to implement, operate and enforce the proposed parking program?
How would the city spend its paid parking revenues?
Would paid parking be implemented along the Gulf Drive and Pine Avenue business corridors?
What impact would paid parking have on Anna Maria’s businesses and restaurants?
Would paid parking discourage non-Anna Maria residents from visiting restaurants and businesses in Anna Maria?
Would someone stopping to grab food, a snack, a cup of coffee or a soft drink to go along Pine Avenue or Gulf Drive have to pay for one hour’s worth of parking, plus the 65-cent processing fee?
Would there be an initial short-term free parking period in the paid parking spaces?
How would the parking restrictions impact employees who work in Anna Maria?
Would having to pay to park hourly, or with a special permit, discourage some people from working in Anna Maria?
Would City Pier and City Pier Park visitors – and future Gulf Island Ferry passengers – have to pay to park near the city-owned pier, where there are currently a couple dozen free parking spaces?
Would paid parking impact the privately operated PIERadise restaurant expected to open at the T-end of the City Pier later this year or early next year?
Would resident permit parking improve the quality of life for Anna Maria residents?
Does Anna Maria’s shrinking full-time resident population support the proposed resident permit parking program?
Exactly how will non-resident family members and friends be provided free parking during residential gatherings, as was proposed on Aug. 11?
Will Center members who are not Anna Maria residents have to pay to park at The Center?
Would non-city residents have to pay to park when attending concerts and special events at The Center, theatrical performances at The Island Players and special events such as Bayfest, the annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies, city-sponsored holiday events and more?
These and more questions might be answered during the Aug. 31 meeting.
Related coverage: Anna Maria parking study recommends permit and paid parking
