BRADENTON BEACH – During their Jan. 4 meeting, commissioners denied a request from a resident to allow a houseboat vacation rental at his dock.
They also approved three police vehicle purchases, approved a grant for signage and placed on hold a request from the Anna Maria Oyster Bar to add a fourth tiki structure on the pier.
HOUSEBOAT VACATION RENTAL DENIED
Gregory Winsper, registered agent for Green Slip Realty LLC, requested the commission’s permission to operate a rental accommodation on a live-aboard houseboat to be moored at 2399 Ave. A.
“My plan is to rent it out to no more than four people at a time with a focus on renting to couples on a weekly or weekend basis,” Winsper wrote in a Nov. 21 letter to the commission.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry noted that former city building official Steve Gilbert had rejected the applicant’s request.
“Steve Gilbert had opined that it was an improper use. That can’t be challenged at the city commission.”
Perry said the city Land Development Code does not allow for commercial uses of docks in R-1 single-family districts.
POLICE VEHICLE PURCHASE APPROVED
Following a request from Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby, the commission approved a quote of $162,060.78 for the police department to purchase three police interceptor vehicles from Bartow Ford.
The cost of each vehicle is $54,020.26. The funds will come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
“It’s very difficult to get vehicles,” Cosby said, noting that some manufacturers are no longer making police vehicles.
“Bartow Ford has three vehicles that were refused delivery,” Cosby said. “What I’m proposing is we buy these three vehicles now, we would use ARPA funds to do it. That would allow us to keep our half-cent sales tax building under public safety and we’ll be saving between $6,000-$8,000 a vehicle minimum because there’s going to be a price increase once they start producing again.”
Cosby said there will be an additional cost to stripe the vehicles and add equipment.
“It’s putting the light bar on and the quicker we get in the queue the sooner we’ll get them,” Cosby said.
Commissioner Ralph Cole moved to approve the purchase. Commissioner Jan Vosburgh seconded the motion. It was passed unanimously with votes by Mayor John Chappie and Commissioner Marilyn Maro. Maro phoned in to the meeting.
SIGNAGE GRANT APPROVED
The commission unanimously approved the Scenic WAVES partnership committee’s acceptance of a Tampa Bay Estuary Program mini-grant of $5,000 that was approved in 2021. The grant will be used to prepare an application to design and produce educational wildlife signs at John Chappie Park, 1400 Gulf Drive N., and to work with city staff to obtain Florida Department of Environmental Protection approval and obtain quotes from businesses.
The proposed signs will feature shorebirds and aquatic animals native to Anna Maria Island.
“This is another great project from our volunteers,” Chappie said.
Scenic WAVES chairperson Ingrid McClellan said that the grant should cover the total cost of the signs. Scenic WAVES partners with Bradenton Beach-based animal rehabilitation center Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center Inc. and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
AMOB REQUEST FOR FOURTH TIKI HUT ON HOLD
Trey Horne, representing Anna Maria Oyster Bar, submitted a request to allow the building of a fourth tiki structure along the south side of the Bridge Street Pier.
“There are a number of things still in play,” Chappie said. “We have the ferry service going there now.”
Chappie said he would like to wait and see what the flow of foot traffic is on the pier once the ferry service gets underway before agreeing to allow the addition of another structure on the pier.
Vosburgh agreed that a wait-and-see approach was appropriate.
“I think we should put this on hold,” she said.
Commissioners agreed to take no action on the request and revisit it in six months.
