ANNA MARIA – On Jan. 23, Anna Maria City Commissioners adopted on second and final reading an ordinance the amends the city’s seawall regulations referencing the Gulf of Mexico.
The ordinance was adopted three days after President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14172, an order declaring that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the Gulf of America.
As recommended by the Anna Maria Planning and Zoning Board, Ordinance 24-938 says, “Prior to issuance of a building permit, proposed seawalls and bulkheads along the Gulf of Mexico or Tampa Bay must furnish a permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and/or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or proof of a permit exemption.”
The adopted ordinance includes new language that makes a determination by the building official or designee that a seawall is unsafe a violation of the city’s code.
At the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Board, the adopted ordinance includes the following definitions: “Bulkhead means a shoreline stabilization structure separating land and water areas and retaining soil. Seawall means a shoreline stabilization structure separating land and water areas, retaining soil and intercepting wave action.”
The new language replaces previous language included in the Anna Maria code of ordinances that said, “The specifications are not intended to apply to seawalls or other structures on the Gulf of Mexico or Tampa Bay shore, for which, because of occasional heavy storm wave action, special consideration must be given.”
GULF OF AMERICA
“I am directing that it officially be renamed the Gulf of America,” the presidential order says. “As such, within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall take all appropriate actions to rename as the ‘Gulf of America’ the U.S. continental shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward.”
During public input at the city meeting, City Attorney Becky Vose was asked if the ordinance would have to be amended or revised to reference the Gulf of America. Commissioner Gary McMullen said he wondered about that, too.
Vose said the adopted ordinance could later be revised administratively by city staff if so desired and doing so would not require a city commission-approved ordinance amendment because the revision would not change the intent of the ordinance.
Mayor Mark Short noted that Gov. Ron DeSantis, on Jan. 20, issued Executive Order 25-13, an executive order pertaining to a winter weather system expected to impact north Florida that used the new name.
“Whereas, an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter whether to north Florida beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21…” the governor’s order says.
The mayor and commissioners made no additional comments about the presidential order or name to be used by the city.
Anna Maria’s code of ordinances currently references the Gulf of Mexico 23 times. The Holmes Beach code of ordinances currently references the Gulf of Mexico 16 times and the Bradenton Beach code of ordinances currently references the Gulf of Mexico 10 times.
Google Maps intends to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of America. On Jan. 27, Google issued a statement on the X social media platform that said, “We will update Google Maps in the U.S. to quickly show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America.”
As of Jan. 31, Google Maps still referenced the Gulf of Mexico and did not yet reference the Gulf of America.
Related coverage: Coast Lines: A Gulf by any other name
