BRADENTON BEACH – Since receiving the news from the city building official on Oct. 17 that FEMA guidelines triggered a city ordinance requiring the Pines Trailer Park mobile homeowners to either vacate or elevate their structures, they have been waiting for a statement from the ownership.
Developer Shawn Kaleta, manager of the Pines Park Investors LLC that owns the Pines Trailer Park, said on Oct. 25 that he will issue a statement about the future of the Pines once the city makes all details available to him.
Kaleta was invited by Manatee County officials to speak about the state of the hospitality industry at a press conference at Manatee Beach. He touched briefly on the Pines during his presentation and following that, he spoke to The Sun.
“I have not confirmed anything, there’s not much I can say until I have the details,” Kaleta said. “I’m committed to get something out as soon as possible. We all don’t like a state of uncertainty. Give us the answer, give us the resolution. I want that so I know what step two and three is.”
Kaleta said the plan for the park was, and still is, to have it remain as a mobile home park for the next generation.
“The deal, when I bought it, is public. I have to keep it like that, with no intent to develop; nor do I have that intent,” Kaleta said. “Now I have to figure out what it will be – RVs, mobile homes or something else?”
Kaleta said the property purchase by the LLC took place on Sept. 30, 2023 and since then there has been water in the units three times.
“At the end of the day, it’s Florida and it’s ground level,” he said. “I’ve been an advocate of making sure all the buildings we’ve built meet all the codes. Again the plan for this park is to remain what it was for the next generation. I can’t make determinations or statements until I have all the facts.”
Kaleta said he has yet to get anything in writing from the city of Bradenton Beach.
“I’m in the dark as to what will be done,” he said. “My understanding is once water has reached the floor, that FEMA does not allow those to be on the ground. They need to be elevated to a certain standard with pilings.”
He speculated that given the age of the Pines mobile homes, he didn’t know if it would be structurally feasible to raise them.
“My heart just goes out to everyone that’s affected, whether this is their first, their second or their third home,” Kaleta said. “Obviously we would prefer to have those residents there and be able to have that as the business situation we planned on having for 20-30-40 years down the road. This was not a short-term investment.”
He said his representative Sam Negrin will be releasing a formal statement.
“Sam is the one leading it and I want to make sure he gets the message out,” Kaleta said. “I’ve told him I would like it out today, but we have to have the details and the facts so we know what we’re talking about.”
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