ANNA MARIA – After being further clarified on Thursday, March 12, the city of Anna Maria’s commercial beach cabana rental regulations took effect on Sunday, March 15.
In Anna Maria, commercially-rented beach cabanas, tents and other temporary shade structures are now only allowed in the recreation open space-zoned area known as Gulf Front Park, which extends from Oak Avenue to Magnolia Avenue – southeast of the Sandbar restaurant.
Non-commercially rented cabanas and tents are still allowed in the coastal conservation-zoned beach areas that include the beaches in front of the Sandbar restaurant and at Bean Point.
Adopted in late February after numerous city commission discussions that began last year, Anna Maria’s amended parks and recreation regulations do not allow commercial cabana and tent rentals in the coastal conservation-zoned areas that include the beach areas in front of the Sandbar restaurant, on the beach areas between the Sandbar and Bean Point, on the Bean Point beach areas or on the Bayshore Park beach areas.
When the beach cabana rental discussions began last year, Mayor Mark Short surprised many when he said the city code adopted long ago prohibited anything more than single-pole, umbrella-like shade structures in the city’s coastal conservation zones.
During the March 12 city commission meeting, Short clarified that non-commercially-rented cabanas and tents are allowed in those coastal conservation zones as long as they’re located seaward of the dune line – where a dune line exists.
Short said he is not in any way opposed to beachgoers protecting themselves from the sun by using non-commercially-rented cabanas and tents in the city’s coastal conservation zones.
During the March 12 meeting, city commissioners adopted an emergency ordinance to be followed by the March 26 adoption of a “permanent” regular city ordinance that specifies which commercial beach activities are allowed in the recreation open space-zoned beach area known as Gulf Front Park.
The emergency ordinance and the permanent ordinance contain the following language: “Commercial rental of beach equipment means the business or activity of renting, leasing or providing for compensation any beach-related equipment, including Temporary Shade Structures and accessory beach equipment including but not limited to chairs, chaises, coolers, and baby items or similar equipment for use on the public beaches of the city within a Commercial Rental Area and including the delivery, setup and tear-down of the aforementioned equipment. Commercial Rental Area means an area temporary in nature not to exceed 169 square feet in total of ground coverage, and thirteen 13 linear feet extending in any direction and includes at least one temporary shade structure.”
When contacted on March 19 and asked if stand-alone beach chair rentals and other commercial activities are allowed in the specific area where temporary shade structures are allowed, Mayor Mark Short said, “The ordinance specifically requires a cabana rental be included in the area designated as a commercial rental area.”
