It’s winter in southwest Florida and although we talk a lot about beach, road and Publix congestion, we really do love visitors to the Island. We, of course, would love them even more if the visitors converted to owners and not just on Anna Maria Island.
Florida and Arizona have built a real estate market catering largely to retirees, specifically baby boomer retirees. As much as we boomers want to continue influencing the culture and finances of the country, we will inevitably pass away. Not only do we have to face death we may also need to face not being able to live in our homes and migrating to family or assisted living facilities.
Now that I’ve completely ruined your day, these numbers will further depress you. According to Zillow, one in eight owner-occupied homes in the U.S., or roughly nine million residences, are set to hit the market from 2017 through 2027. In addition, Zillow calculates that by 2037 one-quarter of the U.S. homes for sale, or roughly 21 million homes, will be vacated by seniors.
This is a lot of real estate and a good percentage of these homes are in over 55 communities where at least one owner needs to meet that age criteria. These communities have been popular with baby boomers for decades. However, the concern is that the next generation of homeowners are not only looking for a different lifestyle but there aren’t even enough of them to fill the vacancies.
In theory, older homeowners are replaced by younger homeowners and the recent lack of available properties to purchase has kept many millennials stuck in rentals, so this should be a good thing. However, in the case of many of the baby boomer properties, the properties are located in areas where younger buyers don’t want to buy. Suburban living is less of a draw than for previous generations and millennials prefer cities and major metropolitan areas. In addition, even generations below the baby boomers who may be in pre-retirement years have little or no interest in living in planned, age-restricted enclaves no matter how great the weather is.
Economists worry about what the impact of unpopular large retirement communities will have on the local economy surrounding these areas. There are some market experts who suggest that a retooling of these communities to make them more attractive to families and lifting the age restrictions could be a better use of these properties down the road. Arizona and Florida are naturally in the crosshairs of potentially having an overabundance of senior housing. Thankfully for us, Florida’s east coast will be harder impacted.
Real estate markets are a balancing act. If one part of the market has a problem, another part may benefit from those problems. For example, the beautiful and exotic state of Hawaii.
Who doesn’t love Hawaii for vacations, but do you want to live there? Apparently lots of people don’t since Hawaii is experiencing the third straight year of negative migration, with the young, highly educated and well-off being the ones most likely to leave.
Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the country, and according to the Tax Foundation, the real value of $100 in Hawaii is $84.39. According to Zillow, the median list price for a house is $630,000 compared with $284,999 for the U.S. as a whole. In Hawaii, gasoline has been as high at $5.00 a gallon and a gallon of milk $7.00. Hawaiians may be going kicking and screaming from their beautiful state but they’re leaving for the same reasons residents of New York, California, Illinois and New Jersey are leaving – taxes, cost of living and public education.
Inevitably, we will see a dramatic change in the real estate market in the near future. Right now, the baby boomers still rule and will for a while.
BRADENTON – The case of the city of Holmes Beach versus beachfront treehouse owners Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen is back in Manatee County Circuit Court.
During a Jan. 7 hearing, Judge Charles Sniffen heard arguments from attorney Randy Mora, representing the city, and attorney Lorraine Novak, representing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on both organizations’ motions to dismiss. Tran stepped up to the podium to represent herself and Hazen during the proceedings.
Sniffen said that he would review all of the material presented to him before rendering a judgment on the two motions to dismiss. He also said that the city’s motion for sanctions, which was not heard during the hearing, would need to be postponed until he ruled on the city’s motion to dismiss.
Sniffen did grant the city’s motion for judicial notice, which Tran said she had no objection to. By granting the motion for judicial notice, Sniffen is required to take into account all of the previous legal actions and currently pending cases in the treehouse case. Currently, there is one appeal pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and two additional cases pending in Manatee County Circuit Court.
The treehouse case stretches all the way back to when the treehouse was constructed on the beach in front of the Angelinos Sea Lodge in 2011. According to Tran, a complaint was lodged against the construction when the two-story structure was almost completed in November of 2011 and the owners were given 30 days to remove the structure.
The treehouse is built on Tran and Hazen’s property but within the boundaries of a setback from the erosion control line. The two-story structure is for the couple’s private use and is built partially in a large Australian pine with pilings made to look like tree trunks for additional support. One of the pending cases concerns the property owners’ rights regarding construction within the erosion control line setback.
Tran said the couple spent approximately $20,000 to build the treehouse. Now the couple is facing several times that amount in legal fees and code enforcement violation fees of $50 per day that have been accumulating since mid-2013. During the Jan. 7 hearing, she said that she was representing herself and Hazen due to financial constraints.
Even if Sniffen comes back with a ruling in the city’s favor, Mora acknowledged that the fight to either save or remove the treehouse is still far from over considering the other pending litigation, including whether or not the court will order the removal of the treehouse from its Australian pine perch.
You don’t have to have a boat to get to some of this winter’s best fishing. Bridges, docks and piers provide anglers who don’t have a boat or don’t want to bother with one some excellent fishing opportunities.
Besides being a convenient access point over the water, their structure provides the perfect habitat for fish. A large variety of small baitfish, crabs, barnacles and other crustaceans call these pilings home and provide gamefish a refuge and an ambush point for feeding. The bridges that span the local passes are natural corridors for fish like pompano, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish. These species migrate from the gulf to the local bays, feeding around the bridge pilings and fenders. Action on one species or another can be found year-round around local structures. That doesn’t mean that they are for shore-bound anglers only because boaters will find them a great place to fish too.
There are ways to rig your line that allow you to deal with any tidal stages you encounter while fishing from bridges. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun
The old saying that the best time to go fishing is any time you can is a good one to follow. However, if you have the luxury of picking your time and tide, a morning incoming tide on bridges that span the passes is hard to beat. The second best time would be a late outgoing tide. Timing your trip to coincide with the beginning or end of the tide cycle will make it easier to deal with the often strong currents that course through the passes. That doesn’t mean you’re restricted to those times and there are ways to rig that will allow you to deal with any tidal stage. Many docks and piers don’t as strong a tidal flow but look for times when the water is moving.
When fishing the bridges, a medium weight spinning outfit is perfect. At least, depending on the species you’re targeting, a 10- to 12-pound outfit is recommended since you’ll have to hoist your catch from the water to the bridge. There are special nets available that can be lowered to help with this operation, but it is one more piece of equipment you’ll have to transport. With most catches a careful hand over hand retrieve will work just fine and your mobility will not be restricted. You can go lighter when fishing docks and piers but you’ll need to be able to control your catch when they get near the pilings.
Depending on your quarry, a few lures will suffice. Live bait is another option, but keeping it alive poses some problems. Swimming and diving plugs are effective but I prefer to shy away from treble hooks. One of the most effective lures is the jig. When the current isn’t particularly strong a jig tied directly to a 30-pound section of leader will work perfectly.
If the tide is strong, when fishing in or near passes, a weight will help get the lure down in the water column where most of the action occurs. To keep the weight from interfering with the jig, tie a section of 40-pound leader with a sliding egg sinker between two small swivels. Then add your leader and jig below. This rig can be also be used to get lures or live bait to the bottom. Another advantage of this rig is that as it is being worked across the bottom it sends up a small puff of sand that attracts predators like pompano.
Some anglers tie a short section of leader from the jig to a smaller jig of fly. One of the advantages to fishing from a bridge is the ability to easily move from one spot to another. This allows the angler to try near the pilings, on the edges of the channel, tide lines and areas where striking fish might be found.
If the action is slow or you’re exploring a bridge and pass for the first time, work both sides of the bridge. Vary your retrieve, working the lure fast and slow, exploring the water column. With obvious differences, the same applies to docks and piers.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish, two common species that frequent local bridges have sharp teeth and can cut through monofilament leaders. There are two options to protect your lure. One is to use a short strand of wire leader. The other is to use long-shanked hooks. A wire can keep fish from biting if the water is clear but you’ll lose a few rigs if you fish without it.
Whatever your fishing style, don’t pass up a trip to local bridges, piers and docks. The action can be spectacular and the effort required is far less than an outing in a boat. Anglers should be vigilant of the traffic when fishing bridges and always remember to look behind before casting. Some good locations to target include Longboat Pass, the Rod & Reel Pier, the Bradenton Beach Pier, the Anna Maria City Pier and the Manatee and Cortez bridges.
There’s no doubt how much Anna Maria Island has changed over the past 25 years since I found the Island. One might say it’s gone from shabby chic to polished coastal, but has it also gone from Old Florida to upscale Florida pretending to be Old Florida.
Last month the Island, or at least Holmes Beach, had another “best of” rankings bestowed on them. This time it was from Trip Advisor who picked the top seven “delightfully low-key Florida beach towns you might not know about.” Well if they didn’t know about it before they sure know about it now. Just what we need, more cars on the Island. On the other hand, for people who own property on the Island and want to generate some profit, this may be the right time if you follow a few simple rules.
There are lots of ways to get your property out there if you’re considering rentals, VRBO, Airbnb, the new Marriott Homes & Villas and of course, traditional Island real estate companies.
Starting with a great location is key and the Island has a multitude of great locations. Properties closer to the beach always rent for more but it’s hard to find anywhere on Anna Maria Island that’s undesirable.
Next is the number of bedrooms, the more the better. If there is any way to turn available space like an office or storage room into another bedroom it will make your rental more attractive. Also, remember the children and furnish the property with sturdy and well-built trendy furniture that is washable and somewhat indestructible. Leave the Chippendale in storage.
Provide big sectional sofas and seating areas for everyone to get cozy on, and also a large enough dining table for the maximum number of guests allowed. Add some beach essentials like beach chairs, beach toys, beach carts and maybe even paddleboards. If you have a pool having a floating chair with a drink holder could seal the deal. A gas grill is also appreciated by renters as are ping pong tables, bikes, games and restaurant recommendations. Towels, including beach and bedding that are not expensive but in good condition, are essential. No one likes a dingy towel. Don’t forget toilet paper, paper towels, bath soap and dishwasher soap, providing at least enough to get started if it’s a long-term rental and enough to get short-term renters through to the end.
Leaving a complimentary bottle of wine and some welcome cheese and crackers is a nice touch that people don’t forget. And don’t be afraid to decorate with some cute and beachy stuff. I read somewhere it’s a good idea to have a plaque made with the name of your rental placed in a position where renters might take a picture, free advertising when they show their vacation photos to friends.
The bottom line is to create a space that you would like to spend time in.
Trip Advisor loves the slower pace of Holmes Beach and the “Old Florida” vibe without the crowds. But we’re not alone – the other top six low-key Florida destinations include Venice, Cocoa Beach, Englewood, Daytona Beach Shores, Lauderdale By The Sea and Longboat Key. I’m not sure if Longboat Key residents would agree with the “Old Florida” characterization, but polished coastal does fit.
There’s no argument that Anna Maria Island is one of the most beautiful beachfront communities in the country and to people coming here for the first time it still epitomizes Old Florida. So, if you’re considering using your home as a rental there certainly is a thriving market. Old or upscale, it’s still the tops.
BRADENTON – Locals know that trash gets left behind on local beaches and washes up onshore, but artist Wendell Graham has completed a new sculpture that she hopes will be a teaching tool to illustrate just how much stuff is abandoned on our shorelines.
Trash the Turtle, a sculpture of a loggerhead turtle, was created by Graham using trash and abandoned items left on Longboat Key beaches.
“He’s a plastic-back,” Graham joked while discussing the species of her turtle sculpture. “He has his own personality.”
First Place
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2020
Artist Wendell Graham talks about her sculpture “Trash the Turtle” and how she hopes it will help shed light on the trash left behind on local beaches. – Kristin Swain | Sun
It took more than two months for Graham to create Trash from items collected on the beach by volunteers from the Longboat Key Turtle Watch. Items were collected from the start of sea turtle nesting season in May through September and Graham said after Trash was created, she still had pounds of collected items leftover to recycle.
Items used to create Trash include bottle caps, plastic bottles, detergent bottles, flip flops, a sun hat, baseball caps, cigarette butts, plastic bags, snack wrappers, beer cans, fishing lures, shoes, Styrofoam pieces, rubber gloves, a towel, football, masks, goggles, clothes, beach toys and buoys, among other items. Graham said that about 200 plastic bottles were used to create Trash’s plastron, or underside. Once completed, the Trash sculpture weighs about 20 pounds.
Trash the Turtle’s plastron is made up primarily of plastic bottles. – Kristin Swain | Sun
To create Trash, Graham said she would take buckets of items collected off of the beach by volunteers, soak them in bleach for a few days to sanitize them and then put the turtle together like a jigsaw puzzle. She said she began putting the turtle sculpture together on September 1 and finished it in November. He was debuted at a Longboat Key Turtle Watch event in late November 2019.
“People don’t intentionally leave trash, some do, but very few. They need to be more aware,” Graham said. “There’s no reason why parents can’t pick up children’s toys.”
“It’s just amazing,” she said of the items left behind that were used to help build Trash.
Now, Graham says Trash is ready to be put on display and used as a teaching tool for the public. Any proceeds that she earns from the display of the sculpture she said she plans to donate to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring and Longboat Key Turtle Watch to help fund their continued efforts to protect local wildlife.
Trash the Turtle’s face is made from an abandoned sun hat while his jellyfish snack is made of plastic left on the beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“I’d like to do a Tour de Trash,” she said. Graham added that she would like to see the sculpture shown to children in a learning environment where they can discuss what items they can identify on the turtle sculpture. Her hope is that Trash the Turtle will start a discussion among viewers young and old and help make people more aware of what they’re leaving behind when they leave the water or the beach.
“He’s a great teaching tool,” she said. “To see him in a picture is nothing like seeing him in person.”
Her hope, Graham said, is that when people see the sculpture, they’ll not only see the art but also the trash that was used to create him and take away something positive from the experience.
“He’s an ambassador, a turtle ambassador, a trash ambassador. That’s Trash,” she said.
To inquire about viewing or displaying Trash the Turtle, contact Graham at turtletrashartsculpture@gmail.com. Trash the Turtle’s adventures continue online in his blog.
HOLMES BEACH – Part-time Holmes Beach residents Dorene Collier and AJ LeBlanc wonder if a small meteorite or some other falling object started a small fire in the backyard of Collier’s home on 84th Street Friday night.
Collier and LeBlanc were in Tampa when the Friday, Jan. 3 fire occurred.
“We were getting ready for a renter to come in for a few months. We pressure-washed everything that day and everything was wet, so it doesn’t seem like it was started by any kind of brush fire,” Collier said when speaking by telephone from Tampa on Saturday afternoon.
Collier’s neighbor, Carol Whitmore, was walking her dog Friday night and reported the fire.
“Our neighbor noticed some kind of fire and the fire department came. They didn’t find any signs of an electrical fire, cigarette butts or firecrackers or anything like that. I asked her to go by this morning and the pictures she sent me show this big hole in the ground,” Collier said.
“It appears that something might have hit from out of the sky and made this hole in the ground that started this fire. I don’t have proof of it, but I’ve eliminated everything else. There was no lightning last night, everything was wet outdoors and nobody was there. It didn’t hurt the house at all. It just made a hole in the ground, lit a piece of the wooden post and broke the fence. It could be something that fell from a plane, but we think it was a meteor because of the hole in the ground and the fire,” Collier said.
Collier said the fire department didn’t find any remnants or residue that suggested a meteorite or a piece of an airplane.
“It could have just burned up when it hit the ground,” Collier said. “Another neighbor of mine came over and said it looked like a sinkhole – so maybe it was something that fell out of the sky.”
On Sunday, Collier spoke with some other neighbors who said the fire might have been caused by a firecracker and the crater might have been dug by the responding firefighters.
“We can’t be sure what it was,” Collier said.
Kwiatkowski said later that firefighters did not dig the hole.
Other observations
“I was walking my dog at about 10 o’clock and all of a sudden I saw flames shooting up in the backyard and they were pretty high. I knew they weren’t home, so I called Chris Rudacille and asked her to come down. By the time Chris got there the flames were small and I called the fire department,” Whitmore said when contacted Saturday evening.
Whitmore said she did not see any flaming objects fall from the sky.
“I asked the firemen what they thought it was. They said they didn’t know, but it was something hot,” Whitmore said. “There’s a big crater I noticed today when Dorene asked me to take those pictures. The hole wasn’t there when they got the place ready for their renters.”
When contacted Saturday evening, West Manatee Fire Rescue Inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski said, “I listened to the call last night, waiting to see if the guys were going to call me out to do an investigation, but they didn’t. There was a small fire next to the shed and it was put out quickly. I spoke with yesterday’s ranking on-scene officer, Captain James Leigh. There was no mention of a meteor or any unidentified falling object when engine 131 showed up and responded to a reported structure fire called in by a neighbor. The fire was relegated to brush and a single sawhorse. It was quickly extinguished with a water extinguisher and soaked with a garden hose,” Kwiatkowski said.
BRADENTON BEACH – A windy, cloudy afternoon didn’t stop the father-son team of David and David Wolff from coming out to the dock behind the Bridge Tender Inn Dec. 20 to install four mini reefs as a part of The Center’s Go Green initiative.
The four reefs were only a part of the six reefs purchased by the Bridge Tender’s owner, Fred Bartizal, who purchased two additional reefs to be placed in the water near his home.
In a statement emailed to The Sun, Bartizal said, “The Bridge Tender Inn takes great pride in going green. Everyone should be doing it; it is essential for the earth and future generations.” He added that the restaurant participates in recycling and is switching over to biodegradable napkins, straws, cutlery and to-go containers.
David Wolff Jr. carries two of the mini reefs down the dock to be installed at the Bridge Tender Inn. – Kristin Swain | Sun
The mini reefs, the brainchild of David Wolff of Ocean Habitats LLC, are made almost exclusively of sustainable materials designed to hold around 150 pounds with a lifespan of 10-15 years. The reefs are installed underneath docks, attached by floating marine ropes, and bob just underneath the surface where they provide a home for fish and other marine life. Ocean Habitat’s mini reefs can be used in salt and brackish water. They filter over 30,000 gallons of water per day and can provide a nursery home for fish and crabs, producing around 300 fish per year and 200 crabs per year.
Wolff said the idea for the reefs came out of a college research project. Once he shrunk the initial reef down to its current 24x36x24 inch size and rethought all of the materials with longevity and sustainability in mind, he developed the current mini reef and a fish crib to be used in freshwater lakes and ponds.
Though the mini reefs are available through the Ocean Habitats website, they’re also available through The Center of Anna Maria Island at a discounted price, including installation.
David Wolff Jr. secures two of the mini reefs underneath the dock at The Bridge Tender Inn. – Kristin Swain | Sun
The reefs are being made available as a part of The Center’s Go Green campaign, encouraging community members to live a more sustainable life while also supporting the nonprofit. Each reef can be purchased for $350 with $150 going to support The Center’s annual fund. Through Jan. 15, a private donor is sponsoring a donation match up to $130,000, so any reefs purchased by the deadline produces an additional $150 donation for a total of $300 back to The Center.
Center Director of Development Jim McDaniel said that as of Dec. 20, 52 mini reefs had been purchased and were planned to be installed around Anna Maria Island by the New Year. He said an additional four were in-process. The goal, he said, is to not only see what kind of positive impact these mini reefs can have on local waters but also to see how many new donors will come forward to help out The Center.
Once all of the reefs are installed, McDaniel said The Center plans to create a map of the reef locations and hopefully will be able to use the project for research purposes in the future.
For people who want a different, but still tangible, way to support The Center, there’s the Giving Reef, located in the nonprofit’s lobby. For the Giving Reef, program directors priced and placed tags with items needed, from soccer balls to new fitness equipment, on the reef. Anyone can come in, find something that they feel passionate about supporting or that fits into their budget and provide the funds to purchase that item. McDaniel said that items range from about $130 to $3,500 and are all currently included in The Center’s budget. By community members purchasing those items, those budgeted funds can go back into the annual fund for use in other areas or for saving for the future of the nonprofit.
For more information on the mini reefs and the Giving Reef, visit The Center online.
If you’ve been away from Anna Maria Island for all or part of 2019, here’s what happened while you were out – and if you were here, there’s probably a few things you may have missed, or forgotten. Take a look at AMI’s 2019.
Anna Maria
The construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier was the dominant news story in Anna Maria in 2019.
In January, the i+iconSoutheast construction company began staging their equipment and materials in the pier parking area.
In mid-March, these pelicans rested on the new pier pilings that now support the new buildings being built at the end of the pier. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Feb. 2, the first concrete pilings were driven.
In mid-March, Manatee County Commissioners Betsy Benac, Steve Jonsson and Carol Whitmore took a boat tour of the work in progress and got an up-close look at the pier project being partially funded by county funds.
In April, the last pier piling was driven and the construction of the pier walkway and T-end platform began.
In June, the city commission selected Anna Maria-based Mason Martin Builders to build the new restaurant, bait shop and public restrooms at the T-end of the pier.
The new Anna Maria City Pier took shape in 2019, as shown here in late December. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In September, an i+iconSoutheast barge struck and damaged the pier walkway. The repairs to the damaged pier pilings and pier structure added approximately three weeks to the construction timeline.
Construction of the new pier buildings began in early October and is expected to be completed in late February, minus the interior buildouts to be completed by the pier tenant.
In October, current pier tenant Mario Schoenfelder rejected two lease options presented by Mayor Dan Murphy.
On Dec. 22, Schoenfelder submitted his counteroffer, which the commission considers to be his final offer. That offer is scheduled to be discussed on Thursday, Jan. 9.
City events
In 2019, the city of Anna Maria hosted several city events and the mayor and commission continued their efforts to make City Pier Park a community gathering place. The city hosted its annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades, both of which were followed with post-parade ceremonies at City Pier Park.
Free hot dogs and refreshments were given out during the annual Fourth of July celebration.
In October, the seasonal farmers market returned and will continue each Tuesday until mid-May. In November, the inaugural Thanks-Living community gathering occurred at the park.
The farmers market returned to Anna Maria in 2019. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In December, the city hosted its annual Holiday Carols in the Park event that this year included the trophy presentations for the city’s inaugural holiday lighting contest.
Ordinances
In August, the commission denied Anna Maria General Store owner Brian Seymour’s request to amend the city’s alcohol ordinance and allow him to operate a package liquor store on Pine Avenue, within 1,000 feet of Roser Memorial Community Church.
In September, the commission amended the city noise ordinance that now results in a $35 fine being issued instead of a warning upon a deputy’s first response to a verified noise complaint. The first citation triggers a notice to the property owner and property manager. A second noise citation issued to the same guests carries a $200 fine. A third and subsequent citation issued to the same guests carries a $500 fine and the city holds both the property owner and the property manager liable for the fines incurred.
Comings and goings
City Commissioner Brian Seymour resigned in late August and Planning and Zoning Board member Mark Short was appointed to serve the remainder of his two-year term.
City Commissioner Doug Copeland decided not to seek re-election and his time in office ended in December.
Commissioner Dale Woodland was disqualified from running for re-election because he paid his qualifying fee with a personal check instead of with a check drawn from a campaign account. Woodland’s most recent term ended in December and he now hopes to be reappointed on Jan. 9.
In December, Sgt. Mike Jones, from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, announced he would be leaving the Anna Maria unit. Sgt. Brett Getman is now taking over as the leader of the city’s contracted police force.
Notable passings
Longtime Anna Maria General Store employee and Holmes Beach resident George Wilson Jr. passed away in July.
Anna Maria Island Sun co-publisher Maggie McGinley-Field passed away in October.
– Joe Hendricks
Bradenton Beach
The year 2019 witnessed two significant court victories for the city of Bradenton Beach, the initiation of several public projects and the receipt of more than $3 million in state appropriations.
Court rulings
In July, 12th Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas ruled that former Planning and Zoning members Reed Mapes, John Metz, Patty Shay and Bill Vincent, and former Scenic WAVES Committee members Tjet Martin and Rose Vincent violated the Florida Sunshine Law on numerous occasions when discussing advisory board business at their Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Beach (CNOBB) meetings.
In July, the city of Bradenton Beach prevailed in the Sunshine Law lawsuit filed in 2017. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Five of the defendants are now appealing Nicholas’ ruling, however, Shay has not joined the appeal efforts.
In November, Nicholas ruled the city is entitled to recover attorney fees and legal expenses incurred since the city filed the lawsuit in 2017.
When issuing his ruling, Nicholas said the amount to be recovered would be determined at a future hearing. He later ordered the city and the defendants to participate in a pre-hearing mediation session. The mediation session will provide the parties an opportunity to discuss a possible agreement regarding how much the defendants must pay the city.
The city’s attorney fees and legal costs already exceed $450,000 and that figure will increase as more attorney invoices are received.
State appropriations
In 2019, the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded the city of Bradenton Beach $3.2 million in state funds. The state funds include $2.69 million dollars for stormwater and drainage improvements and $500,000 for seagrass mitigation to compensate for dredging the navigation channel south of the Bridge Street Pier in 2020.
Floating dock
The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) spent much of 2019 trying to get a new floating day dock installed next to the Bridge Street Pier.
The Bradenton Beach CRA members spent much of 2019 dealing with issues associated with the new floating dock. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
First contracted with the Technomarine Group in early 2017, the premanufactured floating dock was installed by the Hecker Construction Company in July and opened to the public on Aug. 2.
In early October, the dock was closed due to issues with the gangway that provides access between the pier and the floating dock.
On Oct. 22, Public Works Director Tom Woodard told the CRA members some of the roller brackets that connect the floating dock to its wooden pilings failed as a result of wave action associated with Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor.
The dock reopened on Dec. 4 after Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift completed its revisions and modifications to the gangway. The failed roller brackets must still be replaced.
CRA projects
In October, the CRA reached an agreement with the Bradenton Beach Post Office that now allows after-hours and weekend parking for the public, while reserving at all times three spaces for post office users.
In 2019, the CRA members agreed to bury the utility lines along Bridge Street; that project is expected to be completed in early 2020.
The CRA has purchased the brick pavers that will soon replace the white 57 stone that sits atop the stormwater infiltration trenches and parking spaces along Bridge Street.
Australian pines removed
In May, Bradenton Beach commissioners were surprised to learn the county intended to remove more than 100 Australian pine trees to accommodate the first phase of a drainage and paving project at the south end of the Coquina Beach parking area.
Some of the Australian pines near the Coquina Beach south access road have already been removed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In response, the city commission sent a letter of objection to county commissioners, who later decided to move forward with the proposed phase one tree removals.
In late June, Bradenton Beach Building Official Steve Gilbert received from the county a city code-required landscaping plan that stated the removed pines would be replaced with 83 green buttonwoods, 10 gumbo limbos and 10 shady lady black olive trees.
Vosburgh returns
In November, Jan Vosburgh returned to the city commission. Vosburgh served six 6½ years as a commissioner before term-limiting out of office in 2016. She ran unopposed in the 2019 city elections and now fills the Ward 3 seat formerly held by one-term commissioner Randy White, who did not seek reelection.
Mayor John Chappie and Commissioner Jake Spooner also ran unopposed in 2019 and are now serving new two-year terms in office.
– Joe Hendricks
Holmes Beach
2019 was a busy year for city leaders in Holmes Beach.
The year kicked off with the newly-elected members of the Charter Review Commission meeting beginning in January. Though Charter Review commissioners could not reach a majority vote to consider the issue of a city manager in Holmes Beach, they did propose eight charter amendments, all of which passed with voters in the November election.
Also passing with voters in November were the re-elections of Commissioners Carol Soustek and Jim Kihm and the election of Commissioner Terry Schaefer.
Workers break up the concrete pad that once housed the city’s tot lot playground equipment in preparation for the installation of the new skate park. – Kristin Swain | Sun
After spending the first several months of the year making plans, work began in the fall on improvements at the city field complex, including the dog park, skate park, tot lot and multi-use field. Gone is the ball field, replaced by the large dog park with the rest of the space taken up by the expanded multi-use field. The old skate park was torn down with the cement pad to be used for staging by public works employees and a new skate park is under construction along Marina Drive. After receiving feedback from Island skaters, city commissioners chose Pivot, a division of American Ramp Company, and designer Tito Porrata to build the concrete promenade style skate park and skate bowl. Though the city had enough funds budgeted to build the skate park, it took members of the community stepping up and pledging funds to get the bowl built.
Members of the city’s Parks and Beautification Committee worked for months with dog park users to help design a new park to meet the needs of both canine and human users. At the end of 2019, those plans were finally coming to fruition with the large dog park being relocated and work being done in both the small and large dog parks.
An aeration system bubbles in Spring Lake in December, helping to mix the water column and hopefully improve the lake’s water quality. – Kristin Swain | Sun
The multi-use field, dog park and skate park are all expected to be opened to the public in January with the first opening scheduled for the multi-use field on Jan. 10, 2020.
Though funding was received to replace the aging playground equipment from the Hagen Foundation and private donations, work on the new tot lot playground had not begun as of the end of 2019.
Work also was completed on a multi-use trail stretching down an eastern portion of Palm and Marina Drives to meet up with a multi-use trail in Anna Maria. An effort to install lighted crosswalks in dangerous areas for pedestrians was begun along Gulf Drive. A project to widen bicycle paths along the city’s main corridors and restripe bicycle lanes also was approved by commissioners.
Also, after months of work and the installation of an aeration system, Development Services Director Eran Wasserman said the waters of Spring Lake were clear with visibility to the bottom of the lake in December. The lake is scheduled for a water quality test in January 2020.
It wasn’t all good news in 2019 for Holmes Beach city leaders. Several Bert Harris cases made an appearance in court; though the city walked away with victories, many cases are still outstanding.
In other court cases, the tree house at the Angelinos Sea Lodge is still standing and its fate is still being disputed in court. Kicking off the new year, city leaders are scheduled to meet tree house owners Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen in court on Jan. 8.
The tree house still stands beachside in Holmes Beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun
2019 also marked the first year of Judy Titsworth’s first term as mayor. She marked the occasion in November with a state of the city address and in December by recognizing former Commissioner Rick Hurst, charter review commissioners and all of the committee members who resigned from service to the community during her first year as mayor.
– Kristin Swain
Cortez
The battle over a stilt structure in Sarasota Bay continued in 2019.
A Jan. 13 trial in Manatee County Circuit Court may decide the fate of the building, constructed in 2018 by Raymond Guthrie Jr. in Sarasota Bay offshore of the A.P. Bell Fish Co. in Cortez.
This structure was built last year in Sarasota Bay off the historic Cortez fishing village. – Cindy Lane | Sun
Guthrie claims the 1200-square-foot building is a net camp, built where his family’s previous net camps stood.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has ordered Guthrie to take down the building, claiming state ownership of the submerged land.
A.P. Bell Fish Co. sued DEP for ordering the demolition of the building, claiming it owns the submerged land under the 1921 Butler Act, which awards title of submerged lands to adjacent waterfront property owners who made permanent improvements on the submerged lands.
Net camps were used by commercial fishermen to clean, dry, mend and store nets, and dotted the Cortez shoreline until the 1950s. They declined in use when netmakers began using polyester, and were made obsolete by the 1994 Florida gill net ban.
– Cindy Lane
The Center of Anna Maria Island
The good news continued to come in at The Center of Anna Maria Island in 2019.
The Anna Maria nonprofit started the year off by hosting a five-part concert series in conjunction with the Manatee County Tourist Development Council and Manatee Performing Arts Center. With the success of the first concert series, another five-part series kicked off in December with doo-wop band Sha Na Na and continues into 2020.
The Outlaws rock The Center of Anna Maria Island in January 2019. – File photo
Financially, The Center remained on solid ground in 2019, ending the calendar year and the first half of its fiscal year within 1% of budget. During a December board meeting, Executive Director Chris Culhane said that the nonprofit’s finances are expected to continue to improve in 2020 as the winter high season hits with more events, members and fundraising opportunities.
The Center’s Go Green campaign officially launched in November with a presentation by Philippe Cousteau Jr. and continued in December with the installation of 52 mini reefs in the waters around Anna Maria Island. The reefs provide homes for marine life and can help filter the water. Thanks to a matching donation of up to $130,000, each reef purchased as a part of the Go Green campaign resulted in a $300 donation to The Center. To help facilitate increased fundraising opportunities, the nonprofit welcomed new Director of Development Jim McDaniel in May.
Capital improvements included changing all of the nonprofit campus’ lighting to LED bulbs, improvements to the second-floor restroom facilities and the start of an effort to replace all of the aging air conditioning units.
– Kristin Swain
West Manatee Fire Rescue
West Manatee Fire Rescue district had an eventful year, beginning with the retirement of Chief Tom Sousa and appointment of Chief Ben Rigney as his successor. A change of command ceremony was held on Oct. 17 at Station 1 on 67th Street in Bradenton.
District commissioners also opted to move forward with plans to relocate WMFR’s administrative offices from temporary quarters at Palma Sola Presbyterian Church to a new, permanent home. Commissioners purchased a lot located behind the Fountain Court Shopping Center on Manatee Avenue and chose Hall Architects in October to develop a design for the project.
Chief Ben Rigney, center, talks with WMFR’s two retired chiefs, Chief Tom Sousa and Chief Andy Price on Oct. 17 at a change of command ceremony. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Throughout the year, commissioners handed out commendations for promotions, career milestones and service to the community. One of the most popular awards in 2019 was the Phoenix Award, an award given to first responders who help bring patients back from the brink of death. The district handed out almost a dozen Phoenix Awards to first responders who helped give patients a second chance at life.
BRADENTON BEACH – Controversy over Australian pine trees in the Coquina Beach parking lot may slow down or stop the second phase of a $6 million drainage project, county tourism officials learned on Monday.
The county removed 103 of the non-native pines and replaced them with native species in phase one at the southern end of the parking area, scheduled to be completed by February or March, Mike Sturm, project manager at the Manatee County Public Works Department, told Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) members.
Another 126 pines will need to be removed at the northern end in phase two, he said.
Spirited discussions at city and county meetings about removing the first batch of trees caused the project to fall three to four months behind, he said, adding that the city of Bradenton Beach required the county to replace the 103 pines with 103 native, salt-tolerant trees, mostly black olive, gumbo limbo and green buttonwood. The county exceeded the city’s height requirements, choosing trees 8-12 feet high, Sturm said.
TDC Chair and Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore was not appeased by the effort, citing the Australian pines’ shade and aesthetic appeal.
The nearly-completed portion of the southern parking lot “looks like Siesta Beach or one of the other sterile beaches we have south of us… I wanted to save some of the character of Anna Maria Island,” said Whitmore, who voted against the project as a county commissioner. “People come to us because we aren’t a sterile beach like you see in other places in Florida. If you go for phase two, I’m really going to fight it hard,” she said.
In phase two, which Manatee County commissioners have not yet approved, the county public works staff can try to mitigate the impact to the pines by changing the pavement design to save some of them, Sturm said.
But Australian pine opponents, like Island restaurateur and TDC member Ed Chiles, say the trees are unstable in high winds due to shallow root systems and produce acidity that discourages the growth of native plants.
Pines lining Gulf Drive could topple into the roadway, which is a hurricane evacuation route, Chiles said, complimenting the county on removing the pines and on the drainage project’s progress, saying it “provides access to our crown jewel, the beaches.”
The county worked with an expert who determined that 90% of the time, the Coquina Beach parking lot gets an inch of rain or less, he said, so the system is designed to keep the lot dry 90% percent of the time. During a heavy storm, it may take a day or so to clear, he said, but any water coming off Gulf Drive will be routed around the parking area.
The system also should help reduce harmful algal blooms, Chiles said; the project incorporates carbon filters under pervious parking surfaces to help filter out nutrients from stormwater runoff, which will drain into the Intracoastal Waterway.
Pervious concrete was used at Riverwalk and Lecom Field, TDC member and Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said.
“It’s worked very well, we’re very pleased with that,” he said, predicting that the improved beach parking lot will attract more visitors and locals when it is finished in January.
But the Australian pines made the beach “look like the Island,” he said.
“I think Carol’s right,” he said. “You get a new puppy and everybody forgets about the old dog who has served you so well.”
“I lost this one,” Whitmore said. “As a TDC member for a long time now, I just don’t want the character to be inching away… I’m just trying to preserve a little bit of the character and that to me was a big thing. But they’re gone.”
The final week of the regular season for the adult soccer league at The Center of Anna Maria Island played out last week with Ross Built Construction taking the win against Vintage Beach in the first game of the night last Thursday, Dec. 5.
Second-seeded Sato Real Estate dominated the pitch against Flynn Law, who was missing key players. Top female league scorer and second overall in the league at just four goals short of first, Amy Ivin, put four goals into the record books along with an assist in the game.
Ivin started the scoring early finding the net twice in the first 10 minutes of the match up giving Sato Real Estate a 2-0 lead.
With five minutes left in the first half of the game, Ivin finds Race Aranda ready to score, advancing the point deficit for Flynn Law with the score 3-0.
Flynn Law looked to be on fire and ready for a second-half come back with a quick goal by Danny Anderson, made possible by an assist by his wife Gina Anderson, against a Sato squad that did not look quick ready for action.
The scoreboard showed a 3-1 Sato Real Estate lead with 15 minutes left in the game when D. Anderson’s corner kick met the feet of Zachary Lieb for the second Flynn Law goal of the game, moving the score to 4-2.
Aranda moved down the field past Goalie of the Year Robb Marshall, for Flynn Law, with 90 saves in the regular season. Aranda found Ivin open allowing her to score her third goal of the game.
Both Ivin and team captain Josh Sato hit the net for Sato Real Estate points and Lieb scored again for the Flynn Law team.
With the score 6-3 with very little time left in the game, Conrado Gomez hit his solo goal, giving his team, Sato Real Estate, a five-point lead.
In the final seconds of the game, Nate Talucci scored the final goal of the game for Sato Real Estate to end the game with the score 8-3.
Top seed Block Walters will face Vacasa, who clinched their first win of the season against Lancaster Design Thursday night. With the loss, Lancaster Design’s season ended.
Sato Real Estate matches up against seventh seed Moss Builders and fourth seed Ross Built Construction hits the field with Flynn Law, finishing fifth in the regular season.
League high scorer and team captain Joey Hutchinson takes his Vintage Beach team into the playoffs against sixth seed Team MuniPlan.
The semifinal round of playoff games are scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. with the championship game to follow on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.
Recently I was intent on fishing an area that has become one of my favorite haunts.
Unfortunately, when I got there another boat was anchored nearby. As I started working my way towards my intended target yet another boat pulled up behind me intent on heading in the same direction.
Third Place
Light Features
2020
My first reaction? Disappointment crept over me and I was thinking my carefully planned strategy had failed me. Then suddenly I remembered a fable I had read in a book by Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn. In a parable from his book, “The Art of Living,” the poet, global spiritual leader and international peace activist tells the story of a farmer’s son that fell off his horse and broke his leg. His neighbors tell him how unfortunate that is. His response? “We’ll see, we’ll see.” Two weeks later the military comes to conscript new recruits for war and his son was not taken because of his broken leg. Once again, the neighbors chime in, this time saying how lucky he and his son are. His response, once again is, “We’ll see… we’ll see.”
Suddenly my mindset changed and I saw this as an opportunity to maybe actually benefit from what had initially been my frustration. Although there wasn’t any catching involved, I fished a place close by and discovered some promising areas I had never explored. I’ll definitely return there again as I’ve learned over the years one certain fact about fishing (thank you Captain Scott Moore), “fish move around!” How many times over the years have we as fishermen developed a plan that was altered by factors out of our control? Wind, rain, cold, heat, tides, competition for territory and a hundred other things conspire to alter and sometimes completely destroy a well thought out plan. While it always doesn’t turn out to be advantageous, who hasn’t in hindsight looked and found perceived disruptions to be “blessings in disguise.” Over-optimistic you say? Maybe, but I’d rather look for the proverbial “pony under there somewhere” than let disruption ruin my day.
Don’t get me wrong, I am totally a fan of having a plan for my fishing. I’ll check tides, wind and the myriad of other factors to try and develop a strategy to improve my odds of catching fish. Having said that, it’s good to have a backup plan that includes addressing the actual conditions you find on any given day. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m not really good at finding fish. I jokingly and fully in earnest comment on the fact that fish and I don’t see things alike. The places I find that should hold fish don’t seem to appeal to them.
Then there’s the strategy of being persistent, definitely an advantage as fish get more spread out, pressured and spooky. Another seasoned fishing guide has a saying that resonates with me. Captain Steve Huff, arguably one of the best guides the Florida Keys ever produced, likes to tell anglers who seek his advice, “Pole far enough and the fish will find you.” My advice? Go out with a plan but be willing to make a change. Will that strategy pay off? We’ll see, we’ll see.
CORTEZ – The Florida Maritime Museum is planning a redesign and is inviting public comment on its conceptual plan daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 14, with a tour offered on Saturday at 10 a.m.
The plan was designed by The Creative Pool, an exhibit design firm that has worked in Tarpon Springs, another maritime community, Florida Maritime Museum Supervisor Kristin Sweeting said.
The Friends of the Florida Maritime Museum, the non-profit which supports the museum, hired the company to produce the plan, which includes new exhibits on Florida’s working waterfront communities using Cortez “as a lens to tell those stories,” she said. “The goal is to add content but not take away Cortez.”
Visitors to the museum at 4415 119th St. W. will notice that some changes already have been made, including the removal of the children’s play area named for longtime volunteer Sam Bell, which is now an exhibit featuring the U.S. Coast Guard.
Bell’s widow, Kaye Bell, said the museum informed her of the change but did not grant her request to leave his photo displayed for his children and grandchildren.
Bell is a member of the Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS), which operates the Cortez Cultural Center near the museum. Along with members of FISH (the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage), the Cortez community and Manatee County officials, members of CVHS lent support to establish the museum, formerly the 1912 Cortez Rural Graded School, to preserve the history of the Cortez commercial fishing industry.
“We are still planning on honoring Sam in another portion of the museum,” Sweeting said, adding that the play area was seldom used, as most museum visitors are adults. An education room containing the museum’s library will be created in another part of the museum to serve families, she said.
While many decisions have yet to be made, two large exhibits will stay on permanent exhibit, Sweeting said – the pole skiff built by Cortezian N.E. Taylor in 1932 and the vintage red wooden door that was once the front door of the building.
Smaller exhibits, including handmade dioramas portraying net fishing, may no longer be on permanent display, but rotated with other exhibits, she said.
“Some artifacts will come off display and go into storage while others will come in,” Sweeting said.
Other ideas are to divide the shell collection, which is now in one place, and display it throughout the museum, add oral history videos to some exhibits and translate written explanations of exhibits into Spanish.
The conceptual plan for the museum’s “re-imagining” also features a different floor plan, guiding visitors in one direction through the museum and out through the gift shop, instead of offering two paths near the entrance, Sweeting said.
After the plan is finalized, work is expected to begin in mid-2020 with funding from a Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs grant, she said.
To offer input on proposed changes at the museum or to register to take a tour on Saturday, Dec. 14, call 941-708-6120.
There’s a big predicament out there all over the country for home buyers, especially first-time buyers. There’s nothing to buy and, apparently, it’s my generation’s fault.
United States homeowners are staying in their homes much longer than ever. Nationwide, homeowners are remaining in their homes typically 13 years, which is five years longer than they did in 2010, according to Redfin. This fact is keeping the housing inventory low resulting in low sales statistics month after month. Except for the early part of this year, the inventory of homes for sale is now near the lowest level in 37 years of record-keeping, according to the housing data firm CoreLogic, Inc.
You don’t have to be an economist and expert in the housing market to understand that when owners don’t trade up to a larger home for a growing family or downsize when children leave it there are availability consequences. When this happens, which is rapidly becoming a fact, it puts a cap on the number of homes available for buyers either looking to upgrade or just coming into the market.
The baby boomer generation, who are now entering their seventies, is partly to blame for the lack of inventory since many of them are staying healthier later in life, are more active and don’t see any reason to downsize. Some states make it easier for seniors to stay in their homes with generous tax benefits. In most states, once you move you lose that benefit which only encourages senior homeowners to stay put.
In Manatee County, however, there is a program for homesteaded residents that allows homeowners to move to a new home and retain some of the tax benefits of the original home. This is called portability and it gives you the ability to transfer the “Save Our Homes” cap to a new home. The “Save Our Homes” cap is the difference between your market value and assessed value. For example, if the just value of your new homestead property is more than the just value of your old homestead, you will be able to transfer your cap up to the $500,000 limit. This went into effect on January 1, 2008, and allows you two years to make the application for portability. In addition, there is no limit on the number of times you move and apply for portability.
October sales statists from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee is showing a similar trend in inventory. Here are the numbers.
Both Manatee and Sarasota counties continue the upward drift in sales prices with Manatee doing a little better. The number of closed single-family homes in Manatee County increased by 5% compared to last October. The median sale price for single-family is $325,000, up 9.1% from last year and the average is $396,342, up 7.4%. Sarasota’s single-family median sale prices increased by 5.6% to $285,000 and their average sales price increased by 12.5% to $385,131.
Condos in Manatee County closed 0.5% fewer sales, however, the median sale price increased 0.9% from last October to $192,999 and the average sale price increased 20.2% to $262,724. Sarasota’s condo median sale price decreased 5.7% to $220,352 and their average also decreased by 0.9% to $297,501.
Inventory of available properties continued to drop in Manatee County to a 3.4 months supply for single-family homes and 3.7% for condos, putting additional pressure on the market. Who knows what the inventory future holds and the effect it will have on the upcoming selling season? In the meantime, buyers are just waiting and waiting and blaming their parents and grandparents. Happy Thanksgiving!
ANNA MARIA – The Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria reopened Saturday morning, Nov. 23, after being closed for two days to make repairs to the pier walkway.
The Rod & Reel Pier was closed on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 20, due to a portion of the pier walkway slowly collapsing and sagging toward the southeastern edge of the pier due to a broken piling.
The impacted section of the pier was cordoned off with safety tape Wednesday morning, but the pier and the pier restaurant remained open. Rod & Reel Pier manager Dave Cochran said the repairs that would include replacing the broken piling, and that would require a barge that wasn’t available until later in the week.
Wednesday night, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said, “The Rod & Reel Pier agreed to a voluntary shutdown this evening due to the public safety hazard. The pier walkway stringer and support collapsed on the walkway. An emergency permit to repair the pier will be issued in the morning.”
On Thursday, Murphy said the city’s primary concern was public safety. He said he was pleased that the Rod & Reel management took it upon themselves to close their pier while making the repairs.
Late Friday afternoon, Building Official Luke Curtis provided Murphy with a status update via email.
“I have given the OK for the Rod & Reel Pier to open. An inspection was performed earlier and the structure is safe. They may still be putting the final touches on the work, but it is structurally sound. David, the Rod & Reel Pier manager, said he would be opening back up in the morning,” Curtis said in his email to the mayor.
Privately-owned pier
Mario Schoenfelder owns the Rod & Reel Pier and the restaurant and bar at the end of it. The city is not responsible for the maintenance and repair of that pier or its structures, but a city-issued permit was needed for the repairs, as was the post-repair inspection by Curtis.
Schoenfelder has also long served as the pier tenant of the nearby city-owned Anna Maria City Pier. The already-aging city pier was closed in 2017 due to damage sustained during Hurricane Irma.
Schoenfelder has until Dec. 13 submit to the city his final offer for a new long-term lease that would allow him to continue as the city pier’s tenant for the foreseeable future. Schoenfelder’s current lease expires in Dec. 2020.
The new city pier currently under construction is expected to open in Feb. 2020. The interior build-out of the new restaurant and bait shop buildings is expected to take place after the public is allowed to return to the main pier walkway and the T-end decking.
HOLMES BEACH – Under advice from the city attorney, commissioners reluctantly agreed to add a provision to the noise ordinance allowing a waiver for necessary projects, primarily beach renourishment.
The issue came up during a Nov. 19 work session when commissioners were discussing making changes to the city’s noise ordinance. Attorney Patricia Petruff informed commissioners that she had been approached by Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker to obtain a waiver for the noise ordinance requirements for work due to beach renourishment. Petruff said that equipment would need to take up the city’s 50-foot-wide right of way at the 68th Street beach access and that work would need to take place 24 hours a day for however long the project takes. She added that if a waiver or exception to the noise ordinance was not provided by the city that it was inferred that beach renourishment activities would skip that area.
Commissioners agreed to add the provision to changes already underway in the noise ordinance but said that they want more information on the project and exactly what residents in the area will have to deal with from construction noise and how long it will take. They agreed to ask Hunsicker to attend their Dec. 10 meeting to provide a presentation on the planned beach renourishment activities and answer questions from commissioners and the public.
Commissioners also said they want to make sure that residents along the 68th Street access are properly notified before any work begins.
