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Tag: Anna Maria Island

Flooded street in Holmes Bea

Protecting Holmes Beach from rising tides

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Awards, Awards 2018, Community News, Holmes Beach, Second Place.

HOLMES BEACH – Stories of climate change and sea level rise may soon be more than just cautionary tales for Island property owners, but City Engineer Lynn Burnett has a plan to keep those stories from becoming nightmares.

“Our ultimate goal is net zero loss of properties that are buildable today,” Burnett said, opening a discussion with planning commissioners concerning the steps needed to keep rising tides out of local businesses and residences.

Second place
Environmental writing
2018

Burnett’s plan is to begin slowly raising city streets, seawalls and private properties, along with adding more stormwater drainage to lots, to help keep the water out over the next 20-40 years as sea levels continue to rise. With Anna Maria Island elevations so close to existing sea level, if the Island cities and property owners do nothing, Burnett said in Holmes Beach 20-30 percent of currently buildable lots could be underwater by 2060 with no hope of reclaiming them. Because of the way the Island is graded, with the higher side bordering the Gulf of Mexico, the loss of land would be concentrated on the opposite side bordering Tampa Bay, Anna Maria Sound and Palma Sola Bay. The flooding that islanders see during king tides, Burnett said, would become the norm.

Holmes Beach planning flood lynn
City Engineer Lynn Burnett discusses her plan to help keep rising tide waters out of Holmes Beach through the year 2060 with planning commissioners. – Kristin Swain | Sun

“The do-nothing option does not exist,” she said.

To prevent property loss, Burnett wants to begin working with each Island city and private property owners to inspect individual properties and determine what can be done to keep the water out.

“It’s not a one size fits all solution,” she said. “We’re not going to be able to prevent 100 percent of flooding on this Island. That’s not an achievable goal. It’s better to have the water recede in hours rather than days.”

“We all know it’s coming,” Planning Commissioner Chuck Stealey said. His primary concern with the plan was how the proposed improvements will be funded. For people living on a fixed income or those who recently completed repairs to their seawalls expected to last for 20 years, he said the cost could be too much to bear. He also worried that some property owners can’t foot the bill for the improvements if it will endanger surrounding properties when the flood waters come.

Burnett said determining the cost and figuring out how to pay for it would be one of the things discussed with each individual property owner as the program progresses. If the property owner can’t afford the repairs or improvements, she said some grant funds or other monies may be available to help lessen the financial burden. She said savings to property owners also will be present in the lessening of flood insurance payments which would help cover the initial cost of improvements in savings spread out over several years of property ownership.

Planning Commissioner Scott Boyd said he feels the project will just raise the cost of homeownership on the Island and push out more permanent residents.

City Planner Bill Brisson said for new Island homeowners seeking to rebuild or remodel a home, several of the proposed improvements are already enforced during the site plan approval stage in the building department. Already property owners are required to raise new structures and those receiving more than a 50 percent remodel above the current flood level as determined by FEMA. New site plans and remodels also require stormwater drainage facilities to be placed on the property able to hold all the property’s stormwater runoff.

“The alternative is you won’t have a place to live,” Brisson said.

“Nobody’s going to buy our property if it’s underwater,” Planning Commissioner Barbara Hines said.

Burnett said the things city leaders are doing to keep the rising tides out are “nothing new,” but aren’t outlined specifically in the city’s comprehensive plan. City initiatives include the installation of WaStop valves at outflow pipes to prevent tidal water from backing up the city’s stormwater drainage system, repairing and slip-lining damaged pipes, incrementally raising roads as they’re resurfaced and putting a 12-inch cap on city-owned seawalls as they’re repaired or replaced. To keep the water from flooding Bayside properties, adequate stormwater infiltration and retention facilities must be installed upland on both public and private property.

“We don’t have a choice,” Hines said. “We are going to lose this Island if we do not take action now. I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford not to do it.”

Burnett said if the proposed ordinance outlining the plan is approved by city commissioners, private property owners could see implementation plans for their residences as soon as 2020. Before the ordinance goes to commissioners for approval, planning commissioners are holding a public hearing to determine if it’s consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan at their June 6 meeting.

Meeting the Challenge

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

The kindness of strangers was on full view last week in the 2018 Giving Challenge.

The philanthropic fundraiser generated a little more than $11.7 million in donations and dollar-for-dollar matches for local nonprofit organizations.

Interestingly, most of the gifts were of the grassroots variety, averaging less than $100 throughout the four-county region of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.

A few notable among the local recipients were the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), which received more than $28,500 from 178 donors. Almost half of that dollar amount came from the dollar-for-dollar match.

Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. of Bradenton Beach made $14,780 from 198 donors and $12,955 from matching grants for a total of $27,735.

Other local nonprofit recipients included Mote Marine, The Center of Anna Maria Island and the Anna Maria Island Historical Society. A complete list is included in our story.

Congratulations to the nonprofits, which will greatly benefit from these cash infusions. And a big thank you to all those who donated, illustrating once again the generosity of the people of Anna Maria Island and the entire region.

Castles in the Sand

A real estate plateau

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

There is a word that no one who follows an active real estate market wants to hear, and that word is “plateauing.” What does that mean in real estate lingo? It means leveling out rather than breaking through, and it’s a word that more than one economist has recently used. Before you start looking up at the sky waiting for it to fall, it’s not all bad, and some of it may be good.

According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales nationally in March declined 1.2 percent from last year. This translates to the national single-family home median selling price being $250,400 in March, which was 5.8 percent higher than March of last year. The March results were largely in line with economists’ expectations for the housing market this year – not a great performance. As we already know, a limited supply of homes has driven up prices and curtailed sales volume.

The March sales statistics from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee’s website are also looking a little off in both selling price and sales volume for single-family homes.  The number of closed sales in March of this year was 580 for single-family homes. Last year it was 581, no real change, but there has been a change in the median sale price. After three months of median sales price being at or above $300,000, in March of this year, it was $285,000, a decline of 1.7 percent from last year.

The average sale price for single-family homes in March was $367,268, up 8.4 percent from last year. In addition, the median time to contract was 47 days, a very good number, and we still have only four months of properties available for sale, a very bad number. By comparison, the state of Florida’s median single-family home sale price during March of this year was $250,800, an increase of 8.2 percent from last year.

Condo sales numbers were all around better. The median sale price for this year was $201,500, up 15.1 percent, and the average sale price was $245,563, up 15.7 percent from last March. This March we closed 284 condos compared to last year where we closed 259. The median time to contract was 46 days, a good number, and we are holding at four-and-a-half month’s supply of available properties, a bad number.

It’s pretty much the same old story – too little inventory is pushing prices up overall and keeping properties off the market. The low number of days for both single family and condos on the market before going to contract proves this. With interest rates starting to go up, keeping fewer buyers in the market, something will have to give, which is why we may be seeing a leveling off.

But there is good news too. It appears that Florida is one of a handful of states in the country that are importing vast numbers of residents from other states. Since 2007, Florida has gained 850,000 residents. Texas, another state without income tax, has gained 1.4 million. Combined, Florida and Texas have gained a net of $50 billion in income and purchasing power from other states. Compare this to California and New York, which have given up a combined net of $23 billion, and this does not include other states like Connecticut, New Jersey, and Minnesota, which have consistently lost residents. Economists predict this exodus will only continue when the tax cut bill fully takes effect, capping state income tax at $10,000.

Will the influx of residents from out-of-state keep our real estate market from plateauing or are we going to start feeling a little pain? Like everything in real estate, stay tuned.

Island Players An Inspector Calls

Island Players deliver on play with moral message

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Theater.

ANNA MARIA – It’s the final play of the season and the Island Players are ending on a high note with “An Inspector Calls.” The play, written by J.B. Priestley, is set in the early 1900s before World War I. It was written shortly after World War II and carries a “do unto others” message with a touch of science fiction at the end.

The play is complicated, but the Island Players performed it with perfection.

The Birling family is celebrating their daughter’s engagement. The daughter, Sheila, is played by Silvia Marnie, while her fiance, Gerald Croft, is played by Colin Brady, an English businessman.

Father of the bride Arthur Birling, played by Daniel Coppinger, also is a businessman and the two men get along well, discussing the perfect balance of charging enough for their products while keeping personnel costs low for a more-than-tidy profit.

Birling’s wife, Sybil, played by Caroline Cox, is the perfect wife who helps raise money for the poor, some of whom work for her husband.

As they make plans to celebrate the engagement, they get a call from police Inspector Goole who wants to question them about a suicide.

Goole, played by director Heiko Knipfelberg, starts questioning them about their knowledge of the suicide victim, Eva Smith. As the questions continue, the inspector starts making moral judgments about the family members. Smith worked at Birling’s company but was fired after she joined other workers in asking for a raise and going on strike.

As the questions continue, they learn that Croft had an affair with her and he paid for her expenses for a short time. Smith also had an affair with the son, Eric Birling, played by Lucas Piety, and was pregnant with his baby when she died.

With that for a plot, the people get very vocal and their moods go from guilt to sorrow. Finally, Arthur Birling makes a call to the police chief, who disavows knowledge of any Inspector Goole and confirms there was no suicide and in their relief, they drop the sorrow and guilt. What happens next puts this play in line to be an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” But you’ll have to see it to find out why.

Each cast member gives excellent performances, including Diane Phinney, who played Edna, the maid. It’s well worth the price of admission.

“An Inspector Calls” runs through May 13 and demand has been high for tickets. Call 941-778-5755 for information and to purchase tickets.

Letter to the Editor

Crossing concerns

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Anna Maria Commissioner Amy Tripp made a good point last week when she suggested the $150,000 it would cost to install an automated license plate recognition system might be money better spent on lighted crosswalks.

Automated plate readers may or may not be a good idea, but most folks would agree that safe crosswalks are a great idea.

Tourists love to walk to the beach to enjoy the sunsets, but if they linger long enough they find themselves walking home in darkness, often with children in tow. The growing fear is that someday a large group of visitors is going to get struck by a motorist who doesn’t see them crossing.

City commissioners in all three Island cities spend a great deal of time funding projects. Perhaps the time has come for lighted sidewalks to become a greater funding priority – an endeavor that will require FDOT cooperation for crosswalks located on the state-owned portions of Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.

Perhaps the finest example of a lighted Gulf Drive crosswalk is in front of the Runaway Bay condominiums in Bradenton Beach. Pedestrians push a button to activate the signal lighting, and it’s nearly impossible for a motorist not to see that a crossing’s imminent. There’s another lighted crosswalk near the Gulf Drive Cafe, but folks tend to cross there in a more willy-nilly fashion rather than using the designated crossing area.

Public safety is a responsibility shared by elected officials, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists alike.

Pedestrians: Walk defensively, be aware of your surroundings and cross at marked crossings when possible. When crossing, look into the eyes of the approaching driver to see if they see you and plan to stop.

Bicyclists: Follow the rules of the road and obey traffic signals – including stop signs that may slow your roll but save your life. And put lights on your bike if riding at night, even if it’s a rented bike.

Motorists: Be constantly alert for pedestrians crossing anywhere at any time and pay close attention to the yellow pedestrian crossing signs at which you are required by law to stop when pedestrians are present.

This isn’t rocket science. We’re all in this together; let’s all do our part so we all get home safe.

Island Players cast

Last play of season this month

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Theater.

ANNA MARIA – The Island Players, 10009 Gulf Drive, presents “An Inspector Calls” by J.B. Priestley, directed by Heiko Knipfelberg and co-produced by The Off-Stage Ladies, from May 3 -13.

The setting is 1912 in England where a well-to-do family, eminently respected in their community, is subjected to what seems to be a routine inquiry in connection with the death of a young woman from the seedier side of town. When Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at the Birling family home, their peaceful engagement dinner party is shattered by his investigation. His startling revelations shake the very foundations of their lives and challenge us all to examine our consciences.

“An Inspector Calls” was first staged in 1945 and has had numerous stagings since then. Most recently, after a five-year run in London, it closed just last year. Its continued success is due to the themes within that are more relevant now than ever. It’s a must-see for a whole new generation of theater-goers.

The cast includes Daniel Coppinger as Arthur Birling, Caroline Cox as Sybil Birling, Sylvia Marnie as Sheila Birling, Lucas Piety as Eric Birling, Colin Brady as Gerald Croft, Heiko Knipfelberg as Inspector Goole and Diane Phinney as Edna.

Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 each. The box office is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. On performance nights, the box office opens at 7 p.m. and for Sunday matinees, it opens at 1 p.m. Visa, MasterCard or Discover are accepted.

For reservations or information, call the box office at 941 778-5755 or visit the website.

Castles in the Sand

More people and we’re still growing

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

We’re at the end of our winter season, and as much as I hate to say it, the traffic was worse than ever. I know everyone says the same thing every year, but they’re correct every year. It is indeed worse and for good reason.

Between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017, Manatee County gained an estimated 10,000 more residents according to the U.S. Census data. This makes Manatee County the 44th fastest-growing county in the United States between 2010 and 2017.  In addition, we added about 62,700 people during a seven-year period, and they all want to go to our much-publicized beaches.

The estimated population of Manatee County as of July 1, 2017, was 385,571, and there’s more.

The Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research estimates the 2020 high projected population to be around 405,100, and by 2045 it could go as high as 645,200, and with all of the new development either underway or planned, I believe every one of those numbers. What effect this has on real estate values, in general, is almost impossible to predict, but more people need more housing – you do the math.

But this is still 2018, and it’s time for my one million dollars and over analysis of properties sold and listed in Cortez and the three cities on Anna Maria Island. This time I looked at January, February and March for sold properties and currently available properties for sale or pending as of this writing.

The statistics on foreclosed properties are from the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office, and the properties on the market are from the realtor.com website, which generally reflects properties on local multiple listing services. Also, please note that I use primarily condos and single-family homes in the analysis.

Properties $1 million and over that closed between January and March of this year are as follows:

Cortez had one sale at $1,112,500; the previous three-month period had none. The city of Anna Maria had 11 sales during this period ranging from $4,260,000 to $1,140,000; during the previous period there were nine. The combined cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach had eight sales between $1,925,000 and $1,000,000; the last three-month period had 11.

Available properties for sale as of this writing are: Cortez has four properties either available or pending between $1,100,000 and $1,500,000; the previous three-month period there were five. The city of Anna Maria has 56 properties either available or pending ranging from $4,995,000 to $1,169,000. During the previous three-month period there were 42. And the combined cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach have 70 either available or pending properties between $4,600,000 and $1,000,000. The previous three-months there were 47.

So, what does this snapshot of our coastal market tell us? First of all, it tells us that the number of closed properties is more or less stable. However, the number of available properties, some of which are pending, is up on the island, particularly Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach, which is way up. There are certainly closed sales that are not reflected in these numbers, and, hopefully, the next three-month period will reflect more closing as we start to ease out of the winter selling season.

What we do know for sure is more and more people are discovering our little piece of paradise, which will only lead to bigger and bigger traffic jams. I can almost guarantee you that a year from now I will be writing the same thing as I stated in the first paragraph of this column – it’s the worst year for traffic ever, assuming I can get over the Cortez Bridge.

assault jessies store Holmes Beach

Suspect arrested in Island assault case

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Officers have a suspect in custody for the March 22 assault of a clerk at Jessie’s Island Store.

Holmes Beach police officers arrested 44-year-old Jason Rawlings Bounds April 17 after the clerk positively identified him as her attacker. The clerk was identified in a police report as April Gonzalez. The incident was captured on the store’s surveillance system. 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJBHrlDjlnY[/embedyt]

 

Bounds is facing one count of battery as a second or subsequent offense, a third-degree felony, and one count of resisting a merchant, a first-degree misdemeanor. A third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison, five years of probation, and a $5,000 fine if convicted. A first-degree misdemeanor carries a possible sentence of up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. The arrest warrant says Bounds is being held at the Port Manatee Jail.

assault arrest bounds mug shot 0425
The suspect arrested in the March assault of a store clerk at Jessie’s Island Store has been identified as Jason Rawlings Bounds. – Submitted | HBPD

A report attached to the arrest warrant, completed by Holmes Beach Police Department Det. Sgt. Brian Hall, states the incident occurred at the Island store when Gonzalez confronted Bounds for concealing beer, milk, and beef and cheese sticks in his jacket. Bounds returned the items to the clerk when approached but punched her in the side of the head and abdomen when she threatened to call the police if he didn’t immediately leave the premises. The punch left Gonzalez with minor injuries to the side of her face and earlobe. After the attack, the clerk and two customers attempted to restrain Bounds but he escaped on foot. Gonzalez was able to positively identify Bounds as her attacker from a photo lineup. He was later located and arrested by law enforcement officers.

This is not Bounds’ first tangle with the law. Hall’s report says Bounds was previously convicted several times for battery and battery-related crimes including one as late as Dec. 7, 2017, in Putnam County, West Virginia. His history of battery-related offenses dates back as far as January 1993.

eugene matthews sentencing

Matthews gets 65 years minimum

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Beach Beat, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON – Eugene Matthews will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the shooting death of Rebecca Rawson on Jan. 10, 2017.

On Thursday, April 19, Judge Brian Iten sentenced the 84-year-old Parrish resident to life in prison with a 25-year minimum for felony second-degree murder with a firearm. He also sentenced him to 30 years on each of two counts of felony attempted murder in the second degree with a firearm. Each count also had a 25-year minimum attached to it.

Rawson’s daughter, Kathryn, who was with her mother when she was mortally wounded by a gunshot, spoke before the sentencing decision was ready by Judge Iten.

“You have taken away a beautiful woman, my mother, my everything,” Rawson said after she took the witness stand. “I will never feel her kiss my head or call me her honey bunny.”

After she returned to her seat, she was heard sobbing.

Matthews took the stand, saying any sentence would be a death sentence to him because of his age. He alleged the incident started as a home invasion.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, on the day of the shooting, Rebecca Rawson, her daughter and brother-in-law, Rodney, were driving to Matthews’ home in Parrish to pick up Rawson’s dog, which Matthews had been watching. When she pulled up to the house she was greeted by Juanita Sills, who also lived in the home. Rodney Rawson called for the dog, which came running outside. Rodney Rawson picked up the dog and headed toward the car. Matthews then emerged from the house and fired two rounds from a pistol into the air. He fired a third round toward the car and it hit Rebecca Rawson in the face. The vehicle subsequently backed up and crashed into a gate. Rodney Rawson tried to get the pistol out of Matthews’ hand and another round was fired before the incident ended.

eugene matthrews sentencing rawson
Kathryn Rawson testifies about the loss of her mother in court Thursday afternoon at the sentencing of Eugene Matthews. Matthews was found guilty of the January 2017 fatal shooting of his late best-friend’s ex-wife outside his Parrish home. In February, a jury found Matthews guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm as charged. He was handed a life sentence. – Submitted | Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

At the hearing, Matthews call Kathryn Rawson a “spoiled brat” who got her mother killed. He said Rebecca Rawson was hit by a bullet that ricocheted.

Matthews called the court a “kangaroo court” and talked about how he felt his home was being invaded and he had to stand his ground, referring to a law that allows people to use force to protect their property.

Matthews then talked about his military duty where he earned two Purple Hearts and two Silver Stars and spilled two gallons of his blood.

After Judge Iten announced the sentence, Matthews was returned to jail. He has 30 days to appeal.

Traffic

Traffic snarls at Gulf Drive construction zones

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Transportation.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Along the Holmes Beach/Bradenton Beach border, residents and visitors alike are finding themselves stuck in something reminiscent of winter season traffic with added heavy construction equipment.

The backup is due to work on the Manatee County Force Main Five project in two spots on Gulf Drive, at 28th Street and 26th Street. Construction in the area is expected to last through the end of April, resuming May 1 at Gulf Drive and Avenue C. With traffic patterns shifted to the west side of the street and sections of sidewalks used for vehicular traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians should be especially careful when moving through construction areas.

force main gulf drive crosswalk
Cars drive past a crosswalk stuck in the middle of Gulf Drive construction where traffic is temporarily down to one lane for vehicles. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

While construction is ongoing during the day, flaggers are stationed at both ends of each construction area. These flaggers will stop vehicular traffic to allow bicyclists and pedestrians through the vehicular traffic lanes where sidewalks aren’t available. They also stop traffic to allow pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross Gulf Drive. Temporary crosswalks are located on both sides of each construction area. Cyclists and pedestrians should be very cautious when approaching the construction areas and remain to the side of vehicular traffic until instructed to move by flaggers. If a flagger is not available, pedestrians and cyclists should avoid the area or move through with extreme caution. Without a flagger’s assistance, pedestrians should not attempt to walk in vehicle lanes. Sidewalks on the west side of Gulf Drive remain open except where vehicle lanes shift to the west.

force main gulf drive two bicycles
Vehicles share the road with two bicyclists as they travel northbound on Gulf Drive through the Force Main Five work zone. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Motorists also will experience intermittent temporary lane closures where traffic is reduced for a short time to a single lane. Anyone driving through the area should prepare to experience delays. Speed limits are reduced to 25 miles per hour in the construction zones.

Because the Force Main Five project is a two-year project, construction will be ongoing on different sections of the Island’s primary roadways for the near future. Tina Allen, community outreach specialist on the project, said workers will try to get everyone through construction areas as quickly as possible. Due to the amount of work to be done, she said it’s impossible to plan work around seasonal traffic increases.

“Inevitably, this project presents impacts to someone, somewhere on AMI related to daily construction activities,” Allen said in an email to The Sun. “We understand the impact that a project of this magnitude presents to AMI property owners and visitors, and the project team is working to ensure that our contractors are sensitive and responsive to all expressed concerns, to the extent practical.”

Anna Maria Island traffic

Traffic woes plague Island drivers

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Everyone who’s driven on the Island during winter season months knows that a little extra time and a lot of patience are needed to deal with traffic delays.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s Barrier Island Traffic Study recorded hourly numbers of motorists on Manatee Avenue as high as 40 percent over regular traffic volumes during peak season times, January through April 2017, with the traffic on Cortez Road noted as 15 percent over average volumes. That comes out to about 1,500-1,600 cars per hour on Manatee Avenue and 1,200-1,400 on Cortez Road.

Once they’re on the Island, there are only so many places for all those cars to go. During the same time, FDOT contractors recorded an average of 1,000 cars an hour on Marina Drive with the same number also driving down Gulf Drive to Bradenton Beach.

“It’s like taking 30 pounds of potatoes and trying to put it in a 5-pound sack,” said Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who also serves as the city’s traffic engineer. “There’s no where to send the traffic. People are driving out to a dead end.”

Part of the issue is that for everyone coming onto the Island, they need somewhere to go, and everyone already on the Island is trying to get somewhere. Rather than merging, the two traffic streams are clashing as parking becomes more limited and streets fill with vehicles.

Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson referred to Queue Theory, a mathematical study of waiting lines, to explain it. He likened it to waiting in line to check in at the airport. He said waiting lines move faster because airlines open up more counters to serve guests. According to the theory, lines can only move as quickly as the person in front is being served.

If the person at the front of the line is a driver who’s stuck at a red light or can’t find a parking space, the line builds up and the wait time for other drivers increases. The issue, Johnson said, is there’s only so many gateways to the Island, three including access from Longboat Key, and potentially 1,000 people trying to use each one at the same time.

Anna Maria bridge
Every time the Anna Maria Island Bridge raises to allow a boat to pass it can take up to 15 minutes for traffic patterns to return to normal. – Kristin Swain| Sun

One long-term fix to help traffic coming from the mainland is the installation of high fixed-span bridges in place of the Anna Maria Island and Cortez bridges. Eliminating the 5-minute raising and lowering of the current drawbridges could save motorists up to 15 minutes of wait time.

In Holmes Beach, Tokajer also is working to optimize the timing of the red lights at East Bay Drive and Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive and Manatee Avenue to allow traffic to flow better once the bridge reopens.

Another short-term solution being considered in Holmes Beach is to extend the right turn lane for East Bay Drive to the merge lane from the Manatee Public Beach and extend the right turn lane on Manatee Avenue for Gulf Drive to allow motorists more freedom of movement.

One of the fixes proposed by the traffic study engineers at Stantec is to have a park and ride service from the mainland down Manatee Avenue to the county beach. Without a dedicated traffic lane, Tokajer doesn’t think that idea will be popular with beachgoers.

island traffic elongated roundabout
An elongated roundabout is proposed as a long-term solution for the busy intersection of Marina, Palm and Key Royale Drives near Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. – Submitted | Sun

“They’re still stuck in the same traffic but without the comfort of their own car,” he said, also expressing concern about what happens to all those people if a rainstorm blows up. “How will you get them off the Island?” he said.

Lynn Burnett, engineer to the three Island cities, thinks she may have some long-term solutions to help traffic, if not eliminate it, ideas the people behind the traffic study are getting behind.

One idea is to remove traffic lights and install roundabouts slightly larger than the one at Bridge Street and Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach. Burnett said the roundabouts will encourage free flow of traffic, if motorists obey the rules of the road. FDOT encourages the use of roundabouts. The department’s educational materials for the use of roundabouts say that all approaching traffic must yield to traffic already in the roundabout. Approaching motorists must slow down before entering the roundabout, yield to bicyclists entering the traffic lane and watch for pedestrians crossing the road at one of the roundabout entrance points. Burnett said with the right public education, she thinks roundabouts will help traffic move faster than red lights, hopefully lowering the wait time of drivers trying to enter and exit the Island. At busy intersections such as the Gulf Drive and Marina Drive intersection, it also would allow a safe way for pedestrians to cross the street. Due to several close calls at that intersection with cyclists and pedestrians crossing without a marked crosswalk, Tokajer said he hopes to install a sidewalk railing to prevent people from entering the intersection and signage to direct them to a safe, lighted crosswalk. The matter goes before city commissioners for a decision in April.

To truly make a difference in vehicular Island traffic, Burnett said people need alternate forms of transportation. While the Island trolley does move people around the Island, it still lands in the same vehicular traffic as a car. Burnett hopes to receive Island city support, along with local, state and federal funding, for a complete street project stretching the length of the Island from Anna Maria through Bradenton Beach to Longboat Pass.

If it materializes, the project would see vehicle lanes shrink to 11-feet wide with a designated bicycle lane on each side of the road and pedestrian sidewalks. The bicycle lanes would be brought up to current FDOT standards with a 3-foot clearance between the traffic lane and bicycle lane to help keep cyclists safe. The move also would remove some bicycles from sidewalks along the Island’s main corridor, helping to keep pedestrians safe.

For all the fixes proposed, three challenges remain – approval, time and money. Replacement of the Anna Maria Island and Cortez bridges is currently unfunded and expected to take at least another five years plus the time for construction. Intersection changes also need funding and approval from the state, county or local municipality, depending on whether the road is a local or state road.

In the meantime, all drivers can do is plan ahead, help out their fellow motorists by allowing people to turn across crowded traffic lanes and wait their turn rather than trying to use bicycle lanes as passing lanes, something that can cause a hefty fine from local law enforcement. Bicyclists should remember to travel only in the direction of vehicular traffic and use bicycle lanes whenever possible, yielding to pedestrians on sidewalks. Pedestrians need to remember to be aware of their surroundings and look both ways before crossing a street, even at a crosswalk.

“Just be kinder in traffic,” Tokajer said.

 

Tour of Homes

Tour of Homes success for Center

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Center of Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – A perfectly sunny day dawned on Saturday, March 17, helping to make The Center of Anna Maria Island’s 25th annual Tour of Homes a success.

More than 700 people came out to view the interiors of five elegantly appointed homes before making a final stop at The Center for the Tropical Treasures Boutique and Center Bazaar.

While attendees could start at any of the six stops, the first listed stop in the official Tour guide is Sand Dollar Cove, the dream home of Ron and Peggy Jude. The Holmes Beach house was completed in March 2017 by Moss Builders. The house features four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths in 2,800 square feet. To help comfortably house their seven grandkids, one unique feature of the home is a secret staircase connecting the kids’ bunk room to another bedroom where parents can keep an eye on the little ones. The house is complete with a large, open living space and doors opening directly to the outdoor living space and pool deck.

“This is just a beautiful house,” one attendee gushed. “If I had this house, I’d move here.”

Another stop on the Tour was the home of Don and Leah Purvis in the enclave of Key Royale. The couple’s love of New Orleans is evident throughout the home, from the wrought iron sconces to the antique mirror backsplash in the kitchen. Each room of the home features a unique piece of furniture chosen especially by the homeowners for its beauty and back story. One of the most talked about pieces is a large 100-year-old armoire purchased by Don’s mother and refinished by her in the 1980s.

“It’s incredible, just a beautiful piece,” an attendee said while admiring the armoire. “You’d never believe it used to be painted pink.”

The winter home of Tom and Jane Gauld, also on Key Royale, was another stop on this year’s Tour of Homes. The home features high ceilings with wood details and a second-floor media room with a wall-sized screen and cozy sofa seating. The chef’s kitchen opens to a dining room, living room and the expansive outdoor area with a pool and seating area overlooking the lovely water views. An indoor/outdoor living area leads to a separate kitchenette and staircase to a master suite where the owners’ adult children can escape but still view their children playing with their grandparents in the pool.

Right across the street from The Center is the Magnolia Home, the only house on the tour that attendees can purchase and make their own. For a mere $1.49 million, the newly-built elevated home has covered living space around the pool and hot tub and just under 2,000 square feet of indoor living space.

“If I could take anything out of these houses, I’d take the bedrooms from this one,” one woman commented.

Each of the four bedrooms features its own en suite bathroom with unique wooden chandeliers throughout. All of the bathrooms feature a distinctive distressed wood or brick decor.

The final stop on this year’s Tour was the newly renovated home of Art and Wooley Dutton. The single-story home features three bedrooms, four bathrooms, an open floor plan with high ceilings, a separate art studio and a secret passage to the master bedroom.

“It’s just art,” volunteer Sandee Pruett said of the home.

At the Center, attendees could sample food from the Travelling Gourmet and Italian Culinary Tours or check out items for sale at the Center Bazaar and Tropical Treasures Boutique.

More than a dozen local artists contributed to the Tropical Treasures Boutique, sponsored by Duncan Real Estate, including Susan Anderson, Jan Bryant, Judy Christensen, Erin Hughey, Joyce Hunt, Monique Marlow, Joan Pettigrew and Sandee Pruett. Local artisans and merchants joined the Boutique in the Bazaar, offering everything from handmade soaps to unique jewelry and decor items for sale. Nearby was this year’s quilt raffle, created by the Eyeland Needlers and sponsored by Green Real Estate. The winner of the quilt, titled “See You By The Sea,” was Chris Smargisso.

Organizer and board member Karen Harllee said she was pleased with how the Bazaar and Boutique went this year and hopes for an even better turnout next year.

“We want to make it bigger and better next year,” she said.

The media room at the Gauld’s Key Royale home. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The media room at the Gauld’s Key Royale home. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Enterprising leprechauns set up shop, selling lemonade across from the Jude house in Holmes Beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Enterprising leprechauns set up shop, selling lemonade across from the Jude house in Holmes Beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The amoeba-shaped pool is at the 420 Magnolia Ave. investment home belonging to Mike Ross. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The amoeba-shaped pool is at the 420 Magnolia Ave. investment home belonging to Mike Ross. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The annual quilt raffle, created by the Eyeland Needlers and sponsored by Green Real Estate. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The annual quilt raffle, created by the Eyeland Needlers and sponsored by Green Real Estate. – Kristin Swain | Sun

New to the Tour of Homes this year was the Center Bazaar. – Kristin Swain | Sun

New to the Tour of Homes this year was the Center Bazaar. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Recycling woes plague Island city

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Recycling is one way people can feel like they’re doing their part to help save the Earth. Unfortunately, some of the things that are put in the recycling bin end up in the landfill.

Waste Pro Regional Vice President Keith Banasiak addressed Holmes Beach commissioners’ concerns with the waste removal company’s recycling program, confirming some of their worst fears – a lot of what goes into the city’s recycling bins ends up at the landfill.

recycle

With single stream recycling, various types of recyclable materials can go in one container, making it easier for consumers. Unfortunately, if one of those items is incorrectly placed in the bin or has food residue, Banasiak said the entire bin’s contents can be considered contaminated and must be disposed of with other garbage rather than going on to Waste Pro’s recycling center. If contaminated items are found at the recycling center, the company must pay more to repackage and send them off to the landfill.

Items that can contaminate recyclables include those with food particles, raw garbage placed in the container, and the inclusion of items that can’t be recycled, like plastic bags. Publix in Holmes Beach accepts plastic bags for recycling.

Part of the issue, Banasiak said, is the labor cost and time to remove contaminated items at Waste Pro’s sorting facility and send them to the landfill. Another issue is that many recyclables from the United States are sent to China to be repurposed. Because so many items are being sent, receivers in Asia can be pickier about the types and grades of materials they accept. With such a huge availability of materials, Banasiak said it drives down pricing and makes it so that some materials, even though they are recyclable, may not be financially feasible for the company to send off for repurposing.

In the United States recycling is a $200 billion a year industry. In a 2016 economic study, the Environmental Protection Agency tied 757,000 jobs, $36.6 billion in paid wages and $6.7 billion in tax revenue to recycling efforts.

According to the EPA, Americans in 2014 created more than 258 million tons of solid waste. Out of that, 89 million tons were recycled or composted, about 34 percent. Out of the remaining waste, 33 million tons were combusted with energy recovery and over 136 million tons ended up in landfills. The EPA estimates that 75 percent of waste created by Americans is recyclable. About 87 percent of the country’s population has access to curbside or drop-off recycling programs in their local areas.

If recycling participation levels reached 75 percent, Recycle Across America estimates it would create 1.5 million new jobs and be the environmental equivalent of removing 55 million cars from the country’s roads.

Locally in Holmes Beach, fewer materials are making their way to the recycling facility primarily because of raw garbage placed in the bins, Banasiak said.

Compliance problems at vacation rentals

When workers find garbage and non-recyclable materials in a recycle container, Banasiak said the bin is tagged for trash pick up. He’s finding that a lot of these tagged bins are located at short-term rental properties.

“The problem is getting excessive,” he said.

Commissioner Carol Soustek suggested not eliminating recycling at repeat offender properties but charging those clients more for their trash and recycling to compensate for the added expense to Waste Pro. For properties opting out of recycling, she suggested adding a fee to cover the cost of creating a new landfill.

“The big issue is when you recycle you don’t want it to go into a landfill,” she said. “If they decide they don’t want to recycle then we’ll decide the optimal fee to cover the landfill.”

Commissioner Jim Kihm agreed though Banasiak was quick to say the company can’t charge property owners for not recycling or recycling incorrectly. The key to compliance, he said, would be education, hopefully through a stakeholder meeting geared toward owners and operators of short-term rentals.

On the agenda for the stakeholder meeting will be to discuss what materials are and are not recyclable with Waste Pro. While the items are listed on a decal on each recycle bin, Banasiak said people may not see them or may not pay attention to how recyclable materials need to be handled to not end up treated as household garbage.

Items that can be recycled include paper, cardboard, glass, metal and plastics numbered one through seven. To be considered not contaminated, all items must be clean, with labels removed, and items made of two or more materials should be broken down. That means a soup can may be recycled, but it must be washed out with the paper label removed before it’s placed in the bin for pickup, even though that paper label may also be placed in the bin for recycling. Cardboard boxes are eligible for recycling if they’re flattened for pickup, but pizza boxes cannot be added to the recycle pile. Though items such as batteries and some household appliances are considered recyclable by the EPA, they can’t be placed in a bin for Waste Pro pickup. These items must be taken to a facility accepting them and often a fee is charged to cover the special handling required to process the items for recycling.

Items that will contaminate recycling bins include garbage, plastic bags, Styrofoam, unclean containers, food waste and yard waste.

Commissioners agreed to readdress the issue after the stakeholder meeting.

For more information on recycling or how to recycle materials, visit Waste Pro or the EPA.

ultralight

Low plane flights cause buzz on Island

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

Updated March 8, 2018 – Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer reports that after the publication of this story, the pilot, Hans Brown, agreed to comply with FAA regulations requiring him to fly “1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft,” and, at Tokajer’s request, 300 feet seaward of the buoys marking no-vessel zones in the Gulf of Mexico off Anna Maria Island.

A small ultralight aircraft flying up and down the Gulf beaches of Anna Maria Island is attracting attention from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Holmes Beach police, Palma Sola Scenic Highway officials and beachgoers, some of whom duck when he flies overhead.

A plane advertising itself online as a “bucket list” experience, including “several low passes, several water-skims and several splash-n-go’s,” flies over Bradenton Beach at sunset. – Cindy Lane | Sun

The “trike,” which flies “low, slow, up close and personal” according to the Air Adventures website advertised on the aircraft, www.letsfly.info, frequents the Anna Maria Island Gulf beaches at sunset, typically a tranquil time that draws many to the water’s edge.

Some have reported the low – and loud – flights to law enforcement authorities.

FAA

The FAA is investigating reports that the plan is flying too low.

“We are taking a look to determine how this company is operating,” FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac told The Sun, citing regulations on minimum safe altitudes:

  • 91.119, Minimum safe altitudes. Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes: (b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft; (c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.
  • 103.9, Hazardous operations. (a) No person may operate any ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a hazard to other persons or property.
  • 103.15, Operations over congested areas. No person may operate an ultralight vehicle over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons.

Palma Sola Scenic Highway CME

The plane’s website shows photos and videos of the plane taking off and landing on the Palma Sola Causeway, a state road and right of way and a designated scenic highway, with regulations about advertising and commercial activity, said Ingrid McClellan, of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity.

The organization is investigating Air Adventures, better known as “1-833-lets-fly,” and pilot Hans Brown.

“You can’t do a walk-up business. If they are selling online and it’s reserved and paid for online it’s allowed, but they can’t walk up and spend X amount of dollars for a ride,” she said, noting that the Surferbus and BeachHorses operating on the causeway do not violate the regulations.

Scenic Highway officials are drafting a letter expressing concern to the Bradenton Police Department, which has jurisdiction over the causeway, McClellan said.

Holmes Beach Police Department

The plane has landed illegally on the Gulf beach, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer told Holmes Beach commissioners last week.

While the pilot and plane are both licensed, he said, police will be monitoring his flights and using decibel meters to determine whether he is violating the Holmes Beach noise ordinance.

Tokajer said the pilot told him he plans to pick up passengers at the Kingfish Boat Ramp, instead of at the Palma Sola Causeway or the east side of the Manatee Avenue bridge at the northern kayak launch.

Kingfish Boat Ramp is a Manatee County park leased from the Florida Department of Transportation, and while it is policed by the Holmes Beach Police Department, no specific city ordinances ban picking up passengers there, City Attorney Patricia Petruff told commissioners.

Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach officials have not yet publicly discussed the issue.

– Kristin Swain contributed to this report

holmes beach manatee pier man

Commissioners say ‘no’ to new beach pier

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – It didn’t take commissioners long to decide that a 15-foot tall pier isn’t something they want to see on the beach.

Commissioner Judy Titsworth presented two options given to Mayor Bob Johnson by the Manatee County Board of Commissioners. One option was for a 300-foot long pier with a small T-shaped end which would be in about the same footprint as the pier that was torn down in late 2009. One major change – the pier would have to be elevated 15 feet above the North American Vertical Datum line to meet new Florida Department of Environmental Protection standards.

holmes beach manatee pier short
An architectural drawing shows how a new pier would look at around the same size as the old one. This mock-up shows the pier at 300 feet long with a small T-shaped end. – Submitted | Sun
Holmes Beach Manatee pier long
This architectural drawing shows a new pier at 600 feet long, twice the length of the previous one. – Submitted | Sun

The letter from county commissioners said because of the height requirement, a shorter pier would look like “an upward elevated ramp.” The pier would be about eight feet taller than the previous structure. A 2013 cost estimate submitted to commissioners from the county puts construction at around $1,443,330.

A second option is a 600-foot long pier that would cost $2,432,120 to build according to the 2013 numbers. The letter noted that since work would have to be done by heavy machinery in the Gulf of Mexico, commissioners should expect those estimates to significantly rise if new construction bids are sought.

Titsworth said she hasn’t had any requests from residents to reconstruct a pier on the public beach, also commenting that she thinks the new pier designs are unattractive.

Commissioner Carol Soustek agreed, saying the cost is just too high for taxpayers with the county asking for a match from the city to cover construction costs.

“I’m totally against it,” Commissioner Rick Hurst said.

Holmes Beach Manatee pier underside
An underside shot of the old pier shows how close it was to the water. If constructed, a new pier would need to be 15 feet above the waterline to meet current standards. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The old pier was located on the sand extending to the Gulf in front of the concession area at the Manatee Public Beach. The concrete structure had metal guard rails placed on it late in its life to prevent people from jumping off the structure. It was deemed structurally unsafe and closed to the public in February 2009. Demolition of the pier took place later that same year, surpassing estimates of $670,000 and costing $1,441,130 to complete.

Soustek said with no way to get the old pier back, there’s no reason to build a higher structure on the beach.

“This is a want, not a need,” City Engineer Lynn Burnett said. “We’re at a critical point with monies that need to be spent on infrastructure.”

Commissioner Jim Kihm suggested if Manatee County Commissioners have funds they want to spend on a pier they should visit Anna Maria. “They have a pier that needs rebuilding,” he said.