BRADENTON BEACH – After nearly three months of uncertainty, 83 of the 86 Pines Trailer Park owners received a notice from the city that they may repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes with the proper permits.
Some residents remain hesitant to move forward with repairs, however, saying questions about the Pines ownerships’ intent for the park are still unanswered.
Pines residents received a letter from Bradenton Beach Building Official Darin Cushing on Dec. 9, which stated in part: “We previously provided you with a notice that your property may have been affected by flooding due to hurricanes Helene and Milton, and that a second, more thorough inspection would be performed to gather data critical to making a formal determination as to whether the cost of repairs necessary to restore your building to its pre-damage condition might rise to an amount constituting ‘substantial damage’ as defined in the City’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance 21-538.”
Following the results of that second inspection, and with a review of the data, as well as a review of the property values, repairs may be made with the applicable permits, according to the letter. Permits include, but are not limited to, structural repairs to the foundation or building envelope, including roof repairs, electrical repairs, plumbing repairs and mechanical repairs.
“At this time, the data suggests that costs to perform repairs and restoration will not constitute a substantial damage repair,” Cushing’s letter stated.
Cushing, former city building official Steve Gilbert and a team of 20 inspectors provided by the state conducted the inspections.
To track and document costs, a Floodplain Development Permit application, including building permits as needed, must be submitted to the city building department, Cushing’s letter stated.
The Pines mobile homes had varying levels of water intrusion during the storm surge from Hurricane Helene in September.
At an Oct. 17 city commission meeting, Pines residents had been told that FEMA guidelines related to any water covering the floors caused by a hurricane deemed their structures as having major damage. Based on those guidelines, and prior to interior inspections, they were deemed substantially damaged and subject to a city floodplain ordinance requiring elevation of the mobile homes.
”After the city’s initial reaction to what FEMA representatives said, the city has been fair, especially Darin Cushing,” Pines mobile homeowner Elayne Armaniaco said on Dec. 13. “Darin has been an advocate for fairness in the FEMA process.”
On Dec. 13, a representative for Pines ownership, Pines Park Investors LLC, had no comment on the matter.
Pines homeowner Ryan Pfahler said on Dec. 5 that he and others were hesitant to move forward with repairs until they receive guarantees from the park ownership about the continued existence of the park, along with having other issues addressed.
One of those issues included parking.
Owned by Shawn Kaleta, one of the owners of the Pines Trailer Park, the parking lot at 201 First St. N., used by close to half of the Pines residents, was recently converted to a public paid parking lot. Those Pines residents’ annual paid parking passes, at a cost of $750 a year, will expire on Dec. 31.
“Many of the residents currently have no parking available,” Pfahler wrote in a Dec. 13 text message to The Sun. “It appears that the LLC park owners have converted the only parking lot into a public pay-by-the-hour parking lot, further inconveniencing residents and creating logistical challenges.”
Pfahler said on Dec. 13 that he is awaiting clarification about the parking issue and said other issues at the park also need to be addressed.
“There is no park manager in place, nor has any plan been communicated regarding who residents should address for concerns or emergencies,” he wrote and he is asking park ownership for the following:
• “Provide immediate clarification on who is managing the park and how residents can raise concerns or issues;
• Clearly communicate the landowner’s long-term plans for the park;
• Provide written guarantees or commitments regarding lot rent stability and park longevity;
• Address plans for repairing and maintaining shared facilities and services;
• Restore resident parking or provide an alternative parking solution; and
• Commit to consistent, transparent communication regarding park developments and resident concerns.”
BRADENTON BEACH – Beginning with the mobile home parks, individual damage assessments are being conducted by the city along with state damage assessment teams.
The city of Bradenton Beach and vendor partners with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) began conducting post-hurricane assessments of properties on Nov. 14.
“They are starting at the north end with Sandpiper,” according to the City of Bradenton Beach Building Department Facebook page. “The city has been broken into six zones, after Sandpiper is completed, they will begin, in teams of two, the rest of the city. Each team will be assigned a different zone.”
The 20 state inspectors from AC Disaster Consulting may be identified by their vests and lanyards. If you are not home, or do not want them in your home, damage assessments will be conducted on the outside of the home.
According to the City of Bradenton Beach Building Department:
“Damage assessments are conducted to:
• Guide City and County response efforts;
• Determine the severity and magnitude of the event;
• Quantify the damage to homes and businesses impacted by the disaster;
• Assess the need for federal assistance and estimate disaster impact to businesses, individuals and families; and
• Determine whether local resources will be sufficient to effectively respond and recover from the incident.”
State damage assessment teams will wear identifying lanyards. – Submitted
The assessment determines what was damaged, as well as when, where and how damage occurred. These assessments start the eligibility determination for disaster recovery programs, such as FEMA’s Public Assistance and Individual Assistance Programs, and other potential programs, according to the city Building Department Facebook page.
Substantial improvement and substantial damage determinations will be confirmed at the time of building permit in accordance with City Ordinance No. 21-536, which states:
For applications for building permits to improve buildings and structures, including alterations, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, change of occupancy, additions, rehabilitations, renovations, substantial improvements, repairs of substantial damage and any other improvement of or work on such buildings and structures, the Floodplain Administrator, in coordination with the Building Official, shall:
1) Estimate the market value, or require the applicant to obtain an appraisal of the market value prepared by a qualified independent appraiser, of the building or structure before the start of construction of the proposed work; in the case of repair, the market value of the building or structure shall be the market value before the damage occurred and before any repairs are made;
2) Compare the cost to perform the improvement, the cost to repair a damaged building to its pre-damaged condition, or the combined costs of improvements and repairs, if applicable, to the market value of the building or structure;
3) Determine and document whether the proposed work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage; the determination requires an evaluation of previous permits issued for improvements and repairs as specified in the definition of “substantial improvement;” and
4) Notify the applicant if it is determined that the work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage and that compliance with the flood resistant construction requirements of the Florida Building Code and this ordinance is required.
“We greatly appreciate your willingness to allow our community inspectors to assess the condition of your property as this is required by the NFIP to protect lives and investment from future flood damages,” the city Building Department Facebook post continues.
“The City of Bradenton Beach must enforce these requirements for federally backed flood insurance to be made available to city residents and property owners at discounted rates based upon the Community Rating System (CRS). Please visit https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance for more information or if you have any questions about this process or the inspectors, please contact us immediately by calling the Bradenton Beach Building Department at 941-778-1005.”
BRADENTON BEACH – At an Oct. 28 emergency city commission meeting, Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby updated commissioners on post-storm progress.
Debris removal
“Debris removal is moving very quickly I’m still very confident that the debris operation will be over before Thanksgiving,” Cosby said. “They’re finishing up the first push today.”
Cosby said a service announcement will be posted on the Bradenton Beach Police Department Facebook page.
“Thursday (Oct. 31) we’re going to start the second push from C and D (construction and demolition),” Cosby said. “This is your last opportunity to get whatever it is you want out there, to put it out there. We are only allowed to do two passes by FEMA regulations so, once we make the second pass, after that, you’re on your own. “
After that is complete, the city will make a second pass for sand.
“In the midst of that we’ll be picking up vegetation and white goods,” he said. “We’re only going to do one pass on vegetation and white goods because there’s not a lot out there.”
Cosby said that the Florida Department of Transportation is in the process of clearing sand and debris from Gulf Drive which he expects will cause some traffic issues for motorists.
“Overall we are really moving quick. We are really way ahead of schedule,” Cosby said.
He estimated the cost of post-storm debris removal in the city would be about $5 million.
“We’re looking at sources to get money,” Cosby said. “We’re sending a letter today to the state requesting immediate pay-down for the cost of the debris, or most of it.”
Condemned properties
City Building Official Darin Cushing has deemed a number of properties unfit for occupancy due to storm damage and is continuing the assessment of properties throughout the city.
“The two things that we’re dealing with is getting all these buildings assessed. We did bring in Steve Gilbert, our old building official, and Darin (Cushing) has another assistant we’re going to meet today to hopefully speed that up a little bit,” Cosby said.
The next step is to compile a list of condemned buildings.
“And then we need to get a list of the buildings that are condemned so we can get letters out to them reminding the property owner that they are responsible for getting rid of that debris on the property,” he said. “If they don’t, then the city will be placing a lien on that property. In the event that we have to take that responsibility on, then we would do whatever is necessary to get that property in order to sell it and cover our losses.”
He said city attorney Ricinda Perry is currently working on that.
“We need a list and we’re going to give them approximately 45 days,” Cosby said. “The letters will go out by certified mail or hand-delivered and see what their intention is with the property. Once the letter goes out, I’m almost sure, but I haven’t talked to Ricinda yet today, we will be placing liens on those properties, because if we have to clean it up, obviously we need to be reimbursed.”
Mayor John Chappie asked about properties that are over the 50% FEMA restoration guideline.
“There’s no reason to pay somebody to clean the place out. If you’re over the 50%, you need to concentrate more on demolition,” Cosby said.
Pool draining
“People want to drain their pools but the storm drains are clogged, so we’re going to be in contact with the company that we use to see what kind of timeline we can get from them to at least do the north drains, that’s where the majority of the pools are,” Cosby said.
Cosby said that property owners on Gulf Drive are allowed to drain into the Gulf of Mexico and the ones on the city’s bayside are allowed to drain into Anna Maria Sound.
“Some of the drains are still under sand,” Cosby said. “ I’m confident that they will be taken care of, we’ll get this company to get those cleaned out and we’ll move forward from there.”
Bridge Street
“Businesses on Bridge Street are either opened or getting ready to open or have decided to make some substantial improvements,” Cosby said. “So that is going well.”
He said some Airbnb properties have been rented.
“They just want to make sure the restaurants are open and we have quite a variety to pick from,” Cosby said.
Trailer Parks
With regard to the Pines Trailer Park Cosby said, “I don’t believe Mr. Kaleta has sent out any letters to his renters of what his intention is.”
“Ricinda and I have called other communities to see how they’re handling the 50% rule and it is by the letter of the law. It is causing some serious heartache. It’s not just our two trailer parks, the three right over the bridge are in the same situation,” he said.
Ferry update
The Gulf Island Ferry is expected to be operational this week.
“We’re shooting for the end of this week,” Cosby said. “I was out there this weekend and it looks good. If we operate this weekend, we’re good to go.”
The state of Florida is handling marine hurricane debris removal, he said.
“We will probably go out this week in our boat,” Cosby said. “We see a couple of obstructions where the ferry comes in and where people have their personal boats. We’re going to see what’s in there and at least flag it or move it out.”
Emergency declaration
Commissioners unanimously approved an extension of the city’s state of emergency declaration for Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The declaration must be renewed every seven days while recovery is ongoing.
BRADENTON BEACH – In what Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby described as an ever-changing situation, he gave commissioners the latest update on progress and steps forward for storm recovery on Thursday afternoon.
Cosby said he decided to allow residents to return to the city on Oct. 3 via a checkpoint at the Cortez Bridge.
“Today’s re-entry went well,” he said. “We had no issues.”
He said he is considering allowing access soon from Holmes Beach to allow contractors’ trucks an easier way to get through to the city.
“We’re very fortunate with our other government entities the cooperation has been immense, Manatee County, we’ve not been told no on anything we’ve requested,” Cosby said. “DOT (Florida Department of Transportation) has gone above and beyond. The governor even signed an order to clear our roads. DOT is starting to clear rights of way, and it is possible that they may even be removing construction debris from the state right of way.”
“This is all being pushed from the governor’s office so this is huge for us,” Cosby said.
He said Gov. Ron DeSantis told him he’s never seen that much sand in as many disaster sites as he’s been to.
“Even FEMA said they’ve never seen anything like it,” Cosby said. “This is an anomaly that we had here, and it found us.”
Cosby said progress in getting roads reopened is ahead of schedule.
“The first time I came out here Friday morning at 4 a.m. I was driving around processing where I thought we would be at certain time periods,” he said. “I’m going to tell you we’re at least two or two-and-a-half weeks ahead of schedule where I felt we should be with the type of impact we incurred.”
Cosby said city public works employees have been doing a great job along with Bradenton Beach police officers who have been working 12-hour days with no days off.
“We’ve had no major thefts and no deaths or injuries,” Cosby said. “We’re moving forward. The roads don’t look pretty, but they’re useable.”
Mail delivery may resume as early as Friday, according to City Attorney Ricinda Perry.
“Pick up of household waste started today, stuff that people had taken out of their refrigerators or freezers. We’re having a pickup today and maybe trying to have another pickup tomorrow for residents who are just getting back,” Cosby said.
“I hope people will be patient. If you need a break, take a break. This is tough to take,” Mayor John Chappie said. “We are a strong community. We’re not going anywhere. We won’t live our lives out here as victims. We’re going to pick our feet up and take one step at a time. We’re going to beat this,”
Cosby said Bridge Street merchants have set a goal for a late November reopening.
He said certain contractors were let in on Thursday because of what they were cleaning and what the hazards were.
“Nobody is getting special privileges, Mr. (Shawn) Kaleta offered his property at First Street for comfort stations. There was no other place to put it. He also offered for the second location Circle K and Salt and we’re utilizing that,” Cosby said.
The curfew remains in effect daily from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
BRADENTON BEACH – Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby provided The Sun with an extensive update on Oct. 1 regarding the conditions in the city and when residents, property owners, and business owners might be able to return.
He also addressed the ongoing power restoration efforts, property damage assessments, potential condemnation of damaged structures and mail delivery.
John Cosby stood at the sand-covered Cortez Road/Gulf Drive intersection the morning after Hurricane Helene passed through Bradenton Beach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Cosby said the damage Hurricane Helene inflicted in Bradenton Beach is much greater than the damage sustained in Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. He also said the recovery efforts in Bradenton Beach are far more daunting and challenging than what the other two Island cities are experiencing.
“We have been declared as ‘catastrophic.’ Gov. DeSantis has been to a lot of disaster sites and he said never seen this much sand moved by a storm,” Cosby said.
“The governor’s visit on Saturday is what got us to the point we’re at now,” Cosby said of the ongoing street-clearing efforts.
“The city of Bradenton Beach greatly appreciates the governor’s visit and assistance. His visit brought to Bradenton Beach the assistance of all the state agencies necessary for the recovery efforts,” Cosby said.
Return access
Cosby said the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has cleared Gulf Drive of sand and debris deposited by Hurricane Helene’s winds and storm surge.
FDOT utilized a small army of trucks and equipment to clear Gulf Drive of sand and debris. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“Gulf Drive is a state road and Gov. DeSantis also authorized FDOT to clear all public roads owned by the city of Bradenton Beach. As soon as FDOT is done clearing the secondary roads owned, we will let residents, business owners, insurance adjusters, vacation rental property owners and property management personnel to return. We will also allow the contractors that the property owners and businesses have contacted to come out and do work,” Cosby said.
“If FDOT gives me the green light on Thursday, then we’ll start this on Friday,” Cosby said of the controlled re-entry process that remains subject to change.
“At that point, you can start cleaning up and assessing your damage. You can stay until the curfew begins at 7 p.m. If you want to bring a van or truck to load up your belongings, you’ll be allowed to do that. That’s why I want residents to have a few days to try to salvage their lives before the general public starts driving around,” Cosby said.
Cosby said residents can resume living in their homes, if they wish, with or without electrical service. Still, there is a fire risk associated with power returning to damaged electrical systems.
Regarding the initial wave of returnees, Cosby said, “I want to give the residents and the business owners a couple days to come out and collect their bearings because they are not prepared for what they are going to see. Some of these people have lost everything and their care and needs are our top priority. They are not prepared when they walk in their house and see that their house is totally destroyed, or see that their vehicles are totally destroyed and there’s two or three feet of sand in their garage. The business owners who’ve returned to Bridge Street are just overwhelmed. When I began talking to them, they were on the verge of tears,” Cosby said.
Regarding future re-entry for the general public, Cosby said, “When the time is right, I will then consider allowing other traffic into the city.”
Cosby provided no specific timetable as to when that additional traffic will be allowed to return, but if all goes well, he expects it could happen at some point next week.
Cosby said those who have questions or concerns, can stop the police department, at 403 Highland Ave, or speak with an officer patrolling the city.
Re-entry requirements
Re-entry checkpoints remain in effect at the Cortez Bridge, the Bradenton Beach/Holmes Beach border and the Longboat Pass Bridge. Tampa Police Department officers will begin assisting the city with those efforts tonight (Oct. 1).
Barring any unforeseen complications, when the first wave of authorized residents, property owners, business owners, and others begin returning later this week through the Cortez Road checkpoint only, they must present a city-issued re-entry tag or some other documentation that supports their entrance to the city.
Residents can also provide a valid driver’s license or state ID with a Bradenton Beach address, a utility bill, or a tax bill specific to their property.
Valid documentation for business owners includes a current re-entry tag or a city-issued business tax license. Business owners who want their employees to return to their workplace via their own vehicles must provide Cosby with a letter containing the business letterhead, the owner’s name, and the name of each employee authorized to return in their own vehicle.
The authorization letters are to be emailed to Cosby at jcosby@cityofbradnetonbeach.com. Cosby will print the employee authorization letters out and provide them to the law enforcement personnel stationed at the Cortez Bridge checkpoint.
Cosby encourages returning employees to share rides or caravan as much as possible to reduce the number of unnecessary vehicles returning, especially those with trailers and trucks coming out to remove the contents of a business.
Valid documentation for returning vacation rental owners and property managers includes a re-entry tag or a copy of a city-issued transient public lodging license. Arrangements can then be made for contractors to begin their recovery and restoration work. Returning contractors will be asked to provide a work order or some other documentation associated with the pending work.
This elevated residential structure along Gulf Drive South sustained hurricane damage. – Leslie Lake | Sub
Cosby noted that FDOT and Manatee County personnel are not clearing driveways and driveway entrances at this point and, for now, that remains the responsibility of the property owner. Returning vehicles will not be allowed to park alongside Gulf Drive and must be parked in driveways, along residential side streets, in public parking spaces or in business parking lots.
Due to ongoing public safety and law enforcement concerns, Cosby said the general public, “disaster tourists’ and others without a legitimate reason to return will not be granted access to the city.
Trolley service resumes
While awaiting allowed vehicular access to the city, residents, business owners, employees and others can now return to the city using MCAT’s free Island trolley service. According to Cosby, the free Island trolley buses began traveling through Bradenton Beach at approximately noon today after previously resuming service in Holmes Beach and Anna Maria.
Trolley busses entering Bradenton Beach through Holmes Beach will travel south along Gulf Drive to the S-Curve at 13th Street South. Passengers can get off the bus along the route to access their residential and commercial properties that may or may not have electrical service.
The trollies will turn around at the S-curve and will not travel to Coquina Beach or the Coquina boat ramps, which remain closed. The trollies will then travel north on Gulf Drive and take a right turn (east) on the Cortez Bridge to pick up passengers near the bridge where vehicular access remains restricted. There is no designated parking for trolley passengers so you must find a legal parking place on your own. The trollies will turn around at the Cortez Bridge and proceed north and toward Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. Trolley arrival times will likely be approximately every half-hour, with longer wait times possible.
Power restoration
Cosby said electrical service has been restored in some locations and that remains an ongoing, and sometimes challenging, work in progress.
“The FPL assessment team was out here yesterday and today analyzing and assessing the city’s underground electrical system south of Cortez Road. They are diligently analyzing and assessing the damage and formulating a plan to restore power to the south end of the city,” Cosby said.
FPL is analyzing the damage done to the electrical system at the south end of the city. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Cosby said power has been restored to the police station, city hall and other locations throughout the city.
“FPL has already charged the overhead lines on Gulf Drive and sporadically some people are getting power back. The city’s planning department is working with FPL to ensure that every individual home or building is inspected and certified before receiving electrical services. If the home or building is not certified, the power meter will be removed and the building will not have electricity when the power line is charged,” Cosby said.
Property damage
“People don’t realize how bad it is,” Cosby said. “A picture only shows a certain angle, but not the entire degree of the damage. When talking to the Bridge Street merchants when we first brought them out, I told them before we went over the bridge to be prepared for shock and awe. You are not going to believe what you’re going to see because we’ve never had anything like this. A lot of buildings are going to have to be torn down,” Cosby said.
The storm surge left its mark on this elevated Bradenton Beach home. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Cosby said the storm surge was three or four feet high on Bridge Street and over six feet high in other places, with reported wave heights of eight to 11 feet.
Water erosion threatens the foundation at this home along Gulf Drive South. – Joe Hendricks | SunHurricane Helene demolished this home and deposited it at the end of the street. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“Our building official has already determined that several structures have been condemned and the building department will continue to evaluate structures to determine whether or not they can be occupied,” Cosby said.
Mail service
Today, the city issued a press release regarding mail service that states Bradenton Beach mail service is being temporarily re-routed to the Longboat Key post office at 560 Bay Isles Road for approximately one month. Cosby said the Bradenton Beach post office may have sustained storm damage and many residential mailboxes are buried or missing.
“Starting Thursday (Oct. 3), mail can start being picked up at the Longboat Key post office. There will be no mail delivery until further notice,” he said.
Final thoughts
“The city of Bradenton Beach appreciates the efforts of FDOT, Gov. DeSantis, the state of Florida, Manatee County and the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the West Manatee Fire District, and the other Island municipalities for their response and assisting us with our ongoing recovery efforts,” Cosby said.
Real-time updates and information are being posted daily at the Bradenton Beach Police Department’s Facebook page.
(Sun reporter Leslie Lake contributed photos to this story)
(Editor’s note: As conditions and circumstances continue to evolve, the information provided in this story is subject to change at any time.)
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