Bridge Street traffic, parking among commission concerns
BRADENTON BEACH – In what was an unusually lengthy, seven-hour city commission meeting that began at noon on March 21, commissioners dove into parking and traffic issues, pickleball and organ donation.
BRIDGE STREET ONE WAY?
A Bridge Street business owner asked the commission to consider making Bridge Street one way to alleviate traffic and parking issues.
Brandt Clark, whose family owns Bridge Street Jewelers, read a prepared statement that said in part, “I recommend turning Bridge Street into a one-way street with all the parallel parking spots converted into diagonal parking.”
Clark said delivery trucks block half the street which causes a hazard to drivers and pedestrians.
“Everyone is aware of the parking issues in Bradenton Beach, as well as on Bridge Street. Currently, the street has about 12 parallel parking spots,” Clark read. “The spots are honestly too small, and result in cars not being able to fit, cars taking up multiple spots, cars getting locked in, and a lot of vehicular damage. I, myself, have been locked in by cars parking far too close to mine, as well as having my car hit at least a dozen times. By making the street one way, we can turn the parallel parking into diagonal spots.”
“This has been discussed over the years and the conclusion was not to,” Mayor John Chappie said, suggesting putting the topic on the agenda for the Community Redevelopment Agency.
“Let’s say we wanted to move traffic from west to east, for those 100 spots and everything else that comes down the road would be directed through The Pines and the neighborhoods and along Bay Drive where we have a lot of pedestrians,” Chief John Cosby said. “Do we want to move traffic to this area?”
Cosby said the current two-way traffic is a safer option.
“I don’t know how comfortable I am moving all this traffic into the neighborhoods,” he said.
When the city was reviewing Bridge Street, there was a substantial amount of time spent with engineers, Chappie, Cosby and the Public Works Department and through that collaboration, new signs were posted saying cars must fit completely inside parking spots, according to City Attorney Ricinda Perry.
“If you are over the lines you will get a ticket,” Perry said.
GOLF CART PARKING AT 301 GULF DRIVE S.
A request for a temporary use permit for golf cart parking at 301 Gulf Drive S., a vacant building, was approved by commissioners with conditions.
Use is limited to the storage of battery-powered golf carts; active insurance must be in place; the permit runs from March 21, 2024-Sept. 21, 2025; landscape buffering is required; a site plan must be submitted to city building department; all golf cart loading and unloading shall be onsite or along Third Street South; hours of delivery will be between 6:30-8 p.m.; use of the property is limited to employees and staff; a sidewalk will be installed along Gulf Drive and Third Street South with ingress and egress to be approved by the city building official; compliance with a triangle of visibility for drivers must be met, and a business tax receipt must be submitted to the City Clerk.
The application was submitted by Wendy Kokolis on March 5. Julian Botero and attorney Aaron Thomas represented the applicant at the commission meeting.
PICKLEBALL COURTS AT HERB DOLAN PARK
An anonymous donor has donated $24,000 for the expansion of two soon-to-be-built pickleball courts at Herb Dolan Park.
“We have a situation where we needed more funding and we had a bid in for $24,000. So we had a shortfall,” Mayor John Chappie said. “The City of Bradenton Beach is in possession from an anonymous donor for the full $24,000. We have the funding to expand it 10 feet and take care of amenities to expand it and make it nicer.”
Chappie said the court will be a first-class facility for all levels of pickleball players.
“Thank you to the angel that’s going to provide this for us,” pickleball player Kat Witt said during public comment.
The proposal from Stewart Tennis Courts & Fencing includes adding 10 feet of asphalt to the east side of the court and 4 feet to the back of the court, adding more fencing, installing four new net post anchors and adding color coats to the courts.
A motion to approve the change order for the pickleball courts was approved unanimously.
DONATE LIFE MONTH
A proclamation was passed designating April as Donate Life Month in Bradenton Beach, supporting organ donation through LifeLink of Florida and www.DonateLifeFlorida.org.
