BRADENTON BEACH – According to witnesses, at least one of whom took video, a man later identified as Kevin Rodriguez, 48, of Bradenton left a trail of destruction on Bridge Street that began shortly after he was asked to leave the Drift In bar on May 27.
A Bradenton Beach police report said the incident began shortly after 11 p.m. when Rodriguez insisted on leaving the bar and driving after staff refused to serve him alcohol due to his inebriated state. Bar staff members convinced him to surrender his keys and agree not to drive. The tactic did not produce the intended results.
Bar management called a tow truck to remove Rodriguez’s truck from the parking lot, at which time Rodriguez pulled a second set of keys out of his pocket and got into his truck. The tow truck driver attempted to block Rodriguez from leaving the parking lot, but he rapidly accelerated, throwing gravel over nearby people and vehicles. He also struck a parked car, doing extensive damage to that vehicle’s front end.
Bradenton Beach Police Officer Devon Straight was pulling onto Bridge Street from Gulf Drive just as Rodriguez was speeding west on the street towards the Gulf Drive traffic circle. Several people in the roadway ran to Straight’s patrol vehicle stating that the driver of the truck was drunk and had just caused an accident.
“I turned around to keep sight of the vehicle while other officers responded to the Drift In,” Straight said in his report. “I observed the pickup truck northbound on Gulf Drive traveling at a dangerously high rate of speed, passing vehicles and running cars off the road as they tried to avoid being hit. There were also many pedestrians in the area due to it being a holiday weekend. The truck then turned eastbound over the Cortez Bridge and began driving on the wrong side of the road to pass traffic.”
After crossing the bridge, Straight attempted a traffic stop with his lights and siren, but he said the truck just sped up, eventually pulling away from the patrol car. In his report, Straight said that due to the highly intoxicated state of the driver, he stopped the pursuit believing his reckless driving would continue and the chase was becoming too dangerous to the public.
A Manatee County Sheriff’s Office helicopter took over the chase about two minutes after Straight called off his pursuit, following the truck until it eventually crashed into a driveway at 1704 57th Ave. W. in Bradenton.
Rodriguez was arrested for DUI, felony fleeing/eluding, hit-and-run and reckless driving. As of press time for The Sun, Rodriguez remains in the Manatee County Jail.
BRADENTON BEACH – A proposed plan to beautify trash can bins along Bridge Street may include a decorative representation of the landmark clocktower on the city pier.
At a May 3 Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said, “We’ve had this discussion a number of times. It’s become cumbersome and expensive to say the very least. The quotes I’ve been getting have been over $500 per trash can and they’re nothing special, they’re very basic.”
Perry then said she met someone who has a small business on the Island that uses marine-grade steel to create decorative art.
“I took the graphic (of the clocktower) that we tried to do the bike racks on and I sent it to her and asked to give me an idea of what it’s going to look like and she made me one,” Perry said.
Perry displayed the 12-inch metal cut-out of the proposed decorative enhancement to the trash bins.
“This will be $80 apiece. So, I thought you could take the white trash can and put something like this on there,” she said. “We have a black and white theme; you could even get them powder-coated black. I think it would really dress it up.”
Board member David Bell expressed approval of the design.
“It’s really clean…that’s awesome,” Bell said.
To avoid theft of the cut-outs, board member Jake Spooner suggested screwing them into the trash cans and gluing them.
“I could see people wanting to take those as a souvenir to go home with,” Spooner said.
Mayor John Chappie said since the bins are painted each year, they would have to be screwed in but said Public Works Director Tom Woodard could figure something out for security.
“Where would we install trash cans, and how many?” Perry asked the board.
“I would suggest we work with Tom and the merchants,” Chappie said.
The currently-used wooden trash bin containers are constructed and maintained by Public Works.
“We will be asking for funding to pay for the trash cans and get the decorative touch on it,” Perry said.
“How many do you want? How big do you want them? Where do you want them to go? Do you want the backs open or closed?” Woodard asked the board.
Chappie said he would work with Woodard as to location and materials.
“I want to make it less work for our guys and make it cleaner and easier for them to handle,” Chappie said.
Prior to voting on approval, the cost was discussed.
“Price of wood is going up,” Woodard said. “I’m guessing $500 or maybe less for one. It’s a guess.”
“I’m just saying $10,000 to stay with a number,” Chappie said. “It could change with more understanding of the overall budget. $7,000? $5,000? We have to start someplace. If we run out of money, we’ll come back.”
City Treasurer Shayne Thompson said,” The funds we’re using is the cost we’re saving in undergrounding. So, the finish line for that dictates all the other little pet projects.”
“We have $10,000 in that overage for the undergrounding,” Perry said. “We can afford these trash cans.”
Cole suggested a motion to start with $10,000 for trash cans and bike racks. The motion passed unanimously.
BRADENTON BEACH – The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) approved a $46,976 contract for this year’s holiday decorations.
Bradenton Beach is in the third year of its five-year contract with Sarasota-based Trimmers Holiday Décor.
“With a 15% discount the price is still the same,” Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie said at the May 3 CRA meeting.
There are no significant changes to the contract, he said. The discount comes in at $8,290.
“I would recommend we go ahead and sign the agreement again,” Chappie said. “It’s a wonderful thing for our community. It’s really set Bradenton Beach apart from a lot of communities.”
Chappie made a motion to sign the document for Trimmers holiday décor for decorations for Christmas on Bridge Street and authorize Chairman Ralph Cole to sign. The motion was approved unanimously.
During public comment, Joe Cuervo, former owner of the Drift Inn on Bridge Street, said he would donate $1,000 toward the holiday decorating cost.
“Last year, before I sold, I committed $1,000 for the Christmas decorations,” Cuervo said, adding that he had been in the hospital last year. “I have a check written for $1,000 for last year and I just need to know who to make the check out to.”
The holiday decorations will include in part: A 32-foot lighted and decorated tree on Bridge Street; trunk wrapping of white lights on multiple trees throughout the city; lit garland and bows on light poles, the clock tower, and Bridge Street Pier sign; snow bursts on roof peaks and round-about; and snowfall tubes.
BRADENTON BEACH – The city is moving forward with its plan to implement a paid parking program as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plans to issue an RFP seeking bids from interested paid parking program equipment providers and operators.
On May 3, CRA members directed City Attorney Ricinda Perry to draft the paid parking RFP based in part on input previously provided by Mayor John Chappie, Public Works Director Tom Woodard, Police Chief John Cosby and the city commission.
The city-owned portion of the parking lot behind the BridgeWalk resort will be included in the paid parking RFP. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Paid parking is expected to include the city-owned portion of the public parking lot off First Street North (behind the BridgeWalk resort), the public parking spaces near the cell tower, the police department headquarters and Lou Barolo park and the city hall parking lot after regular city business hours.
Paid parking is not expected to include the city-owned parking spaces alongside Bridge Street, the privately owned parking spaces along Bridge Street or the city-owned parking spaces near the Bradenton Beach Historic Pier.
The city-owned parking spaces along Bridge Street are not expected to be included in the RFP. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
CRA member Jake Spooner expressed his concern that not including the Bridge Street parking spaces in the initial paid parking program would result in Bridge Street-area employees monopolizing the remaining free parking spaces. As he’s done during past discussions, Spooner said paid parking in the city-owned Bridge Street parking would result in more of those parking spaces being available for customers who visit the Bridge Street businesses.
In response, Cosby expressed support for not including the Bridge Street spaces in the initial RFP. He encouraged the CRA members to pursue the other parking locations first and then evaluate the success of those locations before potentially including Bridge Street in the paid parking program.
During past discussions, Cosby expressed support for paid parking in part because it would create a new and additional revenue source for the city, with those revenues generated primarily by tourists and visitors rather than the city’s remaining permanent residents and taxpayers.
The Chiles Hospitality group has a privately owned paid parking lot in Bradenton Beach, near the BeachHouse restaurant.- Joe Hendricks | SunEasy Parking Group owner Joshua LaRose provides the CRA-funded Old Town Tram Parking shuttles. He also already provides paid parking equipment and oversight for the Chiles Hospitality group’s privately-owned paid public parking lot near the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach, and Chiles Hospitality’s privately-owned paid public parking lot near the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria. Both of those paid parking lots are open to the public, including beachgoers, and are not restricted to restaurant patrons.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Anna Maria Oyster Bar (AMOB) took a few more steps in the ongoing process to make several improvements to its Bradenton Beach Pier-based operation.
Led by company president John Horne and operating its Bradenton Beach location as We’re Back Inc., AMOB, since late 2015, has operated in the pier building leased from the city.
We’re Back Inc. also leases the two smaller buildings located next to the main pier building. The yellow-colored space is subleased to Paradise Boat Tours. The salmon-colored space was previously subleased to two retail tenants.
AMOB wants to use that vacant space as a to-go food pickup kiosk that also serves ice cream, alcoholic beverages and more.
When presenting this request in January, Horne also requested the city’s permission to allow alcohol purchased at the to-go kiosk or in the restaurant to be consumed on the Bradenton Beach Pier. An existing city ordinance currently prohibits alcohol consumption on the pier, but alcohol consumption is allowed inside the AMOB restaurant and on the restaurant’s open-air patio.
We’re Back Inc. wants to install three or four tiki hut-like covered high-top tables along the pier railings directly south of the restaurant building.
The Bradenton Beach CRA pledged a total of $30,000 for the installation of a $60,000 decorative fence that would resemble this fence located elsewhere in Florida. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
We’re Back Inc. also wants to install a $60,000 crab trap and buoy-themed decorative fence along the northern end of the pier property, between the pier parking lot and the Pines Trailer Park. The trailer park side of the fence will be plain wood and will not feature the decorative crab traps.
Horne’s previously requested pier improvements were discussed again at the April 5 CRA meeting and the April 6 city commission meeting.
CRA approvals
During the April 5 CRA meeting, Horne secured from the CRA board a $15,000 contribution for the fence installation. Through the CRA board, he also secured an additional $15,000 in matching funds from Manatee County.
In 2021, the Manatee County Commission approved up to $850,000 in matching funds for the CRA’s yet-to-be-completed floating dock expansion project and the completed dinghy dock replacement project. The county’s $15,000 share of the decorative fence costs will be rolled into the previously approved dock project.
CRA member David Bell requested more time to consider Horne’s requests, but City Attorney Ricinda Perry said the county match expires on Sept. 30 and any additional delays could impact those matching funds. Bell then cast the only opposition vote to Horne’s funding request.
Commission approvals
On April 6, Horne and the city commission resumed their discussion about the requested pier improvements.
According to Horne and Perry, We’re Back Inc. is paying $45,894 in base rent in 2023. The city also receives 2% of We’re Back Inc.’s total gross revenues for its Bradenton Beach operation.
Perry noted the city owns the pier and the city commission must approve any improvements made to it. She said the proposed changes must also be addressed in an amended version of We’re Back Inc.’s existing lease with the city.
After much discussion, the commission unanimously supported We’re Back Inc.’s request to extend its current lease until 2045.
“It’s a long time. I’m happy with their performance, but I’m a little reserved about doing it for the rest of my lifetime,” Commissioner Jake Spooner said before expressing his support for the extension.
At the commission’s request, the amended lease will include language that states the extension only pertains to We’re Back Inc. If Horne, 61, retires, but We’re Back Inc. continues to run AMOB’s Bradenton Beach location, the extended lease remains in effect. If someone else buys We’re Back Inc. and continues to conduct business as We’re Back Inc., the extended lease remains in effect. If We’re Back Inc. is no longer the entity in charge of the pier-based operations, the city commission can terminate the extended lease.
Alcohol consumption
Perry noted an existing city ordinance currently prohibits any alcohol consumption on the pier and that ordinance must be amended before alcohol can be consumed on the pier. We’re Back Inc.’s lease agreement will also have to be amended accordingly.
Horne’s request to allow alcohol consumption on the pier pertains only to alcoholic beverages purchased from AMOB’s new outdoor kiosk or the existing bar inside the restaurant. The alcoholic beverages are to be served in cups bearing the AMOB logo. Alcoholic beverages purchased elsewhere will not be allowed on the pier.
At the request of Police Chief John Cosby, open containers of alcoholic beverages would not be allowed on the floating dock adjacent to the pier. Alcoholic beverages purchased from AMOB and served in sealed to-go containers could be transported from the restaurant area to a boat tied up at the dock.
Before these changes occur, Horne must provide the city with a detailed diagram that shows exactly where alcohol will be sold and consumed on and near the pier.
If the alcohol consumption allowance becomes problematic, the city commission can revoke it. The city commission can also temporarily suspend the alcohol allowance during a children’s fishing tournament or some other family-friendly event taking place on the pier.
None of the commission-supported pier improvements and changes will take effect until the amended We’re Back Inc. lease is finalized and the alcohol ordinance is amended.
BRADENTON BEACH – A major development permit application and initial site plans have been submitted for the proposed development of a hotel complex at the corner of Bridge Street and Gulf Drive South.
Architect Shaun Luttrell submitted the land development code/major development permit application and site plan documents on Dec. 2. The permit application lists Shawn Kaleta and Jacob Spooner as the owners of the various properties associated with the proposed development.
Kaleta is a well-known developer on Anna Maria Island. Spooner is a Bradenton Beach businessman and commercial property owner and a member of the Bradenton Beach City Commission and the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. As a sitting city commissioner, Spooner would have to recuse himself from any commission discussions and votes pertaining to the proposed hotel development.
The submitted site plan proposes 206,987 square feet of total development with a total of 103 hotel units. The ground-level floor plan includes a miniature golf course located along Gulf Drive South and retail space located along Bridge Street, west of the existing Spooner-owned Bridge Street Bazaar and Daiquiri Deck building.
This floor plan illustrates the ground-level, first-floor elements of the proposed development. – City of Bradenton Beach | Submitted
The first-floor plan includes additional retail space east of the Bridge Street Bazaar building, the main hotel entrance, the hotel lobby, a coffee bar, a hotel lounge and hotel offices. The site plan indicates 114 regular parking spaces, eight handicapped parking spaces and four golf cart parking spaces for a total of 126 parking spaces.
The second-floor plan includes 47 hotel units, some with private balconies, a kitchen area, a dining area, a fitness area and a storage/maintenance area. The third-floor plan includes 56 hotel units, some with private balconies, a conference room, a spa and a housekeeping area. The floor plans also include a rooftop swimming pool and deck. The anticipated cost of the hotel project is not known.
Properties included
The permit application lists the following addresses for the properties that would be combined to develop the hotel and other amenities as proposed: 219 Gulf Drive S., 101, 105 and 117 Bridge St. and 106, 108, 110 and 112 Third St. S.
The currently vacant building at 101 Bridge St. is among those that would be demolished to make room for the new hotel. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office, the property at 101 Bridge St. S. is owned by the 205 Sycamore LLC, which, as of April, listed attorney Louis Najmy as its registered agent and Kaleta as a manager and authorized person. The Najmy and Kaleta-affiliated Tampa Bayshore Trust LLC owns the adjacent hotel property at 105 Bridge St. and the property at 106 Third St. S.
According to the property appraiser’s office, the undeveloped property at 108 Third St. S., the neighboring properties at 110 and 112 Third St. S. and the commercial property at 117 Bridge St. are owned by Bridge Street Bazaar Inc., which, as of April, listed Spooner and his mother, Deborah Sniadach, as its registered officers.
The proposed development includes 103 hotel units. – Submitted | City of Bradenton Beach
According to the property appraiser’s office, the former Joe’s Eats & Sweets property at 219 Gulf Dr. S. (at the corner of Third Street South) is owned by AMI Plaza LLC, which, as of March, listed attorney William Saba as its manager and Firkins Nissan Inc. as authorized persons. AMI Plaza LLC is not referenced as a property owner in the permit application.
The Sun reached out to Saba and Najmy with no reply as of press time to determine whether AMI Plaza LLC is involved in the proposed hotel development.
Long road ahead
“The plans are very preliminary,” Bradenton Beach Building Official Steve Gilbert told The Sun on Friday.
According to Gilbert, a proposed development carrying a major development designation must be reviewed by the city’s Planning and Zoning Board and then approved by the city commission. Gilbert said multiple land development code interpretations will be required and multiple land use issues will need to be addressed before the proposed development can be advertised for public hearings before the planning board and city commission.
According to the permit application, the present and proposed zoning designations for the various properties are C-2 (general commercial) and the present and proposed comprehensive plan use designations are Mixed Use Bridge Commercial.
BRADENTON BEACH – The city’s efforts to rezone and/or amend the future land use map designations for several residential properties in the Azure Shores subdivision may not be needed after all.
The Azure Shores subdivision includes 23 properties located north of Bridge Street, south of the Cortez Bridge and east of Gulf Drive South.
During the Nov. 16 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, Building Official Steve Gilbert shared some recent discoveries he made when reviewing past city commission actions from the 1980s and the 2000s.
Gilbert’s discoveries may impact how the commission proceeds with its efforts to make the Azure Shores zoning designations and future land use map designations consistent with one another.
The Azure Shores discussions are part of the city’s ongoing ef- forts to address numerous inconsistencies that exist between the various zoning designations and future land use map designations that apply to numerous properties throughout the city. If left unaddressed, the existing inconsistencies could potentially subject the city to permitting challenges and/ or legal action.
The zoning and future land use map designations determine what kind of development is allowed on a specific property. Changes to those designations could negatively or positively impact the ability to develop a property and/or the value of a property.
Past actions
On Oct. 20, the city commission rejected the proposed rezoning ordinance that contained Gilbert and City Planner Luis Serna’s recommendation to rezone the Azure Shores properties from their current Multiple Family Dwelling District (R-3) zoning designation to a Mixed-Use District (MXD) zoning designation, while maintaining the Retail/Office/Residential (ROR) future land use map designation adopted by a previous city commission in 2008.
City staff’s proposed rezoning would have allowed ground-level retail and office space with residential units above, but the commission has demonstrated its desire to protect that area’s exist- ing residential character.
The commission also rejected the Planning and Zoning Board’s recommendation to instead rezone those properties to R-2 (two-family dwelling) and change the future land use map designation to Medium Density Residential.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry advised the commission that downzoning those properties from R-3 to R-2 could negatively impact allowed uses and property values for those properties.
The commission directed Gilbert and Serna to continue working with the Planning and Zoning Board and the potentially impacted property owners to find a way to cure the existing inconsistencies.
During the Oct. 20 meeting, Chiles Hospitality Facilities Director Brooks O’Hara mentioned the BeachHouse restaurant ownership group’s desire to create a designated parking lot on the Chiles Hospitality-owned vacant lot at the corner of Third Street North and Highland Avenue.
Depending on how the existing zoning and land use designations are interpreted, the R-3 zoning designation may not allow for a standalone parking lot on a residentially zoned property that’s not physically contiguous to the other Chiles Hospitality-owned properties in that vicinity.
Recent discoveries
During the Nov. 16 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, Gilbert said he reviewed a copy of the city’s 1989 comprehensive plan. At that time, the Azure Shores sub-division had the ROR future land use map designation with the R-3 zoning designation that remains in effect today. Going back farther, Gilbert said the zoning code that existed in 1983 allowed hotels, motels, coffee shops and restaurants in R-3 zoned districts.
“Somebody, in 1989, intention- ally said ROR and R-3 high-density residential are consistent. At least from ‘83 to ‘89, the argument would be reasonably consistent,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said the ROR future land use designation does not have an assigned dwelling unit density limit, whereas the R-1, R-2 and R-3 zoning designations do have density limits.
“You could make the argument today that R-3 zoning on top of ROR land use could be considered consistent. At the end of the day, it comes down to what the city commission wants,” Gilbert said.
“It’s 2022. The 2020 comprehensive plan was adopted in 2008 and directed to run to 2020. The city’s different now than it was in 2008. Maybe there is no longer any intention to build up this area as mixed-use development. Realistically what we’re seeing is a single-family house with 10 bedrooms. It’s all about rental income. Maybe we don’t need mixed-use at all. Maybe we don’t need ROR land use at all,” Gilbert said.
“We’ll talk to the residents and find out what their feelings are. If that translates into a change to the future land use map and/or changing the zoning designation then so be it. The property belongs to the people that live here. If we’ve got stuff that was adopted 18 years ago that’s no longer relevant, then why are we still trying to do something?” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said he needs to confer with Perry as to how to move forward with the efforts that may require some revisions as to what is and isn’t allowed in an R-3 zone district or the ROR future land use designation.
Regarding the Chiles Hospitality group’s desired parking lot, Gilbert said it’s possible that an R-3 zoned property with a ROR future land use map designation could possibly be used as a parking lot.
Gilbert said he would ask the city commission to schedule some town hall meetings that provide potentially impacted property owners with additional opportunities to share their opinions on any potential zoning or future land use map revisions.
BRADENTON BEACH – Merchants and city officials launched the Season of Lights and Spirit light display that will continue to shine through the New Year and that’s not the only holiday event happening on Bridge Street.
The holiday festivities began on Nov. 19 with the Light Up Bridge Street tree lighting ceremony and continue with a street party, boat parade and outdoor movie.
The tree lighting ceremony included a special appearance by Santa Claus. Longtime Island resident and former city commissioner Ed Straight had the honor of flipping the switch to light the 32-foot big tree for the first time this season.
Street party and boat parade
Coinciding with the annual Holiday Boat Parade is a festive street party taking place on and around Bridge Street on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 3-9 p.m. This family-friendly event starts in the post office parking lot with face painting, a kid’s holiday crafts station and photo opportunities with Santa.
Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the closure of Bridge Street to enjoy the waived open container rules, drink specials from local venues, live music, entertainment from local youth performers, a drawing featuring more than $2,000 in gift cards for one lucky winner and shopping opportunities at area merchants. A one-of-a-kind Bradenton Beach fillable ornament will be available for purchase with proceeds benefiting Turning Points of Bradenton, an organization that assists the homeless.
Starting at 6:30 p.m., the Bradenton Beach Pier will provide an excellent view of the annual Holiday Boat Parade hosted again this year by the Bradenton Beach Marina. Local entertainer Mike Sales will provide the musical soundtrack to the festivities and announce the boat parade participants as they pass by the pier.
The boat parade vessels will gather near the south end of Jewfish Key. At 6 p.m., the boat parade will head northwest along the Longboat Pass Bridge and then north up the Intracoastal Waterway. At approximately 6:30 p.m., the boat parade will pass alongside the pier at Bridge Street on its way to the Bradenton Beach Marina.
There is no entry fee to join the boat parade and interested boaters are asked to download the entry form at www.braden- tonbeachmarina.com or call John or Mike at 941-778-2288. The shops, restaurants and bars along and around Bridge Street will remain open until after the street party and boat parade.
Christmas on Bridge Street
The annual Christmas on Bridge Street is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17 from 3-9 p.m. The Anna Maria Island Privateers will arrive by sleigh in front of the big Christmas tree for pirate pictures with Santa. The afternoon’s activities also include a performance by the Crosley Theater Dickens Carolers, face painting and a kids’ holiday craft station. A free outdoor movie featuring a screening of “Home Sweet Home Alone” starts at 7 p.m. with a concession stand offering popcorn, soda and virgin daiquiris. Takeout also is available from many restaurants in Bradenton Beach.
At the same time, the Drift In will host its annual Christmas party and fundraiser benefitting the AMI Privateers’ youth programs.
For more information on any of these “Holidays in Paradise” events, go online or call 941-896-2222.
BRADENTON BEACH – The holidays are lighting up Bridge Street and getting revelers in the holiday spirit.
The fun started with the annual holiday lights celebration, with palm trees, businesses and even a giant Christmas tree lighting up the night on Nov. 19, showcasing garlands, hand-placed ornaments and other festive adornments.
As the sun set, a crowd gathered near the base of the 32-foot tree while the Magic of Manatee Sweet Adelines sang traditional holiday carols. At 6 p.m. Paradise Boat Tours General Manager Sherman Baldwin introduced former city commissioner Ed Straight who had the honor of flipping the switch, lighting the tree for the first time this season. After the tree lighting, attendees were encouraged to partake in the shopping and restaurant opportunities along Bridge Street.
(left to right) Glen Tellone, Heather Tellone, Chase Castagna, Chris Castagna, Tina Castagna, Abby Castagna, Pennie Castagna, Cara Spath, Kyle Castagne, Jason Spath and Emma Spath enjoy the tree Lighting on Bridge Street. Jason Schaffer | Sun
“This is possible because of a lot of hard work from the merchants of the Bradenton Beach Bridge Street area who’ve come together for the second week in a row to make this happen,” Mayor John Chappie said. “This is a signature event now that is something people look forward to, and it’s part of what we had hoped would happen for Bridge Street when we created the Community Redevelopment Agency.”
This huge holiday undertaking came at a cost of more than $40,000 and was sponsored by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), the city of Bradenton Beach and local merchants. The lights come on at sunset and will be in place through the end of December.
BRADENTON BEACH – By a 3-2 vote, the Old Town Tram parking shuttle contract has been extended for six months.
Initiated by the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) as a one-year pilot program in November 2020, the free tram service uses golf cart-like electric vehicles provided and operated by Joshua LaRose’s Sarasota-based Easy Parking Group.
In 2021, the pilot program was extended for a second year and that one-year contract extension expired on Nov. 1. On Nov. 2, the CRA members and LaRose agreed to a six-month extension that expires on April 30. The CRA or LaRose can terminate the service at any time with 30 days’ notice. CRA members John Chappie, Ralph Cole and Ed Chiles supported the contract extension. Members David Bell and Jan Vosburgh opposed it.
Before agreeing to the extension, the CRA members discussed privatizing the tram service with LaRose and/or other operators, entering into another one-year contract with LaRose or discontinuing the tram service. The board discussed allowing the tram service to continue on a month-to-month basis but City Attorney Ricinda Perry said the contract doesn’t allow that.
The trams run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with the exception of Sundays, when service stops at 9 p.m. LaRose said privatization would likely result in reduced operating hours and days of operation.
Tram goals
The tram service is funded by the CRA and the monthly costs are partially offset by advertising revenues generated by the trams’ advertising panels. The long-term goal is for advertising revenues to cover 100% of the monthly costs. During the past year, advertising revenues have accounted for slightly more than 50% of the monthly costs.
The primary operational goal for the tram service is to encourage visitors to park in the county-owned Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach parking lots south of Bridge Street and take the trams to and from their desired locations within the CRA district that extends from Fifth Street South to the Cortez Bridge.
Of the two county-owned beach parking areas, Cortez Beach is closer to Bridge Street. LaRose has repeatedly stated that his tram drivers frequently pick up passengers at Cortez Beach but rarely transport passengers to and from Coquina Beach further to the south.
Visitors are encouraged to park at Cortez Beach and ride the trams to their desired destinations within the CRA district. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
LaRose said most rides are generated by personal interactions between tram drivers and those searching for a parking space, people hailing a ride in person or people hailing a ride by phone.
LaRose has repeatedly noted this his drivers frequently turn down requests for rides north of the Cortez Bridge, which remains outside the CRA’s intended tram route.
The long-term vision for the tram service includes installing a dedicated tram path running along the west side of Gulf Drive South from Fifth Street South to the North Coquina boat ramp. The dedicated path would allow tram drivers and passengers to avoid sitting in Gulf Drive traffic.
The tram path – and a dedicated employee parking lot near the Coquina North boat ramp – received preliminary Manatee County Commission support in 2021, but the installation of a tram path remains on hold pending a county pipe replacement project that is expected to significantly disrupt the Cortez Beach parking areas while that work takes place.
Perry said the lack of a dedicated tram path puts the tram service in “a tenuous position for success.”
Angela Rodocker, owner of the BridgeWalk and Silver Surf resorts, has long supported the tram service, while also remaining critical of its operations. She does not support the trams traveling north of the Cortez Bridge and has constantly expressed the need for tram drivers to adhere to a designated route within the CRA district.
Rodocker acknowledged the trams are moving a lot of people around, but she doesn’t think the service is meeting its original objectives. Bradenton Beach Marina owner Mike Bazzy encouraged the board to continue the tram service despite its shortcomings.
“Don’t give up, stay with it,” he said.
To hail a tram, call 941-404-6240. To learn more, visit the tram website.
BRADENTON BEACH – Sea turtle nesting season is in full swing on the Island, and while some locals and visitors have been lucky enough to get a glimpse of newly-hatched babies heading from their nest to the Gulf of Mexico, it doesn’t always go as planned.
That was the case on Aug. 24 when someone reported they saw turtle hatchlings in the storm drain on Bridge Street.
Bradenton Beach Police Officer John Tsakiri arrived on the scene and knew they needed to act quickly to rescue the turtles.
West Manatee Fire Rescue opens the storm drain on Bridge Street to rescue seven newly-hatched sea turtles that had become disoriented. – Submitted
“They probably hatched the night before, got disoriented and came across Gulf Drive where they fell in the storm grate,” Tsakiri said. “Somebody saw them and told the manager of Island Time, who was looking for me, so I called the fire department and asked if they could come and open up these big metal grates. They came down, we got a big box, and lifted the two grates up where we got three (turtles) out of one drain and four out of the other one.”
The drains the turtles fell into were located in front of the Daiquiri Deck on one side of Bridge Street and in front of the Bridge Walk Hotel on the other side. Tsakiri says this isn’t the first time the turtles have lost their way and ended up on Bridge Street.
“We’ve already seen a bunch of them in the Circle K parking lot and on Bridge Street,” Tsakiri said. “None of those pipes lead out to the ocean, so they’re not crawling through the pipes, they have to be crossing the streets.”
While at least 30 people gathered to watch the rescue effort and take pictures, Tsakiri said that he and the fire department were the ones who picked up the turtles and placed them in the box. Both departments have dealt with lost turtles on many occasions, and have considerable experience in doing everything possible to get them to safety. The hatchling sea turtles were released into the Gulf of Mexico.
Newly-hatched sea turtles were rescued from a storm drain on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach. – Submitted
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring says there are many things people can do to minimize the chances of newly-hatched turtles being disoriented, but the three most important things are to keep the beach clean, dark and flat:
CLEAN: Keep the beach clean by picking up litter and removing tents, chairs and belongings at the end of the day. Sea turtles can get entangled in junk left on the beach.
DARK: Sea turtles nest in the dark. Lights disorient nesting sea turtles and distract hatchlings on their way to the ocean. Turn off flashlights, cell phone lights and porch lights. Hatchlings follow the natural light from the moon.
FLAT: A flat beach is a safe beach for nesting sea turtles, hatchlings and visitors as well. Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before leaving the beach.
It’s not just turtles that find themselves needing rescue. Tsakiri said just a couple of days before the turtles became trapped, he found a seagull he thought had been killed.
“I picked it up on the street and it wasn’t moving, so I brought it to my patrol car and as I was walking it just came back to life,” Tsakiri said. “I took it up to Ed Straight’s place, Wildlife Inc., and he said it was doing really well. I think they’re going to let it go today.”
Tsakiri has also rescued a raccoon stuck in a car engine bay, a large lizard that somebody had as a pet and let go, and while admittedly not a fan of snakes, he recalled a time recently when he had to wrangle a pet boa constrictor someone released. It wound up in a woman’s laundry room on Bay Drive.
On Anna Maria Island, police officers’ jobs entail much more than just helping the public and fighting crime, they are often the first ones, and sometimes the only ones, available to save the wildlife that is part of what makes the Island such a unique place.
Anyone that comes across an animal in distress or observes a non-native species such as a constrictor snake should contact the local police department or wildlife experts such as Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. at 941-778-6324. Do not attempt to assist wild animals without consulting a professional. Even animals that may appear docile or look like they are dead, may not be, and bites from many animals can carry diseases such as rabies, or even be venomous.
BRADENTON BEACH – Art, crafts, food and live music are just some of the things that make the free Thursdays in Paradise a great event for anyone visiting historic Bridge Street on a Thursday evening.
The weekly event features late closing hours for area retail shops and a laid-back vibe that will put visitors and locals alike in an island state of mind.
“There’re 25 local artists, maybe more, who feature their work in here,” Coring Finnie said of Cove Gallery and Boutique on Bridge Street, one of the retail stops open late during the weekly event. Finnie is one of the gallery’s staff and featured artists. “The ones who are really local work in the shop behind the counter and stuff.”
Cove is just one of the many shops that participate in Thursdays in Paradise. Other participants include the Back Alley, Sea-renity Beach Spa and Bou-Tiki, Bridge Street Interiors, Island Donut Company, The Fudge Factory and more.
Thursdays in Paradise also features live music with something everyone can tap their feet to.
“We rotate every week,” musician Luke Andrews said. “I used to do it every Thursday for a year solid, but they wanted to bring in new people, so I got some friends that come.”
“Tonight is Zack’s night, but I like to get up and play with him; he used to stop by and play with me,” Andrews said of fellow musician Zack Lieb. “It’s great to have him here.”
Andrews organizes and books the musicians who play Thursdays in Paradise, playing about once a month himself. He says one of their favorite things to do is invite children to join them and play a set of bongo drums. He added that they always have a couple of drums ready. On Aug. 25, Quinn Gersch, who was watching the show with her father, jammed for an entire song, keeping the beat with the onstage musicians.
“We had no idea this was going on,” Tiffani Smith said. Smith commented that she and her family stumbled across the event while on a tour of Anna Maria Island. “It really is a beautiful place, and this street is really cool.”
Thursdays in Paradise takes place every week from 5 p.m. to at least 8 p.m.
BRADENTON BEACH – Mayor John Chappie wants to recognize the 100th anniversary of Bridge Street with a celebration.
The street was once at the foot of the bridge leading to Anna Maria Island from Cortez before a new bridge was built. The Bradenton Beach pier now stands in the footprint of the original bridge.
Chappie, a member of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), asked the board last month for $10,000 to purchase holiday banners to place on light poles down Bridge Street. He hopes some of the money will be used to purchase banners commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the historic commercial area. CRA members approved the funds and expressed preliminary support for the proposed celebration.
During the CRA meeting on July 6, he provided additional details on his anniversary celebration plans.
Mayor John Chappie is leading the efforts to recognize and celebrate Bridge Street’s 100th Anniversary. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We just are finishing up with our hundredth year of Bridge Street existing,” Chappie said, adding that Bridge Street is believed to be the longest existing commercial area on Anna Maria Island. “100 years is pretty cool.”
Chappie told the board he recently spent a couple of hours doing research at the Anna Maria Island Historical Society Museum and he couldn’t find any specific details as to exactly when the street was renamed Bridge Street, so he’s using the construction of the original Cortez Bridge, which began in 1921, as a start for the 100-year timeline.
“As the bridge was being built, a hurricane came late in 1921 and they had to rebuild what was destroyed in 1922, so we’re still within that 100-year timeframe,” he said.
In 1956, the original Cortez Bridge on the right was replaced with the new drawbridge being built on the left. – Manatee Public Library Digital Collection | Submitted
Construction of the Cortez Bridge was completed in 1922, according to the book “Anna Maria Island: The Early Days, 1893-1940,” written by late Island historian Carolyne Norwood.
“The bridge from Cortez to Cortez Beach (now known as Bradenton Beach) was completed in 1922. Cortez Beach soon became the commercial center of the Island – just in time for the Florida boom and prohibition! By 1927, Cortez Beach had a population of 75. There was a village store, a gas station, the Bayside Inn (now The Bridgetender Inn), the Bath House and the popular Pagoda Dance Hall. Among the many characters were carpenters, bookkeepers, bootleggers and ladies of the night,” Norwood wrote.
This photo of the Bath House was taken in 1922 in the city then known as Cortez Beach. – Manatee Public Library Digital Collection | Submitted“The Bath House was on the Gulf beach at the end of Bridge Street. South of the Bath House stood the huge Pagoda Dance Hall. People were charged to dance and be served setups for the rum, homebrew and moonshine they bought from the locals. Weekends and holidays, as many as four hundred Model T’s a day would cross the bridge from four surrounding counties, since Cortez Beach had the only bathhouse and dance hall on the midwest coast of Florida. This was the heyday of Cortez Beach. Al Capone stayed at the Albion Inn (in Cortez) in 1928 amid rumors of his arranging for illegal rum to go to the Midwest from Cuba,” Norwood wrote.
This photo is included in Carolyne Norwood’s book, “The Early Years, 1893-1940.” – Submitted
In 1956, the original bridge was replaced with the current drawbridge, now slated to be replaced with a higher fixed-span bridge.
Chappie told the CRA members he’s already discussed with some Bridge Street business owners the prospect of hosting an anniversary celebration event in September.
“I’m putting out feelers and I’ll be reporting back,” he said.
BRADENTON BEACH – A busy night on Bridge Street came to an abrupt halt due to what was believed to be a natural gas leak.
As people wandered among bars, shops and restaurants on June 7, customers at the Bridge Tender Inn were enjoying dinner and drinks by the bay when fire trucks and police began to arrive on Bay Drive South. Bystanders were told to leave the area and Bridge Tender Inn customers were evacuated from the property due to a reported gas leak.
“They narrowed it down to a car. There was a young girl from Georgia that had driven up here from Siesta Key,” said Shannon Altier, assistant general manager at Bridge Tender Inn. “The fire department had really sensitive equipment to detect leaking gas, but they didn’t find anything. It turned out to be a belt from the young lady’s car that eventually had to be towed away.”
According to multiple bystanders, the smell was almost identical to that of natural gas. Altier and the rest of the Bridge Tender Inn staff were relieved to hear the situation posed no danger, but it did cost the establishment a great deal of money due to orders that had already been placed and prepared when patrons were evacuated, as well as about two hours of lost revenue.
“We lost a little bit, but I was honestly just worried about the little girl in the car,” Altier said. “She had no idea what to do. I told her to not drive more than a block, and the car died on Bridge Street a few feet later.”
The incident started around 8 p.m. and according to Altier, fire officials were still on the scene until after 10 p.m. Nobody was injured and no property other than the vehicle with the faulty belt was damaged.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) members want the CRA-funded Old Town Trams to serve more people who park in the Manatee County-owned parking spaces at Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach.
The unpaved Cortez Beach parking spaces are located along the west side of Gulf Drive South, just south of Bridge Street, from Fourth Street South to 13th Street South. The recently paved and soon-to-be-paved parking spaces at Coquina Beach are located at the south end of the city.
The Old Town Tram shuttle service pilot program is now in its second year and the current one-year contract with Joshua LaRose’s EASYParking Group expires in or around November. Before that contract expires, CRA members must decide whether to continue the experimental pilot program, enter into a permanent contract with LaRose, seek another private operator to provide similar services at no expense to the CRA or simply abandon the publicly-funded tram shuttle concept.
The CRA members’ long-term goal is to install a dedicated tram path along the Cortez Beach parking lot to alleviate the need for the trams to travel in the heavy traffic along Gulf Drive.
County officials have expressed preliminary support for a dedicated path and other tram-related amenities, but those plans can’t be pursued until an extensive utility improvement project that includes the Cortez Beach parking lot is completed. According to CRA member John Chappie, county officials have a definitive timetable as to when that project will start and end.
The other long-term goal is for tram advertising revenues to provide all or most of the funds needed to cover the monthly operating costs.
Concerns and solutions
Each month, LaRose provides a report that details ridership, routes traveled and advertising revenues generated.
During the April 6 CRA meeting, LaRose said the trams generated $5,475 in advertising revenues in March, which equates to 57% of the $9,665 monthly costs, with the CRA paying the remaining $4,190 balance.
LaRose said 5,632 passengers rode the two electric trams in March, with tram drivers picking up 169 passengers at the south end of the Coquina Beach parking lot and 1,102 passengers along Cortez Beach.
City attorney and CRA liaison Ricinda Perry noted the 169 passengers picked up from Coquina Beach equaled about five people per day.
“I certainly wouldn’t recommend this board invest more funds into it if it’s not being used,” she said.
Perry said there are more than 1,300 parking spaces available at the nearby county beaches compared to the dozen or so parking spaces near the Bradenton Beach Police Department where the trams frequently travel.
“The objective is to flip those numbers around. I need to know why that’s not happening on the beachside,” she said.
LaRose said his drivers tell him the heavy traffic presents challenges when traveling to the southern beach parking areas and a dedicated tram path would help. He committed to asking his drivers to get feedback from passengers as to why they don’t utilize the beach parking spaces.
Chappie noted the Cortez Beach parking area is three-quarters of a mile long and could be divided into three primary points to load and unload tram passengers. Chappie said the tram drivers should be driving through the Cortez Beach parking lot rather than on Gulf Drive and be looking for additional passengers along the way.
“The last thing the (tram) driver wants to do is get in that traffic,” CRA member Ed Chiles added.
The Old Town Trams operate seven days a week. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Perry asked LaRose what else can be done to encourage people to utilize the Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach parking spaces as originally intended.
LaRose said he could conduct a test run in late April or early May with one of the two carts only traveling between Bridge Street and the beach parking areas. The operating hours have been added to banners that promote the free service and he suggested placing another banner at or near Coquina Beach.
He also said digital QR codes have been created to share with the businesses in the CRA district. Accessed by cell phone, the QR codes will provide instant information about the tram service and how to hail a ride. To request a ride, call 941-404-6240.
The Old Town Trams operate daily between the Cortez Bridge and Coquina Beach from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5-10 p.m.
Privacy choicesWe use Google Analytics to understand readership and improve the website. Analytics cookies are optional and can be accepted or declined.Privacy Policy
