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Tag: Coquina Beach

Water taxi expected to launch soon

Water taxi expected to launch soon

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

BRADENTON – An open house held on June 27 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) offered answers to many of the questions regarding the long-awaited ferry service between Anna Maria Island and Bradenton.

On April 23, CVB Executive Director Elliott Falcione said the hope was to have the boats operational by July, potentially by the Fourth of July weekend, a goal that was missed. The new, more conservative estimate is to have the boats running with passengers onboard by the end of the summer.

Although construction of the two 49-passenger pontoon boats is almost complete, they still require plenty of testing to get all Coast Guard certifications and permits issued. In addition, the city of Anna Maria has not yet reached an interlocal agreement with the county regarding the use of the Anna Maria City Pier as the northernmost stop on the Island.

The current plan is to have the water taxis depart downtown Bradenton and dock at the Anna Maria City Pier in Anna Maria and the Bradenton Beach Pier and South Coquina Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy says there are things in the county’s proposed agreement that are of concern, and they are waiting for a revised proposal that makes better business sense for the city. Regardless, the project continues to move forward.

“I just got the call that boats will be splashing in the water in about two weeks,” Gulf Coast Water Taxi owner Trisha Rodriguez said. “Now that is without any Coast Guard validation and without any sea trials being done. It’s going to take a couple of weeks, if not a couple of months to get all of those sea trials completed. Most importantly regarding the timeline is that the docks have to be ready, and they are not ready now. The issue right now is we don’t have anywhere to go to, even if we were ready now, the docks have to be ready for the boats and they aren’t at this time.”

Rodriguez says that before the service begins there will be some trips for media and partners of the project to ride and see how the boats will operate. Dates for those trips have not yet been set. As for where the boats will be kept between splashdown in Bradenton and the start of the service, Rodriguez said that is being negotiated currently and they should have an answer in the next few days.

The open house also answered many of the basic questions many have had regarding the service once it is operational, including:

Days and hours of operation

Initially the Gulf Islands Ferry will operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. year-round. The captain of the boat will have complete authority over stopping service due to weather issues. During the stormy summer months, there will be times service will be suspended for safety reasons.

Cost

Tickets will be $8 for a one-way ride, $5 for children 4-12 and $6 for seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or they can be purchased when boarding the boat if space is available.

Trip length

Assuming the city of Anna Maria reaches an agreement for use of the pier, the service will depart the downtown Bradenton Riverwalk near the Green Bridge with a 35-minute ride to Anna Maria City Pier. Exact times to the Bradenton Beach Pier and South Coquina Boat Ramp will be determined after sea trials begin in the next few weeks. This information will be updated frequently at www.gulfislandferry.com.

Where to park

In Bradenton, free parking is available at the City Centre Parking Facility at Third Avenue West between 10th and 12th Streets. On the Island, there is public parking at Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and the Bridge Street area in Bradenton Beach. In Anna Maria, there is also free public parking near the city pier along the bay and on Pine Avenue. Parking on AMI can be very limited and part of the reason county officials have shown so much support for this project is because they hope people coming from Bradenton will use the service instead of bringing a car to the Island. The Island has a free trolley service as well as privately-owned transportation services that make getting around fairly easy without a personal vehicle.

Pet policy

Leashed, well-behaved pets are allowed onboard as long as they don’t bother other guests and all service pets are welcome. It should be noted that pets are prohibited on all Anna Maria Island beaches.

Restrooms

There is one restroom on each vessel.

Beach gear

Most commonly used beach gear and coolers are permitted on the boats, but due to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, bicycles will not be permitted on the water taxi.

Private charters

If arrangements are made at least two weeks in advance, most large groups can be accommodated. To schedule, email kristi@gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.

Wi-Fi

Complimentary Wi-Fi will be available on both water taxis; however, it should be noted that there will be dead spots along the route and full boats could experience bandwidth issues.

For updates and more information on the water taxi service, visit www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.

 

Man, 71, drowns at Coquina Beach

Man, 71, drowns at Coquina Beach

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – While the water may look calm and harmless, a number of drowning deaths have struck the Gulf coast of Florida over the last month, and a 71-year-old Bradenton man was the latest to succumb to unpredictable Gulf waters on June 26.

At least 12 people have died in the past month on the Gulf coast, including seven in Panama City and the high-profile death of former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, who despite being a healthy 35-year-old athlete, drowned in Destin in conditions that officials said did not involve potentially deadly rip currents.

According to the National Weather Service, there have been more than 1,000 surf zone fatalities since 2010, including 60 so far this year. Of those 60 deaths, which do not include Mallett’s, 17 have occurred along the Gulf of Mexico coast and all but two involved rip currents.

In the case of Benjamin Warren Griffith, 71, of Bradenton, Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said in his report that he arrived in the area of 400 Gulf Drive S. on June 26 at 2:40 p.m. to find EMS, fire and beach patrol already on the scene providing CPR.

“While the medical professionals were operating on Griffith, I gathered witness information and an explanation of events,” Diaz said in his report. “A witness said she had observed the victim swimming out halfway to the buoy where he was for an undisclosed amount of time. By the time they noticed Griffith was in the water, they were not sure if he was face up or face down. When she realized he was face down, the witness, Kimberly Lampercht, went out in the water to grab him and brought him to shore, then called 911.”

EMS transported Griffith to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, where he later died. Diaz’s report states it is unknown if he had any prior health issues that may have been related to the incident.

Coquina Beach parking lot improvements nearly complete

Coquina Beach parking lot improvements nearly complete

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Almost the entire Coquina Beach parking lot is now available to beachgoers, including those visiting the beach during the extended Fourth of July weekend.

The second phase of Manatee County’s long-running drainage and parking lot improvement project is now in its final stage, with the remaining work taking place in the overflow parking area being created north of the picnic pavilion area.

Coquina Beach parking lot improvements nearly complete
This diagram illustrates where the work was completed and the overflow parking area, circled in red, still being worked on. – Manatee County | Submitted

According to Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan, all the Coquina Beach parking spaces are now open except for the overflow area, which he said is expected to be completed by the end of July.

Coquina Beach parking lot improvements nearly complete
An overflow parking area is being constructed near the picnic pavilions. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“That is the last and final parking and drainage improvement,” Logan said of the final work taking place.

Formerly comprised of shell and sand, the Coquina Beach parking spaces are now paved with permeable concrete which contains gaps that allow water to drain down through the pavement and into the new drainage elements below.

A visit to the Coquina Beach parking lot on June 27 indicated that, with the exception of the overflow area, the entire parking lot was finished and available for parking.

Coquina Beach parking lot improvements nearly complete
The improvements made to the north end of the Coquina Beach parking lot are complete. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The Coquina Beach drainage project started at the south end of the beach parking lot in May 2019 and included the removal of approximately 100 Australian Pine trees. County staff said the trees needed to be removed in part because their expansive root systems would hinder the drainage and paving improvements. As the second phase of the project moved north, approximately 87 more Australian pines were removed. Although many Australian Pines were removed, many still remain in place, including those along the recreational trail between the parking lot and the beach.

When the county commission approved the phase two plans and tree removals in 2020, the estimated phase one cost was $3.36 million and the estimated phase two cost was $3.62 million.

Big changes could be coming to the Coquina Beach Trail.

TDC approves proposal to use Coquina Beach Trail for shuttles

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Featured, Tourism.

BRADENTON BEACH – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) is recommending a plan to Manatee County commissioners to widen the Coquina Beach Trail for shuttles.

The trail is a paved path about the width of a city sidewalk that begins at the south end of the Coquina Beach parking lot and runs 1.5 miles along the beach north to Fifth Street South. The plan, discussed at the April 24 TDC meeting, would resurface and widen the trail, potentially for the use of the Old Town Tram golf cart shuttle service owned by Josh LaRose’s Easy Parking Group and partially funded by the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). 

Big changes could be coming to Coquina Beach Trail
Easy Parking Group’s ‘Old Town Trams’ currently service Coquina Beach to Bridge Street, but are not allowed to drive on the current beach trail, making for a bumpy ride for passengers, or long waits in heavy beach traffic. This tram stopped for a break in the shade near 13th Street South. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

“They desperately need a way to get people back and forth from Bridge Street to here without sitting in traffic for an hour,” said Doris Snyder, who comes to the beach from Palmetto on a regular basis. “We like to hit one of the restaurants on Bridge Street for lunch or dinner when we come down here, but it’s impossible to park in that area unless you get incredibly lucky. We use the golf cart service a lot, but even if they drive off the road in the parking area instead of sitting in traffic, the ride beats you to death. A cart path would be amazing.”

Project Manager Mike Stern told TDC members that the trail improvements would cost $1.5 million – including the removal of 96 Australian pine trees whose roots are damaging the pavement – and take about eight months to complete. Stern said a large part of the cost will be building a root barrier, which will require the current trail to be removed so that the barrier can be placed underground to prevent future tree roots from growing under the trail and destroying it, causing more unnecessary cost in the future. With the barrier, the trail should last for many years with little serious maintenance, he said.

“While this sounds like a large investment, we hope this will last much longer than the original trail did because we are fairly confident that there was not as much root barrier, if any, used the first time around,” said Chad Butzow, director of Public Works for Manatee County. “Hopefully we’ll get a bit more longevity this time around.”

The county currently spends between $35,000 to $40,000 a year maintaining the trail, and Public Works says that the steps being taken with the new trail will save that money because the tree roots will no longer be an issue. If this holds true, a third of the cost of the project would be covered by the nearly half a million in repair dollars that wouldn’t need to be spent over the next decade. 

When asked by TDC members if the trail could be widened enough to make ample room for golf carts and pedestrians, Stern explained that as long as they were working from the existing footprint, no new permits would be needed, but because of environmental issues due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, any size expansion proposals would require permits at the state level that could take months or even years, and be potentially costly.

Big changes could be coming to Coquina Beach Trail
Beachgoers enjoy the picnic area and shade provided along the Coquina Trail. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

While not addressing Easy Parking Group’s Old Town Tram by name, TDC member and Bradenton Beach restaurant owner Ed Chiles stated that six-passenger golf cart trams should be allowed to use the path so people could park at the beach and not have to endure the sometimes impossible task of finding a parking space near the Bridge Street shopping and dining area. 

“The biggest single issue in Bradenton Beach is lack of parking,” Chiles said. “Coquina Beach may be the most parking spaces anywhere in one place in the county. This trail offers connectivity. I don’t want to see all the golf carts on there, I want to see one set of trams. That connects 1,200 parking spaces that this county has worked so hard on to what the CRA has worked so hard on in downtown Bradenton Beach.”

Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the trams using the trail would also be a big help for water taxi passengers to get to and from downtown Bradenton Beach when the service begins in July of this year. 

TDC Chairman James Satcher moved that the proposal be presented to the Board of County Commissioners, with the option to expand the scope of the proposal, such as a wider trail with a shell path adjacent, at a later date. The proposal was passed at the close of discussions. 

In other business, it was reported that phase one of the ongoing drainage project at Coquina Beach is now complete, which added 192 parking spaces. Phase two is estimated to be completed by early July, adding 862 additional parking spaces, according to Stern.

Stern said the paving of the parking lot should be completed by the end of May, but there will still be more work to be done. He was pleased to report that fewer of the Australian pine trees that offer shade to the picnic area along the beach and parking area would need to be removed than first thought. This will not only save time and money, but keep much-needed shade in the area.

Coquina Beach ‘no parking’ signs discussed

No parking signs on scenic highway debated

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH –The city’s Scenic WAVES Committee is concerned about the visual appearance of 61 new “No parking on right of way by order of D.O.T.” signs recently installed along Gulf Drive South near Coquina Beach, Leffis Key and the Coquina boat ramps.

The signs were installed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) at the request of Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby, who asked for the signs a year ago. The police department shares the responsibility of enforcing FDOT’s longstanding prohibition on parking in the state-owned rights of way along Gulf Drive/SR 789.

The Scenic WAVES Committee consists of citizens and liaisons from FDOT, Manatee County and other agencies. The committee advises the city commission on landscaping and beautification efforts in Bradenton Beach. The committee also initiates and conducts landscaping and beautification projects.

The entire stretch of Gulf Drive/SR 789 in Bradenton Beach is designated by the state as a scenic highway and the committee also serves as the city’s scenic highway board.

The new “no parking” signs were discussed during the committee’s Feb. 15 meeting.

Committee Chair Ingrid McClellan noted there are 61 new “no parking” signs in the quarter-mile stretch of Gulf Drive South near Coquina Beach and the Coquina boat ramps. She surmised that placing so many signs so close together results in the sign poles serving as barriers that prevent parking there. McClellan said she was surprised there was no preliminary discussion before the signs were installed.

Citing the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway Corridor Management Plan, McClellan said ropes and wooden bollards would have been a more natural-looking means of preventing parking along the scenic highway.

“The problem is trying to be solved with the wrong solution,” McClellan said.

Liza Click serves as the Manatee County supervisor for property management in the grounds division. She also serves as a county liaison to the Scenic WAVES Committee.

Coquina Beach ‘no parking’ signs discussed

The new “no parking” signs now line both sides of Gulf Drive South at the south end of the city. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Click said she was surprised to see that many signs when she drove in that morning.

“It was just shocking,” she said.

Click said she’d rather see trees there than signs, but acknowledged the parking issues do exist.

“Holiday weekends are horrible,” she said.

Click said in the past people have removed bollards, barricades and caution tape in order to park near the beach; and vehicles were sometimes double or triple-parked in the right of way.

“They’re still going to park between these signs,” Click said.

Click said the county drainage and parking lot improvements taking place at Coquina Beach will provide some relief.

“We created two overflow parking areas which will accommodate somewhere between 160 and 180 cars once all this construction is done. That’s at our discretion to open up when we see that it’s at capacity and those other cars that are jockeying for spots are starting to park illegally on the sides of the road,” she said.

FDOT District Landscape Architect Darryl Richard also serves as a Scenic WAVES Committee liaison.

Regarding the new signs, Richard said, “This doesn’t happen in a void. Someone had to request this number of signs.”

Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie serves as the city commission’s Scenic WAVES liaison.

“I’m not a big proponent of signs. We have it in writing from the FDOT traffic engineer. That’s how many were needed to cover the area,” Chappie said.

“It is illegal to park in the FDOT right of way. There is a clear safety concern. Whether there’s bollards there or not, people will park there. We haven’t been able to stop them so far and it’s a dangerous situation,” Chappie said.

Chappie said it’s also important to reduce the risk of confrontation faced by Bradenton Beach police officers, county sheriff’s deputies and county code enforcement officers when enforcing the state’s parking prohibition.

Richard acknowledged that enforcement personnel do get pushback from those being ticketed for parking in the right of way and they question why they’re being ticketed when there’s no signs saying they can’t park there.

Possible solutions

Regarding the Scenic WAVES Committee pursuing any sign reductions, Chappie said, “The city is not going to authorize our advisory group going any further than this meeting on this. We’re not going to just get rid of the signs. It’s going to take some convincing because of the issues we’ve had over the last several years, and it’s just getting worse. We did this once before and removed all the signs and then we started having more problems. When they (FDOT) put these out, their engineers said this is how many you have to have to be enforceable.”

Richard said he met with Manatee County Deputy Director of Sports and Leisure Services, Grounds Division, Carmine DeMilio the previous week.

“He mentioned he wanted to do something at Coquina Beach. Maybe you (the county) can sponsor a project and include the consideration of bollards or landscaping and some of the parking signs can possibly be adjusted or removed. We wouldn’t remove all of them. You’ve still got to communicate to the public. Everyone who’s been to the beach knows it’s a madhouse on peak days,” Richard said.

Richard said he doesn’t envision any changes taking place in the immediate future, with peak season and spring break approaching.

Click said she would also talk to DeMilio about the possibility of installing landscaping elements or landscaping beds that might each replace some of the “no parking” signs. She said she can envision ways to reduce the number of signs and still prevent people from parking in those areas.

Related coverage

 

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently installed dozens of signs along various sections of Gulf Drive that say, “No parking on right of way.”

Approximately 55 signs are located along Gulf Drive South near Coquina Beach and the Coquina boat ramps.

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive
Approximately 30 new “no parking” signs are located along the west of Gulf Drive South, near Coquina Beach and the Coquina Boat Ramps. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

In groups of two or three, more signs are located along Gulf Drive North at 11th Street North, along the 1900 block of Gulf Drive North by the La Costa condominiums, between 22nd Street North and 23rd Street North near Katie Pierola Park and between 25th Street South and 26th Street South.

Police Chief John Cosby told The Sun that he requested the new signs from FDOT last year and they were installed last week.

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive
Smaller groups of “no parking” signs have been installed at the north end of the city. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When contacted by The Sun, FDOT Operations Center Engineer Trisha Hartzell said, “The District Traffic Operations office initiated this action to prohibit vehicles parking on Florida Department of Transportation right of way along State Road 789/Gulf Drive South at the request of the city of Bradenton Beach.”

In the past, temporary barricades with “no parking” signs affixed to them were placed along the Gulf Drive South right of way near Coquina Beach to help prevent people from parking in the state-owned rights of way where parking is prohibited.

When contacted Monday, Cosby said those temporary signs were previously removed at the request of the city’s Scenic WAVES Committee due to concerns about sign pollution along a scenic highway. The Scenic WAVES Committee also serves as the city’s scenic highway board.

According to FDOT’s www.FloridaScenicHighways.com website, the entire 3-mile stretch of Gulf Drive/SR 789 in Bradenton Beach is a state-designated scenic highway.

Leaders in the adjacent city of Holmes Beach, meanwhile, have ordered the removal of several no parking signs from its streets, citing sign pollution as the reason.

Cosby said it’s the state that prohibits parking along the Gulf Drive rights of way and that longstanding parking prohibition has not changed.
“To have proper enforcement, the signs have to be there. It’s hard to enforce the law if you don’t have the proper signs telling people they can’t park there. We need them year-around,” Cosby said.

When asked about the signs being placed along a scenic highway, Cosby said, “There’s already speed limit signs, crosswalk signs, directional signs and other signs along the scenic highway and this is in the areas where we have to have enforcement.”

Sewer project will soon impact Bradenton Beach traffic

Sewer project impacts Bradenton Beach traffic

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – Manatee County’s sewer rehabilitation project is expected to cause traffic interruptions and parking challenges in Bradenton Beach beginning in late January.

On Dec. 15, Project Manager Alex Gonzalez sent a letter to city officials and others regarding the Bradenton Beach sewer rehabilitation project and a project-related public information meeting taking place at Bradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Dr. N., on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 6-8 p.m.

Sewer project will soon impact Bradenton Beach traffic
A public information meeting will be held at Bradenton Beach City Hall on Thursday, Jan. 12. – Manatee County | Submitted

“The purpose of the meeting is to provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the Bradenton Beach sewer rehabilitation project on Gulf Drive, from 6th Street South to 13th Street South,” Gonzalez stated in the letter.

“There will be no formal presentation and guests are invited to stop by anytime between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to view project boards and design plans. Project staff will also be available to answer questions and provide additional project-related information,” he said.

“This project will replace and relocate a portion of the gravity collection system in south Bradenton Beach to new locations within the public right of way. The replacement of aging sewer infrastructure will improve the resiliency of the Bradenton Beach sewer system by increasing capacity and reducing the risk of pipe failures and leaks,” the letter states.

When contacted via email on Dec. 22, Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan said the Woodruff & Sons construction firm is expected to begin its work during the third week of January – the week after the Jan. 12 public information meeting.

“That would be the work on Gulf Drive and they expect it to last through summertime. Then they will begin work on the side streets,” Logan told The Sun.

Project website

Additional information and project updates can be found at the project-related website. According to the website, construction is expected to be completed in September 2024.

“The project includes the installation of approximately one mile of 10-inch and 8-inch gravity main along Gulf Drive South as well as 21 manholes and approximately 100 new 6-inch laterals. Lateral service connections will extend from the gravity main on Gulf Drive South down each side street from 6th Street South to 13th Street South. The project will also require road repair and restoration,” according to the website. “This project will replace and relocate a portion of the gravity collection system in south Bradenton Beach to new locations within the public right of way. The contractor is currently developing a construction schedule and procuring project materials.”

Chief’s concerns

During recent city meetings, Police Chief John Cosby has expressed concerns about the traffic and parking impacts that will occur along Gulf Drive South.

Sewer project will soon impact Bradenton Beach traffic
Police Chief John Cosby expects the rehabilitation project to significantly impact traffic and parking along Gulf Drive South. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

At a Dec. 7 Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, Cosby referenced the sewer rehabilitation project and its anticipated impacts on the Cortez Beach parking lots south of Bridge Street – which in addition to providing beach parking also provide public parking for CRA’s Old Town Tram parking shuttle service.

“They are cutting holes across Gulf Drive at every street, from 6th Street down to 13th. Because it’s gravity fed, they cannot do (underground) boring, so it’s physically cutting holes about 15 feet deep and the width of the road in order to put the pipe in,” Cosby said.

He said Gulf Drive South traffic will be diverted through the unpaved Cortez Beach parking lots which will also be used to store construction equipment and materials.

“Cortez Beach parking for the next 18 months is non-existent. And as you know, the parking is still not finished at Coquina (Beach). There’s still one more section to do at Coquina once they’re done with the middle section that is not completed yet. You’re about to lose all that parking space at Cortez Beach,” Cosby said.

Sewer project will soon impact Bradenton Beach traffic
The county project will temporarily reduce parking at Cortez Beach, south of Bridge Street. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“We’re looking at 18 months if everything goes perfect. When’s the last time that happened?” he added.

During the Nov. 2 CRA meeting, Cosby said he and Mayor John Chappie had already met with county staff twice to discuss the pending project.

“It is going to be a nightmare,” Cosby said of the project’s anticipated impact on traffic and parking.

UFO sighting reported in Bradenton Beach

UFO sighting reported in Bradenton Beach

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – Anna Maria Island is big on tourism, but are they coming from space?

Probably not, but a Bradenton Beach police officer spotted a strange incident while on patrol at Coquina Beach on the morning of Nov. 5 that left him scratching his head with far more questions than answers.

“I saw a Coast Guard plane flying over the bay, then I watch them turn back toward the Gulf. I thought what the heck is that as I look up and saw a big black thing in the sky,” Bradenton Beach Police Officer Charles Morose said. “I’m estimating based on the size of the plane in the sky, it was at least the size of a car, or maybe a small aircraft.”

Morose said he thinks the Coast Guard plane must have seen the object because it changed course and came back toward the Gulf, appearing to follow the object. He says after the plane began to follow the object, which was almost stationary when he first observed it, its speed and trajectory changed rapidly.

“That thing had to be moving at least 500 mph,” Morose said. “It just shot off like a rocket toward the horizon and it was just gone. I’m no UFO conspiracy theorist, and I’m not saying it was from space or anything like that, but there was something in the sky and it was hauling butt.”

Morose said while he has no idea what was in the air over Coquina, he can say with certainty it was not a drone or an animal. Morose is in the area daily and knows how drones fly, and is well-versed in birds that live in the area. To him, it’s an interesting encounter with something strange, and will most likely remain a mystery.

The Sun reached out to the Cortez Coast Guard detachment, who forwarded the inquiry to their public relations department. After calls to multiple departments, we were told they would reach out if they had any information, claiming there was no incident reported in the area on the date and time reported by Morose.

The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau allocates resort tax funds to advertise Anna Maria Island in places such as Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom, but has no advertising campaigns on any planet beyond ours, leaving this an Island mystery.

If there are aliens coming to the Island, the best residents can hope for is that their superior intelligence has allowed them to figure out the biggest question of them all – where do we park our ship without getting a ticket?

DOH warns against feeding wild animals

DOH warns against feeding wild animals

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Being a small island, AMI’s wildlife and human inhabitants often cross paths, but due to people feeding animals, they are getting to be a little too comfortable with their human counterparts.

“I had just dropped some people off at Coquina Beach and stopped for a quick snack,” said Randy Lusk, who drives one of the Old Town Tram golf cart shuttles in Bradenton Beach. “I grabbed some trail mix and saw a squirrel jump in the golf cart by my left foot. Before I knew what was happening, he ran up my leg and grabbed some of the trail mix out of the bag on my lap. I thought he would run away, but he ran up my arm, sat on my shoulder and had a snack; it was crazy!”

Lusk said he was not coaxing the squirrel and not trying to feed it, but obviously, it had been fed so many times it had absolutely no fear of humans. While it’s a funny story with pictures that will brings laughs for Lusk and his family for a lifetime, even an innocent-looking squirrel could potentially be dangerous.

The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County (DOH-Manatee) reminds the public to avoid contact with wild or stray animals out of concern that they could be carrying rabies.

Anyone believing they may have been exposed to rabies, bitten or scratched should contact their health care provider and their county health department immediately.

In addition, if bitten by a suspected rabid animal, seek immediate treatment to prevent contracting the disease. Immediately wash animal bites and scratches with soap and water and call Animal Services at 941-742-5933 to report the bite. They will remove the animal for quarantine or testing.

The rabies virus is present in some wildlife in Florida and can spread to unvaccinated pets, which then pose a high risk to pet owners and their families. Some actions people and their families can take to prevent from being exposed to rabies include avoiding direct contact with wildlife, not feeding wildlife, consulting a veterinarian to ensure pets are up to date on rabies vaccinations and supervising pets and young children while outside.

Police searching for driver after 100 mph beach pursuit

Police searching for driver after 100 mph beach pursuit

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – Despite multiple police departments, a helicopter and a K9 unit, a suspect remains at large after a high-speed pursuit on Oct. 15 ended with an SUV crashing into the Gulf of Mexico.

The encounter began as Holmes Beach police observed headlights driving on the beach around 2 a.m. and began to pursue the vehicle. Police believe the vehicle drove onto the beach in Anna Maria, but the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols Anna Maria, was not yet involved in the chase.

According to a report filed by Bradenton Beach Police Officer Devon Straight, the Chevrolet SUV was driving on the beach at such a high rate of speed that Holmes Beach officers in pursuit lost sight of the vehicle. Straight was monitoring the radio, realizing the vehicle would soon enter into his jurisdiction.

“While on scene at Via Roma, I observed a pair of headlights on the beach quickly approaching. The truck then passed by me at a dangerously high rate of speed, at which time I made my way back to my patrol car and attempted to catch up to the vehicle,” Straight said in his report.

After activating his lights and siren, Straight pursued the SUV on Gulf Drive before entering the beach at the beach access in the 1300 block of Gulf Drive. Even though the vehicle could only continue down the beach or cross back over to Gulf Drive at some point, stopping the fleeing truck and arresting the driver would prove to be incredibly difficult.

“The truck appeared to be traveling approximately 100 mph down the beach, and it stayed at least 15 blocks ahead of me,” Straight said. “I then lost visual on the truck around the 300 block of Gulf Drive South, believing it had possibly gotten back on Gulf Drive or had blacked out their headlights.”

Straight then left the beach and got back on Gulf Drive heading southbound towards Coquina Beach, attempting to get a visual on the vehicle. After about 10 minutes of searching, witnesses that were fishing in the area said they saw the vehicle driving recklessly on Coquina Beach, according to the report.

Straight then returned to the beach in his patrol car and continued to Longboat Pass, following the tire tracks of the suspect vehicle, which he found located more than 15 feet off the beach partially submerged in the Gulf of Mexico.

“I notified dispatch of my location and called out perimeter positions for responding units,” Straight said. “I then held the vehicle at gunpoint until a Holmes Beach officer arrived and we confirmed the vehicle was unoccupied.”

A possible suspect was detained at the scene and released because police were unable to positively link him to the vehicle at the time.

The search for the driver of the SUV intensified as the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office assisted with a K9 unit and a helicopter. The K9 alerted to a man crossing over the Longboat Key Bridge into the town of Longboat Key.

The driver was described as a Hispanic male in a camouflage long-sleeved shirt. Witnesses fishing on the bridge said someone matching that description crossed the bridge on foot shortly after the crash, complaining of a back injury, confirming the escape route the K9 unit detected. The witnesses also had an answer for how the vehicle managed to end up so far out in the water, saying it hit the rock jetty at a high rate of speed, went airborne and landed in the water.

The vehicle was towed from the scene by Bullet Towing about three hours after landing in the water, at which point a full inventory search of the vehicle was conducted by police, who say multiple alcohol containers were found, along with personal belongings of the driver. Bradenton Beach police say that a man matching the name of the suspected driver called them to report the vehicle stolen in the following days. The suspect was told the vehicle had been involved in a crash, hoping he would come to the station to answer questions, but he didn’t, and further efforts to contact him have been unsuccessful.

The suspect vehicle’s path was back-tracked to look for any damage the rampage may have caused. Police found that a small wooden fence and hitching post by lifeguard stand #8 was obliterated in the sand with vehicle parts from the suspect vehicle scattered around it. Two signs that were posted on the Coquina Beach south jetty had also been run over. Police say it could have been much worse and were thankful nobody was taking a late-night walk on the beach when the incident occurred.

A hit-and-run crash report remains open as police continue to try to locate the suspect. Additional charges will most likely be added when and if he is captured. These could include attempting to elude police, statutes that ban driving vehicles on Florida beaches where it is not expressly permitted, leaving the scene of a crash and possibly more. Bradenton Beach police are not commenting at this time on exactly what charges will be filed if they make an arrest, but say it was a serious and dangerous incident that they are hopeful will result in an arrest.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 941- 778-6311.

Coquina Beach Market on county commission agenda

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

BRADENTON BEACH – County officials announced earlier this month that they would take control of the Coquina Beach Market, but some commissioners are saying, “Not so fast.”

Commissioner Carol Whitmore brought up the topic of the county running the beach market at a commission land use meeting on Aug. 18.

“I think this needs to be decided by the board if we’re going to do this,” Whitmore said. “I don’t believe in the board interfering with the private sector in this. I don’t want to run a flea market.”

Manatee County Information Director Bill Logan announced in a press release that oversight for the market would shift to Manatee County and that the county would take over the beach market from Nancy Ambrose, its director for the past decade.

Whitmore asked for the board to put the issue on the agenda for a future work session.

“This shouldn’t be going out for bids without our board talking about this,” Whitmore said. “I think we need to have public comment.”

Commissioner Misty Servia supported Whitmore’s request to put the topic on a future session.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to go to a work session because this is a policy matter that should have been brought to this board to discuss but we find ourselves in a situation where we’re backpedaling trying to correct a situation,” Servia said.

Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge said he would place the discussion on the agenda for the regular meeting to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

“I don’t believe government should compete with private business,” Whitmore told The Sun on Aug. 19. “This (county running the market) sets up all kinds of liability issues. There’s a lot of risk involved.”

Whitmore said the county does not have the authority to take over the market and the commission is the only entity that can make decisions in that regard.

“Her (Ambrose’s) contract was approved by the board and only the board has the right to terminate it,” Whitmore said.

County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said since Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes was not present at the land use meeting, a discussion about the market would be in poor taste due to his absence.

“I don’t think the administrator understands his role,” Whitmore said. “His role is to follow board policy – it is not to set policy.”

In the meantime, Ambrose has said she is looking for new venues for the market. She has garnered support through the “Where’s the Market?” Facebook page.

Ambrose explores new venues for market

Ambrose explores new venues for market

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Business, Featured, Retail.

BRADENTON BEACH – Since the Aug. 2 announcement that Manatee County would take over the Coquina Beach Market from Nancy Ambrose, its director for the past decade, she has been looking for new venues.

Ambrose told The Sun that she is exploring the permitting process for one or more new venues for the market and said there are several good possibilities.

“This all happened so fast,” she said. “My concern is always the vendors having a place to go. When this happened, I almost felt like I let them down. I would say right now there is probably more than one place that we’re looking at.”

Ambrose declined to say where she was looking, but said that her search was not limited to Manatee County.

“The market will probably be at more than one place,” she said. “There’s one

in particular that I’m very excited about.”

“I’m done with the county as far as the beach market,” she said. “My reports are in to the county, I’ve destroyed my signs and business cards. I had 30 days, but I got it all done.”

Ambrose had expressed astonishment that her franchise license agreement for use of the beach parking lot had been terminated, thus ending her longtime management of the market.

“I was completely shocked when I received the coldest termination without cause letter out of the blue yesterday,” she wrote on Aug. 2 on her Facebook page. “I spent the day trying to figure it out and was so worried about the vendors.”

An Aug. 2 press release from Manatee County Information Director Bill Logan stated in part, “Artisans and other vendors will be back along the Coquina Beach South promenade, once again, when the 2022-23 season opens in November as oversight for the market shifts to Manatee County.”

On Aug. 5, Logan declined to give a reason for Ambrose’s termination and said by email, “I do not have any further information why the contract was terminated.”

“In a perfect world, I at 64 would retire as my husband retired in May and we would get the Thor Vegas or Atlas and travel with our dogs – that we dream about,” she wrote. “However instead of relaxing now – I must work on finding other venues as I honestly feel that some of our vendor family will not have a home in November.”

“We have fabulous vendors,” she said. “It has a family vibe and that makes it a special place. People can feel that.”

Ambrose’s supporters have come out in force on social media. The Facebook page, “Where is the Market?” has garnered 1,200 members – many of whom are vendors who have worked with Ambrose and are expressing loyalty. For example, “941 Beach Vibes” will NOT be vendors at the Coquina Beach Market, we will be following Nancy,” is posted there.

Ambrose said she started the Beach Market as vendors at her previous Bridge Street market were not allowed back when she left as manager.

“I am afraid that I will see the same thing now – that the vendors who helped build and make the Beach Market at Coquina Beach so special will not be back,” she wrote. “I fear for this on so many levels. So, I have no other decision than to start anew and help the vendors… I am mama bear to my vendors – you do not mess around with them.”

County organizing new market

County leaders are working to create a “more engaging and enjoyable experience” when the Coquina Beach Market reopens in November, Logan wrote in an Aug. 11 press release.

He declined to speculate as to what some of those changes could be, saying, “Everything is being looked at in order to make it a better event.”

“Every aspect of the market is being studied, from location to hours and dates of operation to enhancing vendor and guest opportunities,” Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said. “We want to integrate this into the beach experience.”

The new director has not yet been chosen, Logan said.

“There are discussions as to who will be in charge of the market, but no person has been appointed or named yet,” he said.

More than 150 vendors have responded to initial survey requests, expressing their interest in continuing to work with the new management team, according to Logan.

Vendors for the county beach market may apply at coquinamarketvendors@ mymanatee.org.

Modifications planned for Coquina, Cortez beach parking lots

Modifications planned for Coquina, Cortez beach parking lots

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Manatee County.

BRADENTON BEACH – Manatee County has some modifications in mind for the Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and Bayside Park parking lots.

City and county officials discussed the plan recently when Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie, Police Chief John Cosby and Public Works Director Tom Woodard met with Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Deputy County Administrator Charlie Bishop, Public Works Director Chad Butzow and Parks and Natural Resources Grounds Operations Manager Carmine DeMilio.

DeMilio summed up those discussions in a video recap that Chappie shared with city commissioners during their Aug. 4 meeting.

In the video, DeMilio details the county’s plans to create an additional overflow parking area near the children’s playground at the southern end of the Coquina Beach parking lot. Those plans include the installation of a split rail fence and the planting of royal palm trees to separate the children’s play area and the overflow parking area.

DeMilio said county staff would manage the overflow parking area and open and close the gates as needed to provide additional beach parking. DeMilio said this modification requires a change work order to the phase 2 drainage and parking lot improvements already taking place in the center section of the beach parking lot. Additional fencing will be installed along the entrance road that runs parallel to Gulf Drive South.

Modifications planned for Coquina, Cortez beach parking lots
A median will be placed in the Bayside Park parking lot, south of the Coquina South boat ramp. – Manatee County | Submitted

DeMilio said the county also plans to install a median, with parking on both sides, in the unpaved parking lot at the south end of Coquina Bayside Park parking lot, near the Longboat Pass Bridge.

Cortez Beach

DeMilio said the county plans to eliminate automobile parking at the far north end of the Cortez Beach parking lot along Gulf Drive South, between Fourth and Fifth streets south. The county plans to limit that narrow strip of parking spaces to motorcycle and golf cart parking.

Modifications planned for Coquina, Cortez beach parking lots
The narrow stretch of parking spaces at the north end of the Cortez Beach parking lot will be limited to golf carts, motorcycles and other non-automobiles. – Manatee County | Submitted

To address the issue of tandem parking – cars parking in front of other vehicles – the county plans to install fencing and/or rope bollards that would reduce the depth of the automobile parking areas to 10-12 feet deep, which would only provide space for a single row of automobiles to be parked between the fence and Gulf Drive South.

Modifications planned for Coquina, Cortez beach parking lots
Fencing or bollards will be installed to reduce the depth of the Cortez Beach parking spaces in order to prevent tandem parking. – Manatee County | Submitted

DeMilio did not specify when the proposed changes would be made to the Coquina Beach, Bayside Park and Cortez Beach parking lots.

Tram path

After watching DeMilio’s video, Chappie commented on the proposed fencing in the Cortez Beach parking lot.

“The idea is to move it back so you cannot tandem park in that area. There’s a big safety concern – not only tandem, but three (vehicles) in a row,” Chappie said.

Chappie said vehicles parked two and three deep reduces access to the multi-use trail and reduces the drivable area between the parked cars and the bike lane along the western edge of Gulf Drive South. Chappie also said the city could create a tow-away zone there to further address tandem parking.

Commissioner Ralph Cole noted the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hopes to one day install along that same stretch of the Cortez Beach parking lot a dedicated path for the CRA-funded Old Town Tram parking shuttle service. Cole asked Chappie to make sure county staff takes that into consideration.

City Attorney Ricinda Perry reiterated the need for county staff to be aware of the desired tram path when planning the Cortez Beach parking lot modifications. She noted former City Engineer Lynn Burnett previously took several measurements in the Cortez Beach area as part of the initial tram path plans informally presented to and tentatively supported by the county commission. Perry suggested using temporary tape to lay out and conceptualize where the tram path might be located.

“I don’t want to lose that tram path,” she said.

Chappie said he would relay those concerns to county staff. The plans previously presented to the county commission include a tram path that extends to the Coquina North boat ramp parking lot and a proposed employee parking lot near the Manatee County Beach Patrol station. That parking lot would be reserved for those who work in and around the Bridge Street/downtown Bradenton Beach business district.

“Commissioner Van Ostenbridge is really enthusiastic about the whole project,” Chappie said.

Manatee County takes over Coquina Beach Market

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

BRADENTON BEACH – Manatee County officials have announced that the county tourism agency is taking over the Coquina Beach Market from longtime director Nancy Ambrose.

Manatee County Information Director Bill Logan sent an email to commissioners on Aug. 1 announcing the takeover, issuing a press release on Aug. 2 that the market would be “taking a break” until November.

“Artisans and other vendors will be back along the Coquina Beach South promenade, once again, when the 2022-23 season opens in November as oversight for the market shifts to Manatee County,” according to the press release.

“This is a county asset,” Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said in the release. “Bringing the market under the guidance and coordination of our Convention and Visitors Bureau will ensure it continues to engage some of our area’s premier artisans while allowing visitors outstanding buying opportunities.”

In a Facebook post on the Beach Market’s Facebook page, the organizer of the market for the past decade, Nancy Ambrose, expressed her disbelief.

Ambrose said that a letter from county purchasing official Jacob Erickson notified her that her franchise license agreement for use of the beach parking lot was terminated.

“I was completely shocked when I received the coldest termination without cause letter out of the blue yesterday,” Ambrose wrote. “I spent the day trying to figure it out and was so worried about the vendors. I contacted Jacob Erickson, the Purchasing Official that wrote the letter and he informed me he had no idea if the market would continue as he was just directed by the administration to write the termination letter.

“There was no thank you for your years of service, no good luck – just 30-day written notice of termination – that the agreement will terminate at 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31, 2022. In an email Dr. Hopes references me as the prior contractor,” Ambrose’s post continued.

When The Sun asked Logan for a reason on Aug. 5 for Ambrose’s termination he replied by email, “I do not have any further information on why the contract was terminated – only that it was.”

Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore responded to Logan’s announcement, emailing several county officials and others on Aug. 1.

“Don’t you think we have more pressing business than this?” she wrote, adding that Logan does not have the authority to “grow a department.”

“This does not draw tourism, it’s something local county and visitors of (the) island visit,” Whitmore wrote.

Ambrose said in a Facebook post that the county has never contributed funds to the beach market. Whitmore confirmed that no county funds have so far been contributed to the beach market with Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court Angel Colonneso by email.

Candidate opposes parking garage

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

While Holmes Beach commissioners seek to ban multi-level parking structures, apparently County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge seems to believe a three-story parking garage built at Manatee Beach will address beachgoers’ needs.

It will not.

City commissioners stated the reasons for the ban were the negative impact of an increase in beach vehicular traffic as well as implying that Manatee Beach is either currently at capacity, or close to it during peak days. It is. I did a beach ride-along with the chief on July 4. The umbrellas were nearly touching each other.

That’s with only 400 parking spaces.

Building a three-level parking facility at Manatee Beach would nearly triple the number of parking spaces and exceed the number of spaces at Coquina Beach.

In a stretch of beautiful beach, slightly less than a mile in length, Coquina has 15 individual changing stations, three separate restroom facilities and six lifeguard stations. Manatee Beach has one restroom facility, four changing stations and one lifeguard station – all centrally located.

To match the length of Coquina, Manatee Beach would extend from 30th Street to 48th Street, with the facilities in the middle.

If a parking garage is constructed, where do all these folks go? And how do they get there?

And avail themselves of what amenities?

Certainly, matching or exceeding Coquina parking capacity with a third or a quarter of available facilities seems like a bad way to treat visitors.

Also, non-residential Coquina Beach has its parking spaces stretched out – evenly spaced over the entire beach.

We don’t have that option, as our beach is mainly in residential neighborhoods.

Also, if a parking garage is built at Manatee Beach – where will the 400 beachgoer vehicles park during construction?

Where will beach workers park their dozen or so vehicles?

There will have to be some type of accommodation made for all these vehicles during construction.

Certainly, street parking for more than 400 additional vehicles is not a reasonable accommodation during the construction phase.

If the county wants to build a parking garage, the above issues have to be addressed. But by then, most likely our planned ban will prevent construction.

 

Dan Diggins

Holmes Beach Commission candidate