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Tag: Drift-In Bradenton Beach

Letter to the Editor: Drift-In owners appeal to governor for help

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

Gov. DeSantis,

My wife and I own a small business in the city of Bradenton Beach located on Historic Bridge Street on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County. As we headed into 2025, we hoped to celebrate the business’ 100th anniversary with our loyal patrons and visitors to the area. Unfortunately, the hurricanes last fall had a huge impact on our area. Our building sustained some minor damage and together with the city’s building department we set out to repair and reopen expeditiously.

The business, known as “The Drift” or Drift-In AMI LLC, is a local Island dive bar once owned by New York Yankee George Herman “Babe” Ruth. The property/building and parking lot (two parcels) are also owned by us separately, 1715 Ventures LLC. My in-laws owned the business since the late 1990s but due to each of their recent cancer treatments, my wife and I stepped in and purchased the property in 2021 and business in 2022.

With the direction of city officials, we began the process of cleanup and repair immediately. Daily we consulted with the city’s Building Official and Code Enforcement as the process for permitting was dislocated temporarily. We were directed to create a “narrative” and scope of work. Using resources immediately available, we created concept drawings to review with officials and acquired engineered drawings. Most importantly, we were given a permit and proceeded forward.

What has unfolded since that time stinks of government overreach, corruption, property right violations and the tarnish of my family’s good name. As natives of Bradenton, Florida and lovers of the ‘Old Island Charm’ that once was AMI, we are highly disgusted by the actions of local government. From last minute meetings, vague agendas, guarding of questionable easements not used in decades to special titles given to the city’s independent contractor workforce so that contractor can be paid “FEMA dollars;” the same contracted city worker who set up a Florida not-for-profit corporation with the largest developer on Anna Maria Island, and to that same person presenting biased information to commissioners that rule on the fate of our business. We are fed up, sadly disappointed and frustrated to the extent that I write this letter to you for IMMEDIATE ACTION.

Please help us, as we have over 15 employees looking to get back to work. It looks to the public, the local media and patrons that our officials are covering their tracks and hastily running over anyone in their path. We love our state, our community and our businesses. We are asking for justice and transparency.

Derek and Helena Williams

Bradenton Beach

 

Ed. note: The Drift reopening has been stalled by ongoing permitting issues with the city that will be addressed during two city meetings on Thursday, March 6.

Public speaks out in favor of Drift-In reopening

Public speaks out in favor of Drift-In reopening

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

BRADENTON BEACH – Despite approval for the tiki hut construction at the Drift-In by recently-terminated Building Official Darin Cushing, the city has put the project on hold and determined that a major development hearing is required for the structure.

That hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 6, first with the Planning and Zoning Board followed by a city commission meeting later that evening.

At a Feb. 6 city commission meeting, employees and owners of the Drift-In spoke in support of its reopening and some criticized the city’s process.

“I’m the owner of the Drift-In. I bought that business not for the money, but I didn’t buy it to develop it, I didn’t buy it to tear it down. I experienced what these people are saying, it’s a family,” Derek Williams said. “We’re closed right now, if I open in April, season is over. I went to your building official from day one and I followed every step from Steve Gilbert to Darin Cushing. He wasn’t the only one looking at my stuff – your city planner, your code enforcement, your experts came in my building every single day.

“There was a comment two meetings ago that you had a comment that you had spoken to my general contractor and your minutes say ‘a general contractor’,” Williams said. “I’m going to challenge you to listen to the audio. You’ve never spoken to my general contractor. I’m not a cheat, I’m not a scapegoat and I’m not going to sit back and be smeared like this and it’s affecting my whole life and my family.”

Williams said he’s not looking for litigation, but instead is looking for ways to work with federal (FEMA) rules that the city is obligated to follow to preserve its flood insurance rating.

“But I did what your people told me to do and now I’m sitting here and I am bleeding,” Williams said. “Every day that goes by it’s getting worse and worse. Give us a chance. I’ve reached out to the governor (See Letters to the Editor on page 6), I’ve talked to every legislator. I’ve talked to county commissioners, I’ve talked to senators, I’ve talked to city commissioners… I want to put a spotlight on Bradenton Beach and it’s time for us to fix this.”

Williams’ letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis reads in part: “We were given a permit and proceeded forward. What has unfolded since that time stinks of government overreach, corruption, property rights violations and the tarnish of my family’s good name.”

Doreen Flynn, manager of the Drift-In, read a letter she wrote to Mayor John Chappie.

“When I read The Sun, I was so disillusioned to read that everyone thought the city was trying to help get the businesses back open. To have this city back to what it was before hurricane.”

She said the Drift-In employees have been struggling to survive since September’s Hurricane Helene, which flooded most of Bradenton Beach.

“The employees of the Drift-In are struggling to pay their bills. They have rent, they have kids, they have car payments, they have mortgages. They have maxed out their credit cards and can’t pay them,” Flynn said. “You cannot live on $275 a week unemployment.”

She said not only employees are impacted by the closure, but also musicians, beer and liquor salespeople, truck drivers and cleaning people.

“It’s very sad that you can’t depend on the city to help us, but I’m asking you to please help us get back open asap,” Flynn said.

“It is a sad situation what we’re going through,” Chappie said.

PUBLIC SUPPORTS DRIFT-IN

Mike McConnell, a musician who plays at the Drift-in, called the bar a special place that is a destination for a lot of people.

“I expect our government should help people. Let’s get their doors open quickly,” Gina Mariani said. “When hurricanes hit, I thought your job was to help alleviate the red tape and help our businesses open as quickly as possible. It seemed like the person that was hired by you was doing just that. Then it seems like he was overridden by you through no fault of the Drift-In. Please stop scrutinizing the little guy while letting others on this Island get away with anything they want. We had a catastrophic event and instead of trying to bend a little you seem to throw roadblocks in,” Mariani said.

Kelly Flynn said the entire community is affected by the Drift-In being closed.

“I’ve worked for the Drift for over a decade,” Heather McNeal said. “They do nothing but amazing things for the community. It’s very important that we get the doors open, for a small business to lose money daily this time of year, it’s not good at all. I know you’re going to do the right thing.”

“How do we get them back in business?” Commissioner Ralph Cole asked following public comment.

“The meeting has been set with Planning and Zoning and once that goes through, it will come to the city commission,” Mayor John Chappie said. “We have to follow our procedures, we have no choice. We have to follow the guidelines from FEMA.”

Major development hearing required for Drift-In tiki

Major development hearing required for Drift-In tiki

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

BRADENTON BEACH – The construction of the tiki hut at the Drift-In is on hold pending further review by the city.

City Attorney Ricinda Perry said at a Jan. 16 city commission meeting that a permit approved by Building Official Darin Cushing for the construction should not have been issued based on factors which included the city-owned easements on the property as well as the size of the new tiki structure. She said the project should be classified as a major development and must undergo the hearing process.

“This was administratively approved, and it should have gone through a public hearing,” Perry said. “Legally I believe it should have been a major development.”

The discussion was a continuation of a discussion at a Dec. 19 city commission meeting, and at that meeting Perry said: “If there’s was a modification to the size of the structure that exceeded 10%, that becomes a major development approval, and a major development approval needs to go through a P&Z review and a city commission approval.”

“There was an increase in the size,” Perry said. “Under the old application it was 13 by 15 feet and the current one is 54 by 24, that’s a 450% increase. That increase triggered a major development.”

She questioned whether that would change the classification of the tiki area from an accessory use to a principal use.

Perry said the property owner was informed recently that the city required a major development application.

“I reminded the property owner two weeks ago before starting to pour concrete floors and doing the work I made the legal statement anything you do going forward from this meeting is at your own risk,” she said.

Perry said if someone voluntarily tears down a structure, it comes with the unintended consequences of setting a precedent.

“I know two property owners on the street are asking to have their easement modified,” Perry said. “My concern is when we start saying OK, we’ll let you modify this easement when you voluntarily rip this out, what does that mean for the other easements?”

The attorney for Drift-In owner Derek Williams may be asking the city for modification of the existing easements, one of which goes through the building.

“Derek’s attorney (Scott Rudacille) is supposed to get us some data that we need coming in to review a month or so,” Perry told the commission. “I have asked Scott Rudacille to provide us with the revised easement they want to consider. As this is coming to you for your review in a month or so, you have a responsibility to protect that easement. You can modify it however you want to modify it.”

Perry said she is not in favor of relinquishing the easements.

“When you have an easement and someone is infringing on it, I don’t care that there’s a mistake that comes out of the building department,” Perry said. “You’re interfering with the public right which trumps your building department permit.”

Another issue with the tiki structure is its material, according to Perry.

“There was a directive (at the Dec. 19 meeting) to make sure that public works, the Police Department and West Manatee Fire District were aware of what this application was and had an ability to comment on this.”

Perry said she was told by the fire marshal during a meeting that the West Manatee Fire District does not allow for a thatched roof and it must be replaced with synthetic materials.

“Derek stated at the meeting, ‘I spent $80,000 now you’re telling me I have to rip it off? Who’s going to pay for it?’ Good question,” Perry said. “In my opinion, this all could have been avoided if WMFD knew what the application was. It does come at a cost after the fact to the property owner.”

Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski placed a red tag on the tiki hut pending further review, Perry said.

“Once the fire marshal is satisfied, he’ll lift the red tags,” Cushing said.

“I followed it to a ‘t’ and now it’s all come crashing down on me,” Williams said. “I would say go back to that permit that was approved.”

Mayor John Chappie said there should have been two separate permits.

“Is he doing improvements inside?” Commissioner Scott Bear asked. “Can he open inside while we resolve outside?”

“If you let them proceed and operate, you are helping them identify business damages they could lose and we would have exposure,” Perry said.

Chappie said he would be hesitant in allowing the business to open before the major development process is complete.

“I’m working to resolve this. I want to go through this the right way and I did,” Williams said. “I just want to open the business and get back on track.”

Williams asked how the process could be expedited.

“A major development application goes through the P&Z meeting in February and goes to the commission the end of February, beginning of March,” Perry said. “For changes in the land development code, a 30-day public notice is mandated.”