Bradenton Beach: Year in Review
PALM TREES
In a partnership between the City of Bradenton Beach and developer Shawn Kaleta, 80 coconut palm trees were planted along Bridge Street on April 23. At an April 3 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, the board approved the partnership in which Kaleta accepted responsibility for maintenance of the trees and indemnified the city against liability for damage caused by falling coconuts. The agreement was signed by Kaleta and Mayor John Chappie on May 28. Since the planting of the palm trees, at least five have fallen during storms and have been removed by the city.
PINES TRAILER PARK
Following water intrusion into the mobile homes at Pines Trailer Park from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, residents were told at an Oct. 17 city commission meeting that FEMA guidelines related to any hurricane-related water covering their floors deem the properties to have major damage. That damage assessment triggered a city floodplain ordinance requiring the mobile homes to be elevated in compliance with city code. In-person inspections by the city building official, however, determined that any storm damage repairs to 83 of the 86 the mobile homes would cost less than 50% of the pre-storm structure value, in compliance with the FEMA 50% rule. In early December, city Building Official Darin Cushing notified residents that they would be allowed to repair their structures with the proper permits. The city waived permit fees until April 30.
HURRICANE DAMAGE IN CORTEZ
Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with state and federal officials, including FEMA Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, visited Star Fish Co. in Cortez on Oct. 11 to discuss state-wide hurricane clean-up efforts and to survey local hurricane damage.
A community supply distribution hub for all Cortez residents was in place at the Sunny Shores Park clubhouse. The hub opened shortly after Hurricane Helene and ended in December.
Sunny Shores Trailer Park got electrical power restored in October with the help of Hydro One, a Canadian-based electricity transmission and distribution provider. Working as part of a Florida Power and Light Emergency Response Team, the crews made their way through piles of debris to install electrical equipment.
The 12th Annual Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival, scheduled for Nov. 9-10, was canceled due to the impacts of back-to-back hurricanes. The festival typically draws more than 5,000 attendees to Cortez and features live music, crafts and local seafood.
NET CAMP
Following a six-year legal battle between Raymond “Junior” Guthrie and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) over the existence of a net camp stilt structure in Sarasota Bay, the agency prevailed in May and Guthrie was ordered to dismantle and remove the building. FDEP claimed the net camp was built on state submerged lands and Guthrie countered that the structure he rebuilt in 2017 was replacing a historic structure that had been in his family for decades. Net camps were wooden shacks used by fishermen to hang fishing nets to dry. According to historic photos, there were dozens of net camps on the bay off Cortez. One net camp adjacent to Guthrie’s remained, but was destroyed in September by Hurricane Helene.
BRADENTON BEACH GOVERNMENT
CRA board member David Bell resigned from the board following the March 6 meeting. Bell, a CRA member for five years, wrote in his resignation letter that there has been too much focus on parking versus circulation, accessibility, safety, environmental issues and aesthetics.
Deborah Scaccianoce was sworn in on March 21 as Ward 1 commissioner. She filled the vacant seat left by former Commissioner Jake Spooner. Spooner resigned in December 2023 citing his opposition to the state’s financial disclosure requirement.
City commissioners voted on Sept. 5 to modify the makeup of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board from a seven-member to a five-member board. The five-member board will consist of commissioners and act as a governing body as opposed to the prior board makeup as a recommending body.
The Bradenton Beach City Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 19 in favor of naming Police Chief John Cosby permanent director of public works. Cosby had served in the role temporarily following the May departure of former Public Works Director Tom Woodard.
Bradenton Beach resident and retired engineer Scott Bear was sworn in as city commissioner for Ward 2 on Nov. 18. Bear, who ran unopposed, filled the seat formerly held by city commissioner Marilyn Maro.
SAND SIFTING
In a large-scale beach restoration project to replace sand pushed across Gulf Drive during back-to-back hurricanes, tons of beach-grade sand are being sifted, cleaned and returned to beaches at the Coquina Beach processing site. Construction-grade darker sand, such as is found in parking lots, is being transported to the eastern part of the county for future use in road building and infrastructure projects. Manatee County is operating the project and expects to be reimbursed by FEMA debris funds.
PAID PARKING LOTS
The Pines Trailer Park parking lot at 201 First St. N. was converted to a public paid parking lot on Dec. 5. The lot was used by approximately half of the 86 Pines homeowners at a cost of $750 per year and provided the only parking facility for them. Pines Park Investors LLC owns the parking lot and the mobile home park.
One of four paid parking lots owned by Shawn Kaleta was brought into compliance by the city’s 2019 deadline by adhering to several stipulations. The applicants chose to close the remaining three lots at 102 Third St. N., 206 Bay Drive N. and 207 Church Ave. All requirements for the paid parking lot at 101 Bridge St. were met.
HURRICANE CONDEMNATIONS
A 1930 Gulf Drive bungalow was demolished on Oct. 23 after storm surge from Hurricane Helene pushed the 739 square foot home to the end of 12th Street South before coming to a stop and sustaining significant damage along the way.
The City of Bradenton Beach released a list of 25 condemned properties due to hurricane damage. At a Dec. 4 city commission special emergency meeting, Public Works Director and Police Chief John Cosby told commissioners that the homeowners are responsible for the demolition and removal of the condemned buildings.
A condemnation notice on Gash Caudill’s Gulf Drive home was rescinded following an in-person inspection by City Building Official Darin Cushing.
SEA TURTLES, SHOREBIRDS
A nesting sea turtle wandered onto Gulf Drive on June 19 and was struck and killed by a vehicle. The turtle had nested in nearby sand dunes and was likely disoriented by streetlights illuminating a crosswalk, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella.
A least tern colony began nesting in Bradenton Beach the week of May 6. Their numbers grew to include 45 birds, with 20 of them sitting on eggs, along with five new hatchlings. Rainfall during the week of June 10 raised concerns about the colony’s survival. At that time many of the eggs had been incubating for more than 25 days and were expected to be close to hatching. Not only did the colony survive the storms, but throughout the weekend five chicks could be seen peering out from under their parents, according to Mazzarella.
Sea turtle nesting season came to an early end due to the remaining nests being washed out by Hurricane Helene. Anna Maria Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring’s largest fundraiser, Turtle Watch Wednesday, was canceled in 2024 due to hurricane damage on the Island.
HURRICANE RECOVERY
Bradenton Beach celebrated hurricane recovery and reopening of businesses on Dec. 7 with a Christmas on Bridge Street celebration. Following the storm surge from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, many parts of the city were covered with more than 4 feet of sand pushed up from local beaches. A concerted cleanup effort with FDOT and public works crews removing sand and debris from local roads allowed the celebration to take place.
