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Holmes Beach: Year in Review

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

TREEHOUSE COMES DOWN

Holmes Beach: Year in ReviewAfter more than a decade in court, Holmes Beach treehouse owners Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen waived the white flag in July, removing their beloved treehouse from the beach side of Angelinos Sea Lodge. The treehouse was built in 2011 without permits and became the subject of several court cases, ultimately leading to a judicial order to remove the structure. Fans said goodbye to the treehouse over the July 4 holiday. Demolition was completed on Aug. 30.

ELECTION PRODUCES TIGHT RACE

Holmes Beach: Year in Review
Titsworth
Holmes Beach: Year in Review
Roth

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth has two more years in office, winning by a thin margin over political newcomer Mike Roth. Titsworth took home the win by 41 votes. Joining Titsworth on the Holmes Beach dais are re-elected Commissioner Dan Diggins and returning Commissioner Carol Whitmore.

RESIDENTS FIGHT CONSOLIDATION, PARKING GARAGE

Plans by former Manatee County commissioners to build a three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach and consolidate the three Anna Maria Island cities were thwarted by voters. Residents, business owners and visitors all came together to fight against both measures, holding a rally in Holmes Beach in May and a Hands Across the Sand event in April.Holmes Beach: Year in Review

PARKING GARAGE PLANS STRUCK DOWN

While Manatee County officials still have permission in the form of a bill approved by the Florida Legislature to build a three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach, those plans are currently on an indefinite hiatus. Voters fought against the parking garage, a project of former county commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, at the polls on Nov. 4. Van Ostenbridge was ousted as the District 3 commissioner and new Commissioner Tal Siddique has pledged to abandon the project.

OPPAGA STUDY RESULTS PENDING

The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability study by the state concluded in 2024, but the results have not yet been released. Ordered in 2023 by members of the Manatee County state legislative delegation, the study looked at possible alternatives to having three city governments on Anna Maria Island, including consolidation of the three cities into one and annexation into unincorporated Manatee County or the city of Bradenton. The study was met with much criticism by the public. Holmes Beach Commissioner Terry Schaefer says he plans to review the results of the study with Rep. Will Robinson Jr. in the new year.

MILLAGE RATE LOWERED, TAXES UP

Holmes Beach commissioners voted to lower the millage rate from 2.05 to 1.99 mills, a 2.5% reduction for taxpayers. Despite the lowered millage rate, property taxes still went up by 7.63% for owners due to an increase in property values as assessed by the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office.

HURRICANE DEBRIS REMOVAL QUESTIONED

Holmes Beach: Year in ReviewAfter hurricanes blew through the area in September and October, many residents questioned how well the city was handling debris removal along city streets. Hurricane Helene flooded the Island, leaving mountains of sand behind and Hurricane Milton downed trees and fences and caused widespread wind damage, leaving hundreds of tons of debris in its wake. Debris removal has been completed on the Island.

HURRICANE HELENE FLOODS ISLAND

Hurricane Helene swept past Anna Maria Island in the Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 26, but that doesn’t mean the Island was spared from the storm’s wrath. Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that at one point during the storm, his officers measured 2 feet of water standing in the center of Gulf Drive near city hall. The storm caused major flooding and displaced tons of sand from Island beaches.

HURRICANE MILTON CAUSES WIDESPREAD DAMAGE

Anna Maria Island was evacuated for a second time in 2024 when Hurricane Milton approached, making landfall near Siesta Key overnight on Oct. 9. While Hurricane Helene brought the water, Milton brought the wind, downing trees and power lines and causing widespread damage. Milton hit just two weeks after Helene impacted the area. While debris removal has been completed, recovery efforts are still ongoing.

CITY ENACTS VACATION RENTAL MORATORIUM

After a second major hurricane swept through the area in as many weeks, Holmes Beach city leaders voted to enact a vacation rental moratorium in an effort to keep tourists away while recovery efforts were in their early days. Rental agents and owners opposed the moratorium, which initially banned vacation rentals in the city for 45 days. Commissioners revisited the moratorium in 30 days and opted to end it two weeks early.

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWO HOLMES BEACH BUSINESSES

Holmes Beach: Year in ReviewA thunderstorm on Aug. 22 resulted in a two-alarm fire when lightning struck the Holmes Beach Business Center, damaging two local businesses. The lightning strike hit the roof of the west side of the complex, damaging West Coast Air Conditioning and Heating and Fun and More Rentals. Firefighters from West Manatee Fire Rescue and three other local districts quickly extinguished the fire. No one was injured but the building sustained major damage.

WATER TAXI STOP DISCUSSED

Manatee County and Holmes Beach leaders argued over the potential for a water taxi stop in the Island’s biggest city over the summer. In July and August, county officials made it clear that they want a stop for the Gulf Islands Ferry service in Holmes Beach, preferably somewhere near city center. Holmes Beach city leaders were divided on the idea with some favoring a stop at Kingfish Boat Ramp. Discussions were derailed by the arrival of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

BEACH PARKING BY THE NUMBERS

Public parking for beach access was a hot topic of conversation early in 2024 with Manatee County commissioners vowing to build a three-story paid parking garage at Manatee Beach to create more spaces. City leaders contended that there are more than enough parking spaces available in Holmes Beach for the number of people who can comfortably be accommodated on the beach.

County halts beach parking garage plans

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

MANATEE COUNTY – Commissioner George Kruse received unanimous support from his fellow commissioners on Aug. 27 to cease spending funding on pursuing three parking garages, including one planned for Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.

Previously, the county initiative, led by Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, sought the approval of state legislators on a bill to allow a three-story parking garage to be constructed on the site despite the city’s regulations against multi-level parking structures and the Holmes Beach land development code’s prohibition of multi-story parking garages.

County commissioners had dedicated more than $1 million for design services for the Manatee Beach garage earlier in the year. After the Aug. 20 primary election, which saw Van Ostenbridge, the largest supporter of the garage, being defeated by Kruse for an at-large seat on the dais, Kruse said he thought it was time to revisit the issue and placed it on the Aug. 27 commission agenda, saying that his motivation was to save taxpayer money.

Van Ostenbridge made the motion to indefinitely table the parking garage conversation with no further money to be spent at this time on garage plans in Holmes Beach, Bradenton and Palmetto. The motion received full support from the board of commissioners.

Police chief says beach parking plentiful in Holmes Beach

Police chief says beach parking plentiful in Holmes Beach

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Spring break is in full swing on Anna Maria Island but despite long traffic delays, the Island’s biggest city still has plenty of parking for beachgoers, according to officials.

During a March 12 commission meeting, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said he’d been out every day during spring break to check parking in Holmes Beach. Despite beautiful weather and traffic delays, he said there were hundreds of spots available to beachgoers throughout the city in marked spaces within a quarter mile of beach access points.

He said he’d seen entire blocks of open spaces that were properly marked. Due to the number of open spaces, he said he’d stopped counting the openings when he reached in the hundreds each time he was doing inventory.

In addition to the open parking spaces within the quarter block area, more unmarked parking spaces slightly further from the beach were also available.

Tokajer said that over the previous week and two weekends since spring break started, Holmes Beach has seen an average of 36,000 cars coming into the city each day.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said that the open parking spaces are being recorded with time and date-stamped photographs for future meetings with state legislators. She said the problem isn’t a lack of parking, it’s that people aren’t in favor of waiting in line for up to three hours to travel down Manatee Avenue from Bradenton to the Island.

City leaders are working diligently to make sure that available parking spaces in the city are improved and marked as well as indicated on the city’s public parking map. The accounting of parking spaces is at least partially due to an ongoing issue among the city, Manatee County commissioners and members of the Manatee County state legislative delegation concerning the availability of beach parking in the city.

County commissioners say that there isn’t enough parking in the city after some residential areas were turned into permit parking-only areas during the day following complaints from residents about vandalism, trespassing and other issues with beachgoers parking in front of their homes and then damaging property, using private pools and hoses, leaving trash and causing other problems. State leaders made the decision to skip city permitting and land development code regulations during the 2023 state legislative session by passing a bill allowing the county to construct a three-story parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach. Though some county commissioners have been very vocal about wanting to build the garage as soon as possible, no funding for that project has been secured.

City leaders and residents continue to oppose the parking garage. If constructed, the garage would eliminate the current parking at Manatee Beach during construction, cause the demolition of the current concession, retail and restroom facilities and cost taxpayers more than an estimated $50 million to construct with an estimated $200,000 in annual maintenance once completed. County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who champions the parking garage, said that the money for maintenance and construction would be recouped by charging an hourly rate for parking.

Paid parking is also not an allowable use in Holmes Beach. City leaders said if a garage is constructed and paid parking initiated there by the county it would mean that other parking, including street side and at beach access points, would also become paid parking spaces.

Parking at Manatee Beach, at beach access points and along the side of the road where allowable in Holmes Beach is currently free.

Beach parking garage fight continues

Beach parking garage fight continues

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – In the aftermath of a Manatee County Commission work session discussing the building of a parking garage at Manatee Beach, city and county officials continue to make their thoughts known on the hotly debated project.

During the Aug. 14 work session, county Commissioner Jason Bearden said that the beach parking garage should be “the top priority for the county.” This would rank the proposed three-story parking structure at the county-owned beach in Holmes

Beach, with an estimated 900 parking spaces at a cost of $30-50 million, higher than parking garages at the downtown Bradenton county administration building, among others.

Manatee County commissioners stated the garage would provide beach access for everyone in the county, which has almost half a million residents. Anna Maria Island is a 7-mile-long barrier island that is 1 mile wide at the widest point. According to Holmes Beach police, who patrol the Manatee Beach parking lot, the lot has more than 400 parking spaces with hundreds more located within a quarter mile of the public beach access, the only one in the city with restroom, shower and concession facilities.

The current downtown garage has an estimated lifespan of less than two years due to structural issues. A presentation on the plans for that garage estimates that it will cost about $100 million to construct and, once complete, would potentially have two stories of office space for county staff and parking for both the administration building and the downtown business and entertainment district at large.

Bearden’s comments were echoed by Commissioners James Satcher and Kevin Van Ostenbridge.

Commissioner George Kruse stated that while he’s not in opposition to putting a garage at the site, he doesn’t feel that it’s the project that’s most needed in the county right now. He was the sole member of the county commission who opted not to move the project forward into the design phase at this time.

After the meeting, Kruse released a statement reiterating his position on the proposed beach parking garage. He said that while the county has heard many reasons from residents why the garage should not be built, personally, he has two reasons why the project should slow down, not speed up. The first reason, Kruse said, is the cost of the parking garage versus other needs in the county that could better serve a larger number of people. Some of his examples include failing infrastructure across the county, the planned Fort Hamer Bridge, which he said would help more than 21,000 people a day in their commutes and cost approximately $60 million, and the planned downtown parking garage, all of which are currently awaiting funding.

Kruse went on to say that these projects could better enhance the quality of life for more county residents than a few hundred parking spaces at the beach.

During the county presentation, staff said there are approximately 300 surface parking spaces at the county beach available. If the garage is built, it will remove those spaces, along with the concession stand, retail stores, restrooms, bar and showers, for a minimum of 18-24 months. The new facilities would be incorporated into the bottom level of the garage, providing about 900 parking spaces on the property for beachgoers.

While the county presentation listed Manatee Beach as having about 300 parking spaces, Holmes Beach officials state that the existing parking area has 406 spaces. When first proposed, Van Ostenbridge said the beach garage would have 1,500 or more parking spaces. County staff said it would have a maximum of 900 spaces, increasing parking at the public beach by 496 spaces according to the city or 600 according to the county.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, whose officers patrol the beach property, also issued a statement following the county work session. In his statement, Tokajer said that even during heavy beach days, such as over spring break, there were regularly 100-300 parking spaces available in the city for beachgoers that went unused. He also noted that if the garage is approved, lanes need to be installed along the sand for first responders and law enforcement personnel to be able to respond to an emergency situation.

“Approving this garage will truly put you on the wrong side of history,” he said. “You will be ruining the character of the Island, the experience that past guests have had and future guests expect. Destroying a beautiful landmark with open space, a natural environment filled with trees and nature, replacing this historic site with a massive concrete public safety nightmare.”

In addition to concerns about being able to access beachgoers in an emergency, Tokajer has also expressed concerns about patrolling the garage structure itself and traffic and safety concerns due to the congestion caused by a larger number of people trying to get in and out of the garage at the same time.

County moves forward with beach garage design

County moves forward with beach garage design

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

MANATEE COUNTY – Parking garage plans for Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach are moving forward despite pushback from Anna Maria Island residents and one commissioner.

During an Aug. 14 work session, county commissioners discussed four potential parking garages, one of which is the proposed parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach that was approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year. When initially discussed, Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge proposed a three-story 1,500 parking space garage costing an estimated $45 million. The garage proposal presented to county commissioners during the work session is expected to cost $30-35 million to build and have about 900 parking spaces. While the actual look of the garage is not yet decided upon, the garage is planned to cover the entirety of the existing beach parking area, including the concession, retail and restroom areas. The new parking garage would include concession, retail, restroom and other facilities.

Commissioner George Kruse said he’s concerned about the cost of the four proposed parking facilities. He said that three of the garages are “niceties,” but the proposed downtown Bradenton replacement garage is the only one that is actually needed. The current garage has structural issues and must be replaced for safety reasons. Out of the four proposed garages, the downtown garage is estimated to cost the most at around $100 million.

Kruse said that rather than serving the public interest, he feels the Manatee Beach parking garage is being considered strictly to support a narrative constructed around a lack of beach parking. Having toured the city’s available parking, he said he feels that the 600 additional spaces the garage would provide over and above the current 300 in the parking lot are unnecessary and that the construction of the garage, planned to take anywhere from 18-24 months, could cause significantly more damage to the area than it helps, reducing facilities and beach access over two high tourism seasons. He also noted that the garage is currently an unfunded expense for the county.

Kruse’s comments received a round of applause from members of the public in the commission chambers. However, Van Ostenbridge said he feels that the rest of the board doesn’t share Kruse’s concerns.

Commissioner James Satcher said that if he could just choose one parking garage on the list of proposals, he’d pick the Manatee Beach parking garage. “People are clamoring to get to the beach. This is the right thing to do,” he said. “This should definitely be number one on our list.”

PUBLIC OPINION

During public comment, several people spoke against the parking garage, including Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, former Holmes Beach mayor and former county commissioner Carol Whitmore, city attorney Erica Augello and Titsworth.

“We do have adequate parking and I want to show you so bad,” Titsworth said to the county commission. “Please, before you act, take me up on my offer. Come take the tour and see our available parking.” She did note that Bearden agreed to come visit the city in the next week.

Some of the issues with parking in residential neighborhoods that Titsworth noted include lack of bathrooms, resulting in people defecating in sea oats, and lack of lifeguards down the entire length of the beach.

Resident Bruce Meyer also spoke and said he feels that he’s being “punished” and is not represented by the county commission. He said that 600 spaces wouldn’t make a difference with the amount of people who want to come the county beaches.

Augello noted that the proposed revenue stream for parking garage, paid parking, is not an allowable use in Holmes Beach and would not be allowed. If pursued, she said it could potentially end in litigation.

Owner of the Bamboo Beach Apartments, Alice Sutton, invited the county commissioners to come for a free weekend stay on a day of their choice and help her pick up used diapers, condoms and other debris from the sea oats and beach, help direct parking and explain to naked people why they can’t change in the complex’s laundry room.

Holmes Beach Commissioner Carol Soustek said that the issue isn’t availability of parking, it’s not addressing the issues with traffic and not addressing multi-modal transportation. She noted that the city commission is responding to the concerns raised by the residents they’re elected to represent to reduce on-street beach parking in residential neighborhoods. She said the city is not limiting access to the beach.

“We want to accommodate everyone we can,” she said. “We just can’t accommodate all of the cars.” Soustek encouraged county commissioners to look at some of the studies that have been done concerning traffic and congestion for additional solutions to issues with beach access, such as multi-modal transportation.

Holmes Beach Commissioner Greg Kerchner addressed Bearden’s comments about planning for the future of the county with the potential for residential growth of 100,000 people over the coming years. He said that if the county wants to plan for the future, leaders need to look at more sustainable options than 600 beach parking spaces.

Closing out the meeting, both Kruse and Bearden spoke again with Kruse reiterating his earlier concerns that there are more pressing infrastructure issues in the county, such as the $60 million Fort Hamer Bridge project and the downtown Bradenton parking garage, that need to be addressed before a mere 600 parking spaces at Manatee Beach that will tie up facilities and parking for years is considered. Bearden said that he believes the 600 spaces will make a huge difference to people who live on the east side of the county who are waiting in traffic to get to the beach.

City leaders continue to fight parking garage

City leaders continue to fight parking garage

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Gov. Ron DeSantis may have signed off on a beachfront parking garage, but that doesn’t mean that city leaders are giving up the fight to stop the garage from being built just yet.

“We’re committed to fighting this thing. We’re not going to stop until there are shovels in the ground,” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said, with his fellow commissioners echoing the statement.

The garage that commissioners are vowing to fight is planned as a three-story parking structure with 1,500 or more spaces at Manatee Beach. While parking garages are not an allowable land use in any of the three Anna Maria Island cities, they are allowed in Holmes Beach by special exception. Feeling that city officials would never approve the garage, Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said he opted to circumvent the special exception process in Holmes Beach by encouraging state Rep. Will Robinson to introduce HB 947, a bill to allow for the garage to be built without requiring any input or approvals from the city. Despite public outcry against the bill, it received unanimous support from the local state delegation, the Florida House and Senate, and, ultimately, from the governor.

The garage is estimated to cost $45 million to build, $400,000 a year to maintain and take at least two years to build, during which facilities and parking at Manatee Beach would be unavailable. The existing concession building with a retail store, restrooms and the Anna Maria Island Beach Café would be torn down to make way for the parking garage. Once built, the garage is expected to house new restroom and concession facilities.

City Attorney Erica Augello said that the legal battle is now underway to try and stop the garage from being built. While she said she’s just beginning to work on the city’s legal defense against the parking structure, she said she’s aware that at least two groups of residents and other interested parties have sprung up locally to fight against the garage. Augello said that if either or both groups decide to retain an attorney to pursue legal action she would like the attorneys to contact her to coordinate legal efforts.

Letter to the Editor: DeSantis should veto HB 947

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

There is a smarter, less costly approach to increase parking capacity in Holmes Beach.

Anna Maria Island (AMI) is a treasure. We must protect it from the current misguided construction plan of a four-story, $45M garage at Holmes Beach. This project will create a bottleneck at the T intersection of Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive, creating traffic delays of two hours or more at peak times. Queueing models prove that congestion on the island will become explosively worse than it already is.

More visitors are welcome on AMI, as they bring additional business to the restaurants and shopping outlets. But there are smarter, more cost-effective alternatives than building a massive garage at a choke point.

An alternative is to distribute the traffic load across multiple points. For example, Manatee County can contract with numerous parking lots off-island, including east on Manatee Avenue, to use their idle spaces. And shuttles can carry beachgoers to and from Holmes Beach. This is a smarter approach that is less costly, reduces current traffic congestion on the island, and mitigates the problems that will be otherwise imposed by the original misguided design. It also better serves the economic interests of the area.

 

Allan Levy

Perico Island

Easter Sunrise Service

Parking garage threatens religious service’s future

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – A much-loved, historic Easter service may be in jeopardy if a multi-story parking garage is erected at Manatee Beach.

Thousands of people gather on the sand every year for the non-denominational Easter Sunrise Service hosted by the Anna Maria Island Kiwanis Club. Residents and visitors from all over the world gather for the service before the sun comes up, celebrating together as the sun rises in the east over the top of the single-story concession stand.

Manatee County commissioners have a plan to replace that building with a three-story parking garage with additional parking on the roof. The bill awaits a decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis. If approved, the county could build the garage despite prohibitions in city ordinances and the land development code. County commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge estimates the 1,500-plus parking space garage will cost $45 million to build over at least two years.

The garage would change the venue where the sunrise service has been held for 58 years, rising at least 36 feet over the beach, casting a shadow on the sand in the morning, and blocking the view of the sunrise during the religious service.

Sandy Haas-Martens, secretary of the Kiwanis club, said that the group is on its summer meeting schedule and have not discussed the future of the service if DeSantis signs off on the parking garage, but she anticipates it will be a topic at a future meeting.

Speaking on behalf of St. Bernard Catholic Church, one of the Island churches that participates in the annual service, Haas-Martens said the Easter sunrise service is something that brings the Island community together, both locals and visitors, and is something each church’s leaders enjoy participating in. The 2023 service was the first time the event was live streamed for online viewers.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who handles security and traffic for the service, said he hopes the service will be able to continue.

“I’m still hoping the county commission comes to their senses and realizes the garage is a bad idea,” he said, noting that the city still had plenty of available parking spaces even over the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend.

If the garage is built, he said trying to get traffic in and out of the planned three-story space would be extremely difficult, especially if a large number of people try to leave at once, which often happens at the beach during a rainstorm, and at the end of the service.

“How are you going to get out when everyone is in line for the exit?” he said.

Representatives from other participating churches, Roser Memorial Community Church, Harvey Memorial Church, The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church could not be reached for comment by press time for The Sun.

Manatee Beach parking garage

Parking garage bill arrives on governor’s desk

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders and residents are making last-minute attempts to get the attention of Gov. Ron DeSantis before he makes a decision on the future of a bill allowing a multi-level parking garage to be built at Manatee Beach contrary to city regulations.

After passing both the Florida House and Senate with unanimous votes of the members in attendance, the bill stalled for over a month before being presented to the governor for consideration. As of press time for The Sun, DeSantis had not signed or vetoed the bill.

The bill, HB 947, was presented to state legislators by Rep. Will Robinson Jr. during the Florida legislative session that ended in May. The bill came at the request of Manatee County commissioners, primarily commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge, to build a three-story parking garage with parking on the roof at Manatee Beach. If built, Van Ostenbridge said the garage is planned to span the entirety of the county’s buildable land at the public beach and be able to house 1,500-1,700 vehicles with paid parking estimated at $2 per hour. To accommodate the garage, all of the existing facilities at the beach, including the concession stand, restrooms and retail, would be removed, along with trees at the property. The concession, restroom and retail facilities would be rebuilt as a part of the new garage. Construction on the project is estimated to cost $45 million and take at least two years to complete during which parking and facilities at the beach would be unavailable to the public.

Currently, there are more than 400 free parking spaces available to the public at Manatee Beach with hundreds more available in auxiliary on-street parking and at beach access points throughout the city.

Now that the bill has been officially presented to DeSantis, the governor has three options – sign it, veto it or ignore it. If he signs the bill, it becomes law upon gaining his signature. If he ignores it, the bill becomes law automatically on July 1. If he vetoes it, the bill goes back to the House and Senate for reconsideration during the next regular legislative session. If the bill passes both chambers with a three-quarters majority vote, it overrides the governor’s veto and the bill becomes law.

With the bill now up for consideration, concerned local residents, stakeholders and city leaders are appealing to DeSantis to veto the parking garage.

An effort among residents, called Paradise Lost, has sprung up to help bring awareness and mathematically-based reason to the parking garage discussion, led by Allan Levy of Perico Island. Levy, a professional analyst, studied the proposed project and says the construction of the garage would be catastrophic for traffic, causing backups to leave the beach of two hours or more during peak times. He also said that during these backups, traffic in and out of the garage would create a solid wall of vehicles that would be difficult to impossible for first responders, including fire trucks and ambulances to navigate through.

For more information on the effort, visit the group’s website.

There are also two petitions in circulation speaking out against the garage. One on Change.org had garnered over 6,300 signatures at press time for The Sun. Another petition on Manatee Citizens Taking Action has gained more than 2,800 signatures.

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth also continues to speak out against the garage, taking to social media on June 15 to post a video directed to DeSantis asking him to veto the garage.

“This is an attack on home rule and a huge governmental overreach,” she said, adding that it would also potentially be the largest garage in the region. Titsworth also noted that the increase in traffic caused by the parking garage would be “a nightmare for first responders.”

During a June 13 meeting, she said that she walked the beach over the Memorial Day weekend, noting the crowds already gathered on the sand without adding another 1,000 parking spaces.

“It’s already umbrella-to-umbrella and shoulder-to-shoulder out there,” she said, adding that she’s not sure where on the sand the additional people would go to enjoy the beach.

Levy argues that congestion and beach capacity studies need to be done before a garage could be built. If the governor approves the bill, he said that he and others would be watching county leaders very closely to make sure that all required studies are completed before any permits are issued.

Holmes Beach residents organize to fight garage

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – A new effort is rising to fight against a Manatee County and state-led effort to build a parking garage at Manatee Beach.

The effort is being led by a group of concerned city and county residents who hope to convince state legislators to abandon House Bill 947, the local bill backed by Rep. Will Robinson Jr. to circumvent the city’s building regulations and land development code to allow a 1,500-plus space parking garage to be built at the county-owned property located in Holmes Beach. The bill passed votes in both the Florida House and Senate without opposition.

As of press time for The Sun it had not been presented to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration. Legislators have until June 30 to present the bill. If the bill doesn’t get presented, it dies along with Manatee County commissioners’ immediate plans for the garage. If it is presented and DeSantis signs or ignores it, the bill becomes law upon signing or on July 1, whichever happens first. If he vetoes it, the bill goes back to the House for consideration during the next regular session.

The first part of the effort, spearheaded by Performance Analysis Expert Allan Levy along with a group of residents, is to sign petitions speaking out against the garage and to write DeSantis encouraging him to veto the bill if it comes to him for consideration.

If the bill becomes law, the second part of the effort is to focus on engaging Manatee County commissioners, who eventually would have to approve a budget, construction plans, building permits and a contractor for the project.

Another part, Levy said, is to make sure that all of the studies required for parking garage development are done in accordance with the law. Of particular note is a traffic congestion study which is required for any parking garage construction in Manatee County.

After observing the congestion created in Holmes Beach near Manatee Beach without the assistance of a large, three-story plus roof parking garage, Levy said his professional experience tells him that the structure would greatly increase congestion for beachgoers, not relieve it.

In fact, he said he believes his analysis will show the parking garage would create a condensed wall of traffic that would impede emergency personnel when responding to an emergency situation.

If emergency personnel couldn’t get to the site of an accident, fire, medical emergency or to medical care inland, Levy fears it could lead to dramatic increases in deaths.

He also believes the backup of traffic from the parking garage could cause driver delays of two hours or more to get back to the mainland.

Before retiring to the Anna Maria Island area, Levy used his skills for 30 years working with Fortune 50 companies to help them make sound, rational decisions. He’s using those same skills to analyze the problem of the parking garage to see what impact it will have on the area.

The group is hoping to join forces with Holmes Beach city leaders to fight against the parking garage, though no plans have been confirmed at press time for The Sun.

To sign one of the two petitions against the parking garage or learn more about the Paradise Lost effort, visit https://paradise-lost-109036.weebly.com/.

Letter to the Editor: Parking solutions complex

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

I am a fan of simple. I think we overanalyze many things. However, there are some things that call for higher-level thinking. The dilemma of transporting more people to AMI beaches is one of them.

The current knee-jerk parking garage solution from state and county leaders is decades old, tired and simple. It is “Boy howdy, let’s just pour us some more concrete.” It is wrong on so many levels.

There is a lesson here for the electorate. There are going to be other ongoing complex issues that call for creative and innovative thinking. The solutions to these issues will impact us all.  We would be wise to elect future leaders who understand the whole picture, are forward-thinking and comprehend multiplex relationships. After all, they do have our fate in their hands.

 

Deb Sneddon

Holmes Beach

Manatee Beach: End of an era?

Manatee Beach: End of an era?

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Florida House Bill 947 has just one more stoplight to pass before it becomes law, being signed into law – or not – by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

If the bill is signed, Manatee County has the green light to build a three-story, 1500-plus space parking garage spanning the width and breadth of the county-owned parking lot at Manatee Beach. All existing facilities at the beach, including the concession stand, retail and restrooms, would be demolished, with new facilities located in the parking garage.

Some locals and visitors are not happy about what would be the end of an era on Anna Maria Island.

The concession building has been at the public beach for decades, with the roof once functioning as a community dance floor. And while some people don’t mind the potential changes, others don’t want to see the current parking area and concession building demolished.

Manatee Beach: End of an era?
Carolyn Brown shares a vintage postcard photo of the concession building at Manatee Beach along with a plea for lawmakers, “Please don’t destroy this gem.” – Submitted | Carolyn Brown

The place is important to former Holmes Beach mayor, former county commissioner and long-time Holmes Beach resident Carol Whitmore.

“I have fond memories of the concession area since 1969,” she said. “That was the beach of choice for the islanders to gather. I used to go in the cold months and lay where the patio is currently behind the wall so I was protected from the cold weather. When they had steps leading to the rest, but it was cut off, my daughter and I used to sit at the top being protected by the cold weather to get sun. At one point I lived on top of West Coast Surf Shop with my daughter and I will never forget the public beach and the concession stand area.”

“I have a lot of memories of the public beach,” Holmes Beach resident and charter fishing Capt. Scott Moore said. “Years ago, we actually used to be able to dance on top of the concession building. There were stairs going up to the top and you could see all over and see the sunsets. My biggest memories are of the fishing pier that was in front of the public beach. We miss that. It also made for great surfing. A lot of people would like to have it back so they could fish off it. I know people don’t like changes, but I don’t care about the parking garage. Give my pier back.”

The owners of the West Coast Surf Shop, Florida’s oldest surf shop at the edge of the parking lot where the proposed parking garage would be built, are not happy about the prospect of a three-story structure at the beach.

Ronee and Jim Brady have owned the surf shop at 3902 Gulf Drive for 59 years.

“We don’t need any more concrete,” Ronee said, adding, “We have miles of parking at Coquina Beach that’s been under construction for two years. What about that parking?”

Jim expressed concern about the additional traffic and infrastructure.

“We don’t have the infrastructure for more cars,” he said. “The beach holds 500 cars, at the intersection going to the beach there are 35,000 to 40,000 cars a day and it’s congested. At another 1,000 cars with three people per car, there just isn’t enough room.”

Ronee recalls the dances on the concession roof in the 1960s and 70s.

“They used to have steps going up to the top and they had dances up there,” she said. “That building has a lot of history and that’s a shame to lose it.”

Manatee Beach: End of an era?
A crowd gathers well before sunset on May 11 to listen to live music, eat dinner and enjoy the view at the Anna Maria Island Beach Café at Manatee Beach. The beach café building, along with restrooms and a retail shop, is planned to be demolished as part of a plan to build a parking garage at the site. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Tanner Enoch, whose family has owned the Manatee Beach concession for the past 12 years, is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“We have a good partnership with Manatee County. We work with the county and we appreciate their ongoing effort to make improvements,” Enoch said. “Right now, my understanding is they’re seeing if they’re able to do this. I’m not super concerned.”

Enoch said his family’s beach concessions at Manatee and Coquina Beaches employ around 70 people.

“We’re happy with what we have here and we hope it doesn’t change anytime soon,” he said.

While too young to see it personally, Enoch said he has seen old pictures of the beach concession building when it had a rooftop dance floor.

More than 200 people took to The Sun’s Facebook page to have their voices heard.

“We’ve been vacationing there for years and plan to buy a home eventually,” Kensy Carter said. “If the parking garage happens, we will have to find a new spot. I can’t imagine how crowded the beaches would be. The quaint vibe we love so much would be ruined.”

“Ever since moving to the Island in 1999, we have enjoyed eating at the Manatee Beach café,” Suzanne Lansing Moderhak said. “Our kids/grands call it ‘pancakes on the beach.’ We have met our Canadian friends every Wednesday night for years during season for dinner to eat and listen to the music. We are very disappointed in the decision to tear it down for 2 years while an unnecessary parking garage is built.”

“This cafe and beach area is an iconic part of AMI, with decades of memories for so many!” Laura Lynch said, adding that she feels having a concrete parking garage as the first impression of Anna Maria Island for visitors is “a travesty,” a sentiment echoed by many others, including  Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, who led opposition to the garage.

Multi-level parking garages are not an allowable use within the city of Holmes Beach, where Manatee Beach is located, unless commissioners approve a special exception.

Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge took his plan to build a parking garage at the county-owned beach to the local state legislative delegation when he concluded that Holmes Beach commissioners would not approve the use. Legislators gave his plan their unanimous approval, translating the request into a bill that passed both the state House and Senate. DeSantis can choose to sign, veto or ignore the bill, which would put it into law automatically.

If the bill becomes law, Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse said he estimates it would take about a year to get shovels in the ground to start construction of the parking garage if it’s approved by a majority of county commissioners.

Estimated to cost around $45 million with at least a two-year construction time, the garage would have to have paid parking to pay for construction and upkeep, estimated at $2 per hour per vehicle, Van Ostenbridge said.

Garage bill rolls through House, next stop Senate

Garage bill rolls through House, next stop Senate

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

TALLAHASSEE – With unanimous approval from 116 Florida state representatives, a local bill to build a parking garage at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach has moved to the Florida Senate for consideration. The Senate is the final stop for the bill before going to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk for final approval or veto.

The bill, presented by Manatee County Rep. Will Robinson Jr., sped through three House committees before going to the floor for a vote on April 27, despite opposition from local elected officials and residents. After passing the House, it has now been referred to the Senate rules committee for consideration.

The bill, which received unanimous support from the Manatee County legislative delegation when it was first proposed in January, has been a controversial topic on Anna Maria Island. If it becomes law, it will allow Manatee County officials to construct a three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach without seeking approval or permits from Holmes Beach officials, where the beach is located. It also would supersede the city’s land development code and building ordinances, which do not allow parking garages without a special exception. Capping the structure at three stories does maintain the city’s current height limitations.

The parking garage is a pet project of Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge and came as a result of tension between county and city elected officials stemming from streetside parking reductions in Holmes Beach.

To help protect the quality of life of city residents, Holmes Beach leaders enacted a long-planned residential permit parking-only zone on residential streets near beach accesses, with some streets closed to parking entirely due to the narrowness of the lanes. City leaders also recently adopted a four tires off the pavement parking rule to come in line with the parking regulations in Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria. These actions reduced available public parking by about 400 spaces with another 600 available until 5 p.m. daily for city residents only. Van Ostenbridge said the parking changes were a disservice to Manatee County residents and beachgoers.

The plan outlined by Van Ostenbridge would remove the 400-plus spaces currently available at the public beach along with the existing facilities including retail, restrooms and concessions, replacing them with a three-story garage with an estimated 1,500-1,700 parking spaces, new retail and concession areas and new restroom facilities.

The garage is estimated to cost around $45 million to build with construction taking at least two years to complete during which parking would not be available at the site.

To fund the ongoing maintenance of the garage, Van Ostenbridge said the parking spaces provided at the public beach would be paid parking. He estimated a fee of $2 per hour per vehicle. Titsworth said if that happens, the city will likely have to make street and public parking paid as well to avoid those areas being overrun by drivers looking for a free parking space.

In a final effort to get Robinson to pull the bill from consideration prior to the House floor vote, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said she tried contacting him and sent him statistics showing parking remained available during spring break, along with a proposal to designate 220 parking spaces for Manatee County residents only. She said Robinson declined to consider any additional arguments or proposals until after the current legislative session ends.

Letter to the Editor: Timeline for destruction

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

How did we come to the point where some want to further destroy what used to be one of the most beautiful locations in Florida? Here is my view: Officials on Anna Maria Island responding to complaints by residents, taxpayers and voters complaining about not being able to park in front of their homes, dealing with trash, feces, urine, loud voices and general interference with what they thought was their right to peaceful existence where some have lived for 25 or 50 years. Some of these issues are driven by youthful exuberance and the use of alcohol by adults, and, in many cases, minors. When was the last time a beachgoer was cited for having alcohol on the beach? If one wanted evidence of alcohol use on the beach, simply stand outside Publix, Walgreens, and other establishments on the island selling alcoholic beverages. I get it… it is nice to have a drink on the beach, but this is not Fort Lauderdale; this is not Miami Beach. This is Anna Maria Island where one can relax and enjoy the natural surroundings of an island paradise in peace.

So after the town initiated some parking rules, some of the county’s children, sorry commissioners, demanded that parking restrictions be rescinded, and, if not, there would be consequences/repercussions. These commissioners should recognize vacationers do not vote – taxpayers/residents do. There is such a well of disappointment, anger and resolve towards these commissioners with bruised egos that there will be organized efforts to change the composition of the county commission, which I expect will be well-funded. It is also possible that because the $11 million boondoggle at the Kingfish Boat Ramp expansion was defeated, some commissioners did not get their way and they could not spend the $11 million of taxpayer’s money. So, let us spend $42 million to build the three-story monstrosity, close the café for two years, and force beachgoers to pay for parking with the end result of increasing traffic and further degrading the atmosphere of the entire island.

It was pointed out to state representatives and others that there is plenty of parking on the island, there could be accommodation offered by various organizations and the town could offer parking to county residents. It seems some commissioners want to show Anna Maria Island who is the boss.

Remember to vote in 2024.

Paul Reed Steberger

Holmes Beach