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Tag: Holmes Beach parking

Letter to the Editor: The good fight

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

If there is anything positive that comes from the recent attacks on home rule, it is how this threat has brought people from all over the world together in a fight to save Anna Maria Island and the three cities responsible for creating and retaining its character.

Anna Maria Island continues to receive recognition for being one of the best small coastal towns with its old Florida charm. I am proud of past policymakers and thank them for preserving our cities and creating a great destination for families to enjoy a day at the beach and the best place to live on Earth.

With numerous bills threatening our cities each year, our responsibility as engaged citizens and leaders has become much more essential. Detrimental decisions made today may not be able to be undone. Once paradise is lost, only a hurricane can wash away the many mistakes made by man. We have not listened to alternatives presented by transportation experts such as the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and FDOT. The ULI study suggested using shuttles or regional transit from the mainland to transport visitors to the Island. A 1,500- to 1,700-space parking garage doesn’t even come close to being a solution. The county and state’s unwillingness to take heed of studies paid for by county and state funding is unfathomable.

I truly appreciate all citizens for keeping up efforts in opposing big government and the continued attacks that these bills inflict on our cities.

“A hundred years after we are gone and forgotten, those who never heard of us will be living with the results of our actions.” – Oliver Wendell Homes

 

Judy Holmes Titsworth

Mayor, Holmes Beach

Parking garage bill speeds through committees

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

TALLAHASSEE – A bill proposing to build a three-story, 1,500-plus-space parking garage in Holmes Beach is speeding toward approval.

House Bill 947, proposed by Manatee County Rep. Will Robinson Jr., passed the Regulatory Reform and Economic Development Subcommittee on March 22 with the unanimous approval of all members present at the Florida House of Representatives with a change to line 15, submitted by Robinson, addressing the enforcement of the bill. The line states that the parking garage can be constructed within the “territorial boundaries of the city of Holmes Beach, without obtaining any permit, approval, consent, or letter of no objection from the city of Holmes Beach.”

The bill is now in the State Affairs Committee for consideration before moving to the House floor for a vote. If the bill passes those two votes, it moves on to the Florida Senate for consideration. If approved there, it would go to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk on July 1 to be vetoed or signed into law.

Though not in Tallahassee this week, Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse appeared before the Local Administration, Federal Affairs and Special Districts Subcommittee on March 15 to voice his support for the bill.

In a talk with The Sun, Kruse said he was in the state capitol for another matter, but the trip coincided with the first committee hearing on the parking garage bill and he wanted to lend support to Robinson.

The hearing was also attended by Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth along with several members of city staff. Titsworth, along with many Island residents and property owners, opposes the construction of a parking garage at Manatee Beach, which is owned by Manatee County but located in Holmes Beach. City leaders passed an ordinance in 2022 banning the construction of multi-level parking garages in the city except by special exception. Though parking garages were previously not an allowable land use in the city without a special exception, the passage of the ordinance bolstered the prohibition after county commissioners began discussing the possibility of building a parking garage in the city as an answer to beachgoer parking constraints.

Kruse said that while he understands that a special exception hearing before city commissioners could have been undertaken by the county, he thinks it would have been a waste of time, effort and taxpayer money due to city commissioners’ passage of the parking garage ban, resulting in county commissioners pushing the matter to the state level.

As of press time for The Sun, Kruse is the only Manatee County commissioner to have taken Titsworth up on her offer to tour the city’s available beach parking. Kruse said he embarked on the parking tour following a town hall meeting he held at the Island Branch Library, and said he spent more than two hours touring city streets and talking with the mayor about parking.

“We looked at probably 100% of the parking spaces,” Kruse said. “I said it when I was up in Tallahassee, I 100% gave Holmes Beach credit. What they’re working on right now is great. What they’re working on is going to be much more hospitable, much more welcoming to residents of Manatee County, staycationers and tourists.”

Holmes Beach city leaders are working to remove sign pollution, placing green numbered parking spot indicators near beach access points and working on an interactive app, with the installation of parking sensors, that can alert visitors to where available parking is located in real-time. The city also provides a map on its website that identifies public parking areas.

“I think everything that Holmes Beach is doing is amazing. It’s great. It’s going to make a world of difference,” Kruse said, adding that he feels that the bill at the state level may be pushing city leaders to work to resolve parking issues.

And though he said the city is addressing parking in as much as they have the capacity to do so, he doesn’t feel the solutions or even the proposed parking garage will fix all of the parking and traffic issues on Anna Maria Island. Even with the loss of the 400-plus parking spaces currently available at Manatee Beach, the parking garage would net 1,000 or more parking spaces, which Kruse said could potentially help provide more spaces for Manatee County residents and visitors.

“I do not think putting a parking garage there is going to fix our parking problem,” he said. “I support the concept of the parking garage. I support Rep. Robinson’s bill.”

“At the end of the day this is a large project in a large CIP within the county that has hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars of projects,” Kruse said. “So, I need numbers first. I need financials first. I’m a realist and I’m somebody who assesses everything with facts. So, I, at the end of the day, need to see where is $30-45 million coming from? What is the timeline for completion? What are we going to do with 400-plus parking spots in the interim during construction? That’s information I don’t have yet because the bill hasn’t passed yet, so we haven’t gone through it. We get to our CIP discussions in the summer when we go through budget, so this hasn’t come up specifically. I support the concept of allowing the county a very reasonable height and reasonable footprint to build additional parking for citizens of the county. Is it 100% guaranteed it’s going to get built? Probably. I know my board. ButamI100%soldonit?Ineedtosee where those numbers are coming from. Is that the best use of $45 million? And maybe it is. I support the concept. I support the idea of giving us the option. And I think that’s the heart and soul of it.”

Kruse added that he feels there could be better answers to the parking and traffic congestion issues on the Island, primarily the installation of a third lane on the Anna Maria Island Bridge along Manatee Avenue to allow for a dedicated first responder and transit lane. With a dedicated transit lane, he said he feels people would be more likely to ride a shuttle service to the beach with their gear if it allowed them to bypass traffic. The reconstruction of the Anna Maria Island Bridge is on the Florida Department of Transportation’s project priorities list but is unfunded.

Editorial: Paving paradise

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Anna Maria Island is changing and it has been for years. Our little Island has turned into a popular tourist destination and, while we love our visitors, especially the ones who come year after year and participate in the community, it’s hard not to feel like residents are getting pushed out in favor of beachgoers.

A bill is being considered at the state level that would have a parking garage built on the entire parking lot at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach to overrule local regulations and allow Manatee County commissioners to issue their own building permit instead of going through a special exception request process with the Holmes Beach Commission.

The garage would hold 1,500-1,700 parking spaces after it’s built. What happens to all of the cars that are usually parked at the beach during the proposed two years of construction? Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge suggests opening all residential streets on AMI to beach parking for the duration of construction. If all residential streets are open to parking, and the four tires off the road street side parking regulations are lifted in the three Island cities, it has the very real potential to be a free-for-all where residents are severely outnumbered and have little to no chance of winning or preserving their quality of life.

Once the garage is built, it would be difficult to impossible to take back residential streets from parking and the garage will have a pay-per-hour system which would either have drivers circling residential streets looking for a free parking place or result in city leaders installing parking meters on the side of every road.

Imagine driving across the Anna Maria Island Bridge and instead of being greeted by a view of the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, you see a wall of concrete? Why not compromise and let the county build its parking garage on a different parcel, say the former Bank of America lot that’s only a block from the beach? The county would have to compromise by purchasing another piece of land and the city would have to compromise by allowing the garage to be built, but the existing parking at the public beach would remain open and there would be no need to open more residential streets to public parking for the beach without facilities, such as restrooms, concessions or adequate trash receptacles. If another garage is needed after the first one is built and open, put one up at the south end of the Manatee Beach parking lot. With 30,000-plus cars coming across the Anna Maria Island Bridge every day, it becomes a question of reasonableness and thinking about just how much a 7-mile island can take. We can only hope that our elected officials see reason before it’s too late.

Bill filed to build beach parking garage

Bill filed to build beach parking garage

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

HOLMES BEACH – Just like the traffic headed to Anna Maria Island on holidays, an effort by Florida legislators to build a parking garage at Manatee Beach is inching forward.

House Bill 947 was filed on Monday by Rep. Will Robinson Jr., who represents Manatee County, including Anna Maria Island. If the bill passes, it will allow Manatee County commissioners to erect a three-story parking garage at the county-owned beach with no approvals from city leaders needed.

Previous plans mentioned by legislators were for a four-story garage, which would exceed the height restrictions in the city.

Though parking garages were never an allowable land use in Holmes Beach, city commissioners voted in 2022 to formally disallow multi-level parking facilities. At a meeting where that ordinance was discussed, Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge warned commissioners against the action, stating that he had planned to present an application to the city to build a parking garage on the property.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said that she’s disappointed by Robinson’s decision to file the bill and feels that it’s a blatant infringement of home rule. She said county leaders never submitted a formal application to the city for consideration of a parking garage and never put anything before city commissioners to consider allowing one through a special exception.

During a Feb. 14 commission meeting, Titsworth said that Robinson was scheduled to come to Holmes Beach later in the week to speak with city staff and tour the available public parking with her. On Monday, she said he decided to move the meeting to the end of the month.

In addition to the parking spaces already available in the city for beachgoers, Titsworth said she’d been speaking with two area churches about using their parking areas for the public outside of church service times. If the parking garage bill goes through at the state level, she said she’s unsure if those organizations will go through with providing extra parking since part of the reason for that potential solution was to avoid having a parking garage built at Manatee Beach.

She encouraged everyone to continue writing letters to state legislators and to write to each of the committees that HB 947 goes to for consideration.

While a parking garage is becoming more of a possibility, a state-funded study to look at the consolidation or elimination of the three Anna Maria Island cities is off the table – for now.

The state legislative delegation recently backed off its January proposal to pursue consolidating the cities at the state level if Island city leaders agreed to work together to consolidate some services at the city level.

Titsworth said she’s begun regular meetings with Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie and Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy to begin a discussion on how they can consolidate some services across the three cities.

While she said she’s unsure right now of where they can consolidate, she said she’s hopeful that by working together, the three can find solutions that will take away the threat of consolidation or elimination by state legislators.

She was also quick to reassure city staff that no positions were being eliminated, saying, “No one’s losing a job in the city.”

Titsworth said she’s having a bit of a difficult time trying to decide what could be consolidated.

“This is going to take quite a bit of time between the three cities to determine what can be consolidated,” she said. “We are committed to look and see what could be consolidated, listen to each other and work together.”

The mayoral meetings are a result of a recent meeting between state legislative representatives and the Island mayors concerning the consolidation of all three Island cities into one municipality or into unincorporated Manatee County.

Robinson began the year with a quest to launch a state-funded study to determine if the three cities should be eliminated or consolidated. The study, which was supported by the other members of the Manatee County state legislative delegation, has since been abandoned, at least temporarily, in favor of allowing the three Island governments to work some issues out among themselves.

“I can’t thank the citizens, visitors, residents, everyone enough,” Titsworth said of the outpouring of support from the public to fight against the consolidation study. “I couldn’t be more proud. You did an amazing job.”

The curious case of the missing parking signs

The curious case of the missing parking signs

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

HOLMES BEACH – Residents who live near beach access points have noticed something strange happening over the past week – some permit parking only and no parking signs have been disappearing from the side of city streets.

While the disappearance of these signs may seem mysterious, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer has an explanation.

The sign disappearances are due to the removal of signs due to sign pollution, he said.

In 2022, city commissioners passed an ordinance making side street parking only available in places where all four tires can be safely parked off the road. Tokajer said the sign removals are only occurring in places where all four vehicle tires cannot safely be parked off the side of the road. If all four tires cannot be parked off the side of the road, then it’s automatically a no-parking zone, Tokajer said.

City employees are working to remove unnecessary parking signs in an effort to reduce sign pollution in the city. Signs noting that side-of-street parking requires all four tires off the road are located at the southern and northern city limits boundaries. With Holmes Beach city leaders adopting and enforcing all four tires off the road, the city came in line with regulations already passed by the cities of Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach.

Any residents who feel that permit parking only or no parking signs were removed from their streets erroneously should contact city staff to have the area measured to make sure that no vehicles can legally park in the area.

Despite some theories circulating on the Island, Tokajer said the removal of the signs was actually a planned initiative and has nothing to do with the ongoing issues among city leaders, Manatee County commissioners and state legislative representatives over beach parking for the public.

Rep. Will Robinson Jr. began leading the way during a recent Manatee County legislative delegation meeting to initiate a state bill to undermine city ordinances to construct a four-story parking garage at the Manatee County-owned Manatee Beach. The proposed bill, which is highly contested by Island city leaders and residents, is expected to be presented during the upcoming state legislative session.

Letter to the Editor: Home rule at risk

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

I would like to thank you for your coverage of the controversial local bills being introduced by Rep. Will Robinson. It is extremely important that we educate all on the dire consequences of loss in home rule.

Cities were founded on the belief that local government understands best the needs of local citizens. The state then determined that cities could legislate themselves. We are currently in a time where the state had giveth and now with precedent, the state can taketh away.

Rep. Robinson has stated that the reason for the first bill on mandating a parking garage at the public beach is because the city would not budge on the reduction in parking in the city. On the contrary, the city of Holmes Beach agreed to the use of AME school, the library, and city hall for additional overflow parking. A suggestion was also made that they purchase the large Bank of America lot that has close and safe access to the public beach for overflow parking. Although county and state leaders choose to lob insults at the city of Holmes Beach, we historically have and continue to be a part of the solution for the county’s failure to plan.

Rep. Robinson has stated that the sole reason for the second bill, a study on dissolving the cities, is due to declining populations on the Island. He even went so far as stating that this is a proactive approach instead of reactive, as this will get ahead of the time when there are no longer enough residents to maintain three cities. What he said is entirely different than what I heard. Being that this study was not initiated by the city leaders and local bills are historically never controversial, it brings me to ponder on whether the proactive approach that our state representatives are taking was generated years ago with the intended outcome, the elimination of cities.

You see, when the cities lost their ability to regulate vacation rentals taking over the residential districts, this brought an onslaught of developers from all over the country gobbling up every beach house in site. The market value soared, and the local hard-working citizens were pushed out of their homes and forced to move inland. The holdouts remain but are subject to a declined quality of life due to noise, trash, nutrient loads in bays, congestion and no longer having the ability to know their neighbor.

As mayor, it is my job to support our residents and businesses and to make decisions to maintain and improve the quality of their lives. Because of these efforts, full-time residents
are returning. I have witnessed the drastic increase in property tax that the county receives by no longer being constrained by homestead caps ($17 million in the past 10 years). Add to that, the Tourist Development Tax that was sold to the voters lacking foresight. The voters thought this tax would be a good thing, it would bring money to our cities from visitors instead of just property owners. What they didn’t understand is what a cash cow it became. The city of Holmes Beach alone has contributed well over $30 million in bed tax to the coffers since its inception with little in return. It isn’t because we haven’t asked. It is because the county commission chose to use it elsewhere.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that this is all happening at the same time entire boards of county commissions are being replaced by potential “yes men” for developers. Campaigns are being driven by strategists, all heavily funded by big developer PAC money. I believe our state representatives have been taking a proactive approach for many years now and it is setting up Florida coastal cities to fail.

Mayor Judy Holmes Titsworth

Holmes Beach

AMI fights back against state representatives

AMI fights back against state representatives

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As state representatives discuss bypassing Holmes Beach codes to build a parking garage and dissolving the three Island cities, locals aren’t taking it lying down.

Residents, property owners, business owners, visitors and others who love the Island just the way it is have banded together to get the word out and reach out to Manatee County’s state legislative delegation members in an effort to have their voices heard in Tallahassee.

Led by Holmes Beach resident Laurel Nevans, 950 people had joined Save AMI Cities as of Jan. 23. The Facebook group is dedicated to making the people’s voices heard at the local and state level on both issues.

The battle is focused on a parking garage. Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge wants to build one at Manatee Beach, a property owned by the county but located in Holmes Beach. Before those plans got off the ground, city commissioners voted to not allow multi-level parking structures in their city, a stance echoed by city leaders in Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria. Van Ostenbridge warned city leaders at a public meeting that there would be consequences to their actions.

Now the fight has escalated to the state level with Rep. Will Robinson Jr. initiating a bill to not only override the city’s decision to disallow parking garages but also to break the city’s three-story building height restriction, which is in the city charter. Robinson said he wants to see a four-story parking garage built at Manatee Beach. A four-story garage also would violate the three-story height limitation for unincorporated Manatee County, which is what the Island would likely be merged into if all three Island cities were dissolved by the Legislature.

AMI fights back against state representatives
A cool morning leaves the beach in Holmes Beach nearly vacant, even at the height of snowbird season. – Submitted | Beverly Battle

That possibility arose from state legislative delegation discussions earlier this month to consider hiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to study the feasibility of dissolving the Island’s three cities.

Protestors speak out

Members of Save AMI Cities are writing letters to state representatives and looking at other ways to make sure their opinions on the proposed measures are heard.

The Sun reached out to those members to see what they have to say about the two proposals.

“This ‘taking’ of our local cities diminishes our votes and our ability to get those little things done in our communities,” Binky Rogers said. “We have owned in Bradenton Beach for 35 years and lived here permanently for 14 years. I feel that our mayor and city commission have our best interests at heart, and they are very approachable. The ‘bully’ county commissioners will not worry too much about our small Island except, of course, bringing in more tax dollars from all the high rises that’ll appear. All I can say at this point is think hard about who you vote for. We can’t just ‘pave over paradise and put up a parking lot.’ ”

“I recognize the value of tourism to our little island, but it’s the vibrant, quaint, simple life that we fell in love with and that is slowly being destroyed by developers,” Holmes Beach resident and local Realtor Kelly Gitt said. “I am strongly against the proposal of a parking garage and an advocate of slower speed limits, safe sidewalks/bike lanes and paying a toll to come out to the island. I don’t believe the parking garage has anything to do with protecting our beaches or the slower pace of life we love and appreciate here.”

AMI fights back against state representatives
Anna Maria Island residents and business owner Bob Casey, pictured here with his wife, Connie, questions the motives behind two proposals by state representatives. – Submitted | Bob Casey

“I’m a homeowner and small business owner here on AMI,” Bob Casey said. “A parking garage is not the solution and I think the county commissioners know this. How about finishing the parking lot at Coquina? I could be wrong, but I think they have ulterior motives. If they can overrule our three-story building limit it will be like ringing the dinner bell to all the developers. Then AMI will lose its old-school charm that locals and visitors alike enjoy. Our local governments are not perfect (who is?) but they live among us and have our best interests at heart.”

“The tourist board advertises Anna Maria as ‘a taste of Old Florida,’ then does everything it can to destroy that,” resident Janis Ian said.

“It begs the question of what the motivation is for the county commissioners and legislators to try and control AMI,” part-time Island resident Barbara Trinklein Rinckey said.

Chris Arendt referenced an Urban Land Institute study that notes that additional parking on the Island will not solve issues related to reaching maximum capacity for people and vehicles on the seven-mile Island. Arendt called both proposals by the legislative delegation “sham proposals.”

“It’s intimidation, plain and simple,” Arendt said. “Fact is every single Island conservative I know, and that’s many, are vehemently opposed to both the proposals. That should tell you all you need to know.”

“This is outright intimidation to control our Island towns,” Barbara Quinn said. “A garage won’t help the massive traffic caused by overdevelopment.”

“The Manatee County commission wants to keep their thumb on the cash cow that is AMI,” Laura Siemon Seubert said. “And a certain county commission member didn’t get his way, he essentially ran to ‘daddy’ to step in and make the other kids play with him. The county doesn’t care if we turn into another Panama City Beach or Fort Lauderdale. They only see the dollar signs with each bed tax. The ironic thing is a parking garage won’t help the bottom line. The day trippers that will use the parking garage aren’t spending the night. There is no financial gain from a parking garage. And as far as the three cities becoming one? All the charm and uniqueness of the Island will disappear.”

“I thought we lived in the United States?” Bradenton Beach resident Chris Johnson questioned. “Have any of the commissioners talked to the Islanders to see how we feel on the Island? This Island has been in my family’s blood for four generations, and we have protected the Island for years. The beaches are beautiful but there is more to this Island than beaches.”

State representatives suggest eliminating Island cities

State representatives suggest eliminating Island cities

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

MANATEE COUNTY – Members of the local state legislative delegation are making plans to permanently change the face of Anna Maria Island, beginning with a parking garage and potentially ending with the dissolution of the three Island cities.

A citizens’ action group, Save AMI Cities, has already sprung up on Facebook with the intent of making voter and stakeholder voices heard by state legislators.

During a Jan. 12 legislative delegation meeting, Rep. Will Robinson Jr. brought up beach access and parking issues in Holmes Beach. Robinson, a Republican, proposed introducing a bill during the upcoming state legislative session to pre-empt Holmes Beach city leaders’ decision to ban parking garages. His plan would allow a four-story parking garage on the Manatee County-owned parcel at Manatee Beach, one story higher than the city’s limit. His fellow Republican members of the delegation, Rep. Tommy Gregory, Rep. Mike Beltran, Sen. Jim Boyd and Sen. Joe Gruters, voted unanimously in favor of the proposal and putting the bill forth for consideration at the state level.

Rep. Will Robinson Jr.
Rep. Will Robinson Jr.

If the proposed bill makes it through all of the levels of state government, including committees and the Senate, and gains the approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis, it would allow Manatee County commissioners to subvert local government regulations and issue their own building permits for construction on county-owned property, regardless of the city the property is located in.

“I thought it was incumbent for the Legislature to step in and pre-empt that authority to allow a four-story parking garage if the county commission so votes and funds that parking garage to be built,” Robinson said. “It is fundamental for anyone to be able to visit our public beach and, in my view, parking spaces have been strategically taken away over the last few years under the guise of COVID to not allow folks to access the beach. Folks are getting frustrated – they can’t park, they can’t access the beach, they’re turning around and they’re going back home. And, to me, there’s nothing more important than to allow a person, a taxpayer, who pays for that beach, by the way, to visit that beach.”

Currently, the majority of beach renourishment funding comes from state-funded renourishment programs and the county resort tax, paid by visitors, not local tax dollars.

Parking problems

Public beach parking in Holmes Beach has been a point of contention between city and county leaders for more than two years. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to local beaches was restricted by the state to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Contact Manatee County state representatives

 

Rep. Will Robinson Jr.

District office: 941-708-4968

Capitol office: 850-717-5071

Email: Will.Robinson@myfloridahouse.gov

 

Rep. Mike Beltran

District office: 813-653-7097

Capitol office: 850-717-5070

Email: Mike.Beltran@myfloridahouse.gov

 

Rep. Tommy Gregory

District office: 941-893-5434

Capitol office: 850-717-5072

Email: Tommy.Gregory@myfloridahouse.gov

 

Sen. Jim Boyd

District office: 941-742-6445

Capitol office: 850-487-5020

Email: boyd.jim.web@flsenate.gov

 

Sen. Joe Gruters

District office: 941-378-6309

Capitol office: 850-487-5022

Email: gruters.joe.web@flsenate.gov

In Holmes Beach, city leaders closed public beach parking during the lockdown. When the beaches were allowed to be reopened, city leaders took the opportunity to create a long-planned permit parking area on some residential streets near the beach. The plan was to not only give city residents who don’t live near the beach a place to park but to also reduce traffic, trash and beachgoers relieving themselves on residential streets. Permits are available to city residents only and permit parking takes up approximately 642 spaces located solely on the sides of city streets. Other streets were labeled as no parking zones at the request of residents or due to the narrowness of the roads, eliminating about 300 parking spots. The city still has more than 1,200 public parking spots, including the parking available at Manatee Beach, within a quarter mile of the beach and more along other residential streets further away from beach access points.

During city commission meetings, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer has reported counting more than 40,000 vehicles coming and going on Manatee Avenue, just one of three Island access points, on an average busy beach day. That number can jump higher over holiday weekends.

City leaders have met with state and county representatives to discuss parking problems in Holmes Beach with few resolutions found. The city’s website features a parking map to show where vehicle and low-speed vehicle/golf cart parking is located near the beach. Plans to create an interactive parking app also are underway.

When Holmes Beach commissioners met to discuss banning parking garages last year, Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge stepped up during public comment to issue a warning if they moved forward with the ban. Van Ostenbridge said he had plans to present a proposal to build a multi-level parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach. Commissioners chose to move forward with the ban. The city of Bradenton Beach, where the county owns property including Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach along with two boat ramps, also has a ban on multi-level parking garages.

Holmes Beach’s three-story height limitation on structures is written into the city’s charter, meaning it would take a charter amendment being approved by a majority of voters or the dissolution of the city to remove the restriction. Abolishing it would pave the way for high-rise development.

Robinson said that he feels “very confident” in the proposed parking legislation and that he feels it will pass during the state legislative session beginning Monday, April 10.

Dissolving Island cities?

The state legislative group decided last week to look into the possibility of engaging The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to study how feasible it would be to dissolve the three city governments on the Island. If that were to happen, Robinson said it would remove the city governments in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, replacing them with Manatee County commissioners and administration.

He said it could be a good tax break for residents who would no longer have to pay city taxes.

In Florida, the Legislature can dissolve a municipality if either the residents of the municipality vote for dissolution or by special act. In the event of a special act by the state, a bill would have to be introduced during a legislative session, pass votes by state representatives and senators and be signed by the governor before it’s effective. The requirements for a special act involving the dissolution of a municipality state that the city in question must not be substantially surrounded by other municipalities; the county or an adjacent municipality must be willing to take on the governing of the area and arrangements have to be made to provide compensation for employees of the city.

The closest adjacent municipality to any of the three Island cities is Longboat Key, where leaders are working diligently to have the entire town under Sarasota County jurisdiction, leaving only Manatee County leaders to take over Anna Maria Island if its three cities were dissolved. If that happened, all infrastructure, building and zoning regulations and governing would fall under the same leadership as unincorporated Manatee County – the board of county commissioners currently led by Van Ostenbridge as its chair. Instead of being represented by their fellow Island residents, Islanders would be represented by commissioners elected by residents from all over the county.

Local elected officials’ reactions

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth issued a statement in reply to the legislative delegation discussions.

Mayor Judy Titsworth

“I am disappointed at the position that Will has taken regarding pre-empting city ordinances to construct a parking garage in a coastal community when the city currently and historically has always exceeded the number of parking spaces required for state-funded beach renourishment and interlocal agreements with the county,” Titsworth said. “As a mayor in his district, I would have appreciated Mr. Robinson to have, in the very least, given notice prior to getting out of his lane in making such a bold move. At this point in time, I shouldn’t be surprised about anything that comes from this district. I do not feel Mr. Robinson needed the support of the local delegation to move on this bill but next time he moves on a bill that will affect the lives of our city residents, I hope that he would first reach out to the representatives of the city so he can become better informed. A four-story parking garage at the entrance to our city is not in keeping with the historical character of our quaint city. For this to happen, the potential gutting of our height restrictions would also be in play. These restrictions are in our city charter. This undoubtedly is what led to the next proposal by the representative which is the consideration of the consolidation and/or dissolution of the three Island cities.”

“I believe that is probably the biggest overstep and attack on home rule yet,” she continued. “Holmes Beach has been incorporated for over 70 years. We are a vibrant and prosperous city. Our population continues to grow. Our city is responsible for the majority of the contributions to the tourist development tax in the county and has contributed over $30 million since its inception. We continue to improve roads, sidewalks and storm infrastructure and continue to make public safety a number one goal. We have a very strong commission and numerous appointed boards. All board positions are readily filled by residents who desire to give their time to civic duty. The city of Holmes Beach is proud of not only retaining its residents but providing a tourism experience that is a top vacation destination. Property values continue to soar and our city has investors from all over the world. For a representative to single out Anna Maria Island to study dissolving our city chartered governments is a wake-up for all cities of this state. Because of this, I do not believe this will receive the legislative act that this representative is seeking.”

In a Jan. 13 discussion with The Sun, she said she feels that any action to dissolve the cities would be the equivalent of a “hostile takeover” by the county commission. “What happened to the will of the people?” she asked, noting that it was supposed to be a politician’s job to work in the best interests of the voters.

Addressing Robinson’s comment concerning taxes, she said there is currently a difference of $17 million between taxes paid by homesteaded residents and those without a homestead exemption in Holmes Beach. If the Island cities were dissolved and development were allowed to go unchecked, Titsworth said she feels that residents would leave, potentially allowing more properties to be acquired by short-term rental investors.

“This is a much bigger issue,” she said. “This is about more than parking.”

Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie echoed Titsworth’s statement, telling The Sun that while he doesn’t agree with how leaders in the neighboring city amended their parking restrictions, he too feels that the attempts by the state to subvert local government ordinances and dissolve the three cities have to do with more than just the loss of a few hundred parking spaces.

When contacted by The Sun, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said he does not support the state legislative delegation’s actions and does not think dissolution is a good idea. He added that he does, however, feel that there are opportunities for the three cities to share resources and work together better that are currently being missed.

Parking garages on chopping block

Parking garages on chopping block

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

HOLMES BEACH – Parking garages are one step closer to being officially banned in Anna Maria Island’s largest city.

Commissioners have voted unanimously to pass the first reading of an ordinance banning multi-level parking structures in the city. The ordinance will have a final public hearing and vote in August.

Though parking garages are not currently an allowable use in Holmes Beach, they aren’t exactly prohibited either. Under the proposed ordinance, multi-level buildings with parking would be allowed with parking on the bottom floor. However, any parking above the bottom floor would be prohibited.

City Planner Bill Brisson said that anyone wishing to build a multi-level building with parking on the bottom and a business on an upper floor would likely have to build that structure in the city’s mixed-use commercial district, noting that the ordinance does not prohibit any other type of parking lot from the city.

Commissioner Carol Soustek said she doesn’t feel that the addition of a parking garage to the city would help solve any of the parking or traffic concerns of residents or visitors.

Mayor Judy Titsworth presented updated visitor parking numbers to commissioners. She said there are 775 parking spaces available at beach accesses and other public parking areas, another 81 parking spaces at the public beach, 3,702 parking spaces at vacation rental properties and 225 spaces at motels in the city, for a total of 4,783 visitor parking spaces.

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

HOLMES BEACH – Parking is still creating problems for city commissioners.

Commissioners relaunched a conversation concerning banning parking garages in the city during a June 28 work session. Unfortunately for them, that conversation became a bit murky as they started examining regulations concerning off-site parking and parking for businesses that requires drivers to back out onto busy roads.

At the urging of Mayor Judy Titsworth, commissioners agreed to move the ordinance to a first reading for further discussion and revision due to a shortened meeting schedule for the summer.

The discussion began with a talk about disallowing multi-level parking structures, or garages, within the city. Multi-level parking garages currently are not an approved use in any zoning district in Holmes Beach, but could be approved through a special exception. If the proposed regulations pass, the special exception approval avenue would be lost. While commissioners are not opposed to covered parking, the proposed ordinance states that parking can only take place on the ground floor. It does not prohibit a dwelling unit or business on the second floor.

If it passes two public hearings and votes by commissioners, the proposed ban on parking garages would derail plans by Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge to pursue a parking garage.

When the topic was broached previously during a Holmes Beach commission work session, Van Ostenbridge stepped up to the podium during public comment to warn city commissioners away from the proposed ban, stating that he was planning to present a proposal for a parking garage at the county-owned public beach. He left before the discussion began but told Titsworth that he was listening to the meeting on Zoom.

Though commissioners could agree on the parking garage issue, the discussion derailed a bit when they ventured into other items, including how and where to allow off-site parking for businesses. City Attorney Erica Augello warned commissioners that any change they made to current off-site parking regulations would affect existing businesses and commercial properties if those properties ever were to undergo major renovations or need to be rebuilt.

Augello noted that paid parking is already disallowed in all districts in the city.

In an additional parking discussion, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that city leaders had spoken with representatives from Hancock Whitney Bank. During that conversation, he said that while the bank’s representatives were willing to continue the beach parking agreement with the city, they weren’t happy with the arrangement, which was causing issues for bank customers.

He added that the tow-away zone signs placed in the lot by the bank caused confusion for beachgoers and that the parking wasn’t well used by visitors. Tokajer recommended not attempting to re-enter into a beach parking agreement with the bank.

“I can’t find a compelling reason to reopen it,” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said of the lot. He added that the city doesn’t get a benefit from Manatee County by having the lot open to beachgoers after hours and the insurance for the parking costs the city money.

“I think the bank did a really nice public service for our Island and our visitors,” Commissioner Jayne Christenson said. “I commend them.”

Commissioners opted to not move forward with attempting to renew the parking contract.

 

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Gloves come off in parking garage discussion

Gloves come off in parking garage discussion

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

HOLMES BEACH – The gloves are off in the fight between city leaders and Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge after the county commissioner made an appearance during a city commission work session.

With the possibility of a parking garage ban in Holmes Beach on the agenda, commissioners weren’t surprised when Van Ostenbridge wanted to share his opinion on the issue. After being welcomed by city commissioners, he stepped up to the podium during public comment to issue a warning against the potential prohibition of parking garages in the city.

“Think long and hard before you make this decision,” he said, stating that prior city commission decisions have resulted in county commissioners rejecting funding requests.

“How do I say this politely? It’s not an accident that the governor vetoed $2 million in funding for the city,” Van Ostenbridge said, insinuating that the recent cut made by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the state’s budget removing appropriation funds for water quality in the city was related to parking discussions.

“There will be good or bad consequences to what is decided here today,” he said, adding a warning to commissioners to be thoughtful in their deliberations.

After speaking to commissioners, Van Ostenbridge left the June 14 meeting but told Mayor Judy Titsworth later that he listened to the ensuing discussion on Zoom.

“I’m sorry he couldn’t stay,” Titsworth said when the parking garage discussion began on the dais. She noted that with taxable property values in the city increasing over 200% in the current fiscal year and Holmes Beach accounting for 37% of all bed tax funds collected by the county, it’s not in county leaders’ best interests to threaten withholding funding to the city.

“You want to protect the golden goose,” she said.

After the meeting, Titsworth posted a video response to Van Ostenbridge’s comments on the city’s YouTube channel restating her position.

“I too am sorry the commissioner chose to not listen to our response to his threats,” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said. “It’s sad how this county commission is run, putting a gun to our heads.” He went on to say that he feels that with all the tax dollars going to the county from Holmes Beach, the city is getting “a very poor return on our investment.”

In the past 10 years, more than $30 million has been funneled to the county through tourist tax dollars, Schaefer said, adding he believes the city has only received about $141,000 of those funds back for parks projects. He said he’s not in favor of parking garages in the city and felt that allowing them would only serve to help the county solve its issues created by overmarketing of Anna Maria Island and its beaches.

Commissioner Carol Soustek said she wants to see long-term traffic and mobility solutions to address issues and help residents and beachgoers coming from county commissioners rather than threats. She said that she doesn’t think adding more places to park would solve the problems facing city and county residents, primarily traffic congestion, public safety and failing infrastructure.

During his comments, Van Ostenbridge said that he was planning to put together a plan to present to city commissioners over the summer for a parking garage to be constructed at the county-owned Manatee Beach.

While the prohibition of parking garages was on the city work session agenda, parking garages are currently not an allowable use in the city, nor is paid parking. To allow a parking garage to be constructed at the beach would require an ordinance change, site plan approval and potentially an in- crease of the current height limit in Holmes Beach. The height limit now would only allow for a three-story structure.

Despite Van Ostenbridge’s comments, Titsworth noted that the discussion had been placed on the agenda not because of the potential for a parking garage at the public beach but because the property owner of the former Wells Fargo Bank location at the corner of Marina and Gulf drives was seeking city staff guidance to determine what uses could be al- lowed on the property. She said no formal proposal for the site had been given to city staff, which committed to looking at potential ideas for the site and other nearby vacant commercial properties for future commission discussion.

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

HOLMES BEACH – More parking changes are being proposed for Anna Maria Island’s largest city, but this one doesn’t affect the number of available parking spaces, just how they’re used.

During a May 24 work session, commissioners heard a proposal from City Engineer Sage Kamiya to join the cities of Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach in requiring all vehicles parked on the sides of city streets to have all four wheels off the road.

If enacted, the proposed regulations would provide an exception for temporarily parked vehicles such as landscaping trucks and other work vehicles while work is being done on the property.

“I’m all for this,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said.

Commissioners agreed to move the proposed parking changes to a first reading and vote at an upcoming regular meeting.

Kamiya said the change would align Holmes Beach’s regulations with those of its sister cities. Mayor Judy Titsworth added that the proposed four wheels off the road change would not affect the number of parking spaces currently available to the public along city streets.

While the change would be applied citywide, Titsworth said that Key Royale may be exempted from the regulations, maintaining two wheels off the road parking, due to the wide width of the community’s streets. She also added that since Key Royale is separated from the rest of Holmes Beach by a bridge, it makes it easier to define the boundaries for officers enforcing parking regulations.

Other changes to parking being considered include designating parking spaces at beach accesses and along city streets where public parking is allowed by using bollards and rope, creating a parking map and adding additional rapid flashing beacons to city crosswalks. Kamiya said that all of the changes combined work together to help commissioners realize the vision of becoming a safer community for people using all forms of transportation.

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Memorial Day weekend parking won’t be without peril

Memorial Day weekend parking won’t be without peril

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – With Memorial Day weekend just days away, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach are preparing for what could be record-breaking crowds.

While a number of visitors will fly to the area from around the U.S., Canada and Europe, the Island is also preparing for the thousands of Florida residents who will arrive by car.

Officials in all three cities encourage visitors to take advantage of public transportation options, but for many there is no option but to bring the car and hope for the best.

“We’ll be here through Memorial Day weekend. We drove from Atlanta so we have a car but we’re not crazy, the car won’t be leaving the condo all weekend,” said Terry Dosier, who arrived May 14 with his family. “Traffic hasn’t been bad since we got here, but we’ve talked to enough people to know it will be an entirely different animal for the holiday weekend.”

The Dosiers are staying in Holmes Beach, which is making every effort to accommodate the influx for the weekend, but there is only so much the city can do beyond offering the normal beach parking. According to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, there was an average of 39,000 cars per day coming into the city during the busy spring break season, and that number could be topped over Memorial Day weekend.

“We will be allowing parking at Anna Maria Elementary School for Memorial Day weekend, but no cars can be left on the lot overnight, and only legal parking spaces may be used,” said Tokajer, who stressed that all signs posted in the city must be observed and rules must be followed.

Bradenton Beach has been the scene of serious parking violations that number in the hundreds over the past few weeks. More than 100 tickets were written for double parking along Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach on Mother’s Day and close to 100 more were written the following weekend. Police could have written more, but some violators got lucky when police ran out of tickets.

“Double parking will not be tolerated; neither will parking in the right of way. We have signs out there and we’re not wanting to ticket people, but people get confused. They see the barricades that say no parking and don’t realize that those apply the entire length of Gulf Drive starting at the bridge,” said Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz, whose advice to visitors is to come early.

“Use common sense, if you’re questioning where you’re parking then it’s probably not the right place to park,” he said.

All three cities plan to have extra officers on duty due to the large anticipated crowds, and all three cities will tow any vehicle that is blocking access for emergency vehicles. Depending on the tow company, vehicles could be taken more than 10 miles from where they were illegally parked, so in addition to the expensive tow cost, there is the cost of a ride to retrieve the vehicle. If not towed, tickets could range from $50 to more than $250 depending on the violation.

Plans for driving to the Island over Memorial Day weekend should also include allowing time to get across the three bridges that link Anna Maria Island to Bradenton, Cortez and Longboat Key. During busy holiday weekends, traffic can back up for miles, resulting in wait times that can be more than two hours at peak arrival times. With pedestrian crossings, trolley stops and other things unique to AMI, officials say it’s best to relax and accept the things that can’t be changed.

Beach parking meeting reaps results

Beach parking meeting reaps results

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

HOLMES BEACH – Leaders from state, county and city governments are coming together to find solutions to ongoing public parking and beach access issues on Anna Maria Island.

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth hosted a May 4 meeting with participants including Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Florida State Sen. Jim Boyd and Florida State Rep. Will Robinson. While the meeting was closed to the public and press, Titsworth shared what was discussed and the ways that participants are working together to address beach access issues, particularly in Holmes Beach.

Titsworth agreed that city leaders and staff would publish a new parking map to identify areas in the city where beach parking is available, including at the county-owned public beach and along residential city streets. She also said that city staff would physically mark all beach access parking spots to make them easily identifiable.

City leaders also said they will reach out to area churches to see if they’re interested in opening their parking lots for use by beachgoers and, if so, assist them through the process to get any approvals needed from city commissioners. A suggestion was made during the meeting that Manatee County leaders provide portable restrooms and trash receptacles at any parking lots offered for beach parking to assist in keeping them clean and providing needed amenities for beachgoers.

At the suggestion of Boyd, Titsworth said city leaders will look at the Holmes Boulevard corridor to see if there is any opportunity to safely add more parking without creating a hazard for the pedestrians and bicyclists who often use the road.

Van Ostenbridge committed to looking further into the possibility of building a parking garage at the public beach and submitted a proposal to city commissioners for the project. Since a parking garage is not an approved use in the recreational zone, the project would need two public hearings along with consideration by the Holmes Beach Planning Commission to add the use to the zoning district. If an increase in height limitations in the city is required for the parking garage proposal, it would have to be approved through a charter amendment by Holmes Beach voters before permits for construction could be issued by the city building department.

Another project that Van Ostenbridge agreed to work on is reviewing all public beach access points in the community and determining if they can be acquired through eminent domain for the benefit of the county. He said he’s identified four beach access points with existing easements and wants to avoid conflicts like the one ongoing at 78th Street in Holmes Beach. Private property owners recently closed a long-used beach access path at the end of the street without notice to area residents, stating that the path is located on their private property and an easement that previously existed on the property is not enforceable.

City Attorney Erica Augello said that the easement on the 78th Street property for the path does not specify who the easement benefits and therefore cannot be enforced for public use.

Chappie asked Boyd during the meeting to look into broadening the use of tourist tax funds to see if they can be used to fund infrastructure and safety needs in the Anna Maria Island cities. Right now, those funds can only be used for projects benefitting tourism, such as the creation of a park.

Titsworth asked that state leaders consider giving a percentage of the bed tax funds back to the cities directly rather than restricting the use of the funds through the tourist tax program.

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

HOLMES BEACH – In the aftermath of a joint meeting with Manatee County commissioners, Holmes Beach city leaders are trying to figure out their next steps toward building a better relationship with county leaders.

During a March 8 work session, Holmes Beach commissioners went over their notes from the joint meeting, held March 1. They also took public comment on the meeting to help gauge public opinion following the discussion, which primarily revolved around beach parking.

Holmes Beach resident Izzy Skye, representing a group of residents attending the meeting, thanked commissioners for holding firm to their stance on not reopening residential streets near the beach to public parking.

“You cannot pave our paradise to put up your parking lot,” Skye said, speaking about the discussion where Manatee County commissioners suggested building a large parking garage at Manatee Beach. “Visitors are coming to see a preserve. This is no place for a concrete jungle.”

About the March 1 meeting, Commissioner Terry Schaefer said, “I think it was a good opportunity to look the county commissioners in the eye and see the kind of people they are.” He added that it was “obvious” that the primary objective of Manatee County commissioners was to discuss parking, something that Holmes Beach commissioners weren’t willing to change their stance on. But Schaefer said he feels there is still room for more discussions with county leaders, a sentiment echoed by his fellow commissioners.

“It was a beginning,” he said. “I’m not discouraged.”

While Holmes Beach commissioners understand that there are a growing number of Manatee County residents and visitors every year who want to go to the beaches on Anna Maria Island, they also feel that it’s the issue of county leaders to provide parking and facilities for the people wishing to access county beaches. Mayor Judy Titsworth said that she doesn’t have a problem with visitors to the Island – she said she welcomes them – however, there is only so much space available on the 7-mile island, about three of which are occupied by the city of Holmes Beach.

HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer said that, using the city’s license plate reader cameras, he counted 9 million cars coming into Holmes Beach across Manatee Avenue in 2020, increasing to 9.6 million in 2021.

In an effort to work with the county to find solutions to parking problems, and hopefully address some of the city’s concerns in a future joint meeting, she said she’s having City Attorney Erica Augello look at the lease for the land where the Island Branch Library sits to see if that parking lot can be used for overflow beach parking while the library is closed without violating the land grant from the Holmes family, which donated the property to the city.

As a stop-gap measure, Manatee County commissioners voted unanimously on March 8 to enter into an agreement with the Manatee County School Board to use the more than 60 spaces at Anna Maria Elementary School in Holmes Beach as overflow beach parking. During the joint meeting, Titsworth said that if the county wants to use the school for excess beach parking, they need to provide trash and restroom facilities along with a flashing beacon or crossing guard for the crosswalk. While county commissioners were amenable to providing portable restrooms and trash cans, they balked at providing a crossing guard or flashing beacon for the crosswalk traversing Gulf Drive.

“I think the dialogue is open and that’s good,” Commissioner Jayne Christenson said, adding that she thinks Holmes Beach commissioners need to step back and assess what they can do to address some of the issues. She suggested rebranding the city as a community across social media and the internet rather than as a vacation destination.

Commissioners agreed to have another work session to discuss potential action items before scheduling another meeting with county commissioners.

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