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Holmes Beach tree lighting group

Holmes Beach Christmas tree glows

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

HOLMES BEACH – It was a festive evening Dec. 18 as the lights on the new city Christmas tree lit up the evening sky for the first time.

The short ceremony was attended by more than a dozen people, including Mayor Judy Titsworth, Commissioners Jim Kihm and Carol Soustek, parks and beautification chair Zan Fuller and Dennis and Carole Groh, who donated the 10-year-old tree to the city. Refreshments for the event were donated by Scott’s Deli.

With the tree planted at city field near Holmes Beach City Hall, residents and visitors alike can watch as the blue cypress grows a foot or more each year. The blue cypress was donated to the city by the Grohs, who raised the towering tree from a sapling at their Holmes Beach home. This year, the tree is decorated with strands of white lights and a sparkling gold star topper.

Holmes Beach tree lighting
Frosty the Snowman guards the Holmes Beach city Christmas tree after the lighting of the blue cypress tree Dec. 18 at Holmes Beach city field. – Kristin Swain | Sun

After the lack of a city Christmas tree was brought up at a Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification meeting, Soustek contacted Groh to see what kind of tree would be appropriate to plant. Groh said he invited her over to his home to view the tree in his backyard and the visit ended with the tree being relocated to city field. Groh said the tree was planted on a raised berm to allow the roots to burrow into their new location without being subjected to flooding. With the careful relocation of the tree and care that it’s received from public works employees, Groh said it has an 80 percent chance of survival barring any natural disaster, such as a hurricane. The tree must remain staked for a year to allow the roots time to become established.

When it was planted, the tree was a matter of some concern to Titsworth and city engineer Lynn Burnett, who has been tasked with remodeling the city field complex.

The tree was planted during the transition period after the election and did not receive proper approval from city commissioners. Commissioners later voted to have the tree lighting but have not formally agreed to keep the tree in its current location. If moved, Groh said the tree would not be able to withstand the shock and would die.

During the December parks and beautification meeting, Titsworth committed to trying to work with the current location of the tree, near the pavilion at city field, though she said future plans would need to go through appropriate channels to be approved.

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Holmes Beach gets a Christmas tree

Mobility program dropped in favor of ban

Bike share regulations on hold

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

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners are moving forward with a moratorium blocking bike and scooter share companies from setting up shop in the city but are waiting to tackle any regulations until January.

During the Dec. 11 regular commission meeting, Commissioners Jim Kihm, Rick Hurst and Kim Rash voted unanimously to approve the second reading of a six-month moratorium banning bicycle and scooter share services, whether they have a dock or not, from opening in the city. The moratorium continues through June 30 or when commissioners decide on regulations, if any, for the businesses, whichever comes first. If no agreement on regulations is reached, commissioners have the option to vote to extend the moratorium.

With Commissioners Pat Morton and Carol Soustek absent from the meeting and following work session, Hurst suggested postponing discussions about regulations until a future work session when the two can be present, particularly Morton who is an avid cyclist.

Commissioner Rash said that while he’s willing to discuss regulations, currently he doesn’t feel that unmanned bicycle rental stations are truly needed in the city with the amount of existing bicycle rental businesses.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said she understands Rash’s perspective, but that the bicycle share services would offer short-term rentals rather than the daily or weekly rentals offered by companies in Holmes Beach.

The moratorium does not impact existing bicycle or scooter rental services already established in the city.

When commissioners do discuss regulations, City Attorney Patricia Petruff said they should consider whether they want the services in the city at all, if the bicycles need to be docked or not, how many bicycles a company is allowed to place in Holmes Beach at one time, what the effects on parking may be and whether the bicycles can be placed for rent on private or public property.

Commissioners next meet Jan. 8 with a work session to follow the regular meeting.

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Holmes Beach skate park concept new

Skate park plans move forward

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

HOLMES BEACH – The city’s current skate park may be going away but a new one is in the works, one that includes a 5,000 square-foot plaza section and may even have a skating bowl if funds can be raised.

City engineer Lynn Burnett and American Ramp Company lead designer Tito Porrata appeared before commissioners Dec. 11 to present a concept design for the new Holmes Beach skate park. The design was met with overwhelming approval by city commissioners and the local skateboarding community.

“I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of this design,” Commissioner Jim Kihm said.

Porrata presented a design for a 5,000 square-foot plaza with a quarter pipe, flat rails, pyramids and ledges for skaters to practice on. The plaza is set to be created primarily of cement with some different materials used for various skating elements. Rather than fencing in the park, he suggested using a natural fence created by landscaping that would allow police officers to see into the park from the road but also trap any wayward skateboards and help protect skaters from wayward vehicles that might find their way off the roadway. He also presented an idea for an additional skating area, a 2,000 square-foot, three to four feet deep skating bowl placed over the existing retention pond at the corner of Marina Drive near city hall.

Holmes Beach skate park Marina Drive
This view shows how the proposed layout for the new plaza-style skate park will look when gazing to the north down Marina Drive. – Submitted

While the design and construction of the plaza area are projected to cost $150,000, taking the city’s entire available budget for the skate park, the bowl would cost another $100,000. To install the additional section, Burnett said the city would either have to acquire the additional funds through grants or fundraising, ideally before construction is finished on the plaza section to eliminate additional mobilization costs. Construction on the plaza is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

Local skateboarder Jack Coleman said he thinks the proposed new park will be amazing. “If the bowl is added,” he said, “I’ll have zero reason to leave the Island ever.”

Another local skateboarder Matt Bauer said he likes the bowl transition but if that doesn’t come to fruition, he still approves of the new plaza design for the skate park. “It’s a great design,” he said. “I’m stoked. This is awesome.”

“I am stoked as well,” Mayor Judy Titsworth said, “and I’m not a skater.” She added that her nephews who are skaters are happy commissioners are considering the bowl addition.

Commissioners approved the plaza design along with the bowl design and gave Burnett the green light to move forward in the design phase with the caveat that construction of the bowl can be added at a later date if the funds are raised. Commissioner Kim Rash suggested pursuing grants, fundraising and also potential business or residential sponsorship of different park elements to help raise the additional $100,000 for the bowl.

With commission approval for the new park, Burnett said she would move forward with the demolition of the current skate park, which will become a staging area, move construction equipment from the current staging area by the small dog park and begin work on the dog park and skate park.

Kihm said that after all of the discussion, he’s “glad to see things moving to the implementation phase.”

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Castles in the Sand

Red tide, hurricanes and interest rates

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Uncategorized.

It’s been a strange year and a few months for real estate. Irma took a toll, although not a devastating one, but enough for us and prospective buyers to sit up and take notice. Then the red tide rolled into town and took its time leaving, with traces still floating around, and then interest rates went up, putting a damper on the housing market nationally and the potential that it could trickle down to us. In spite of, this Anna Maria Island still keeps moving forward with selling prices holding and buyers still looking.

Since everyone in real estate, homeowners and professionals alike, are always interested in the upper end of the market, it’s time to do an analysis of $1 million and over sales and listings for residential properties including condos and vacant land. We’ll take a look at July, August, September and October. The closed property numbers are from the Manatee County Property Appraisers Office and the available or pending properties as of this writing are from realtor.com.

Cortez had two properties close over $1 million; last time this tiny area didn’t have any. The city of Anna Maria had 17 properties $1 million or over close during these months ranging from $1,000,000 to $2,500,000; during the previous analysis, there were nine. The combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach had 14 over $1 million closings during these months, ranging from $1,100,000 to $5,000,000. In the previous analysis, there were 19 sales.

As far as currently on the market or pending, Cortez has five, ranging from $1,099,900 to $1,500,000, which is a waterfront lot. During the previous analysis, there were four properties in this price range. The city of Anna Maria currently has 51 properties over $1 million, ranging from $1,049,000 to $5,200,000. Of these, two are over $3 million, and two are over $4 million. Last time, Anna Maria had 64 properties listed at $1 million or more.

And the combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach have 68 properties currently listed over $1 million, ranging from $1,000,000 to $7,775,000, which is a large waterfront parcel of land. Of these, two are over $3 million, three are $4 million or over and one is over $5 million. Last time these cities had 77 properties available in this price range.

Although not exact, the numbers are fairly consistent. Much of the country is experiencing a slowdown of the real estate market because of the lack of inventory driving up prices but resulting in lower sales. We too see that in our marketplace, but we also have the additional element of a reputation for hurricanes and the persistent red tide, which is getting a lot of media publicity around the country. Now that we’re getting into the busy selling season, we should have a clearer idea of the availability of buyers.

I was on Palm Beach Island for a weekend a few weeks ago, and $1 million properties don’t even exist on that island. But on this Island, we have plenty, and, hopefully, that trend will continue into the new year.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and merry holiday.

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No Christmas gifts for foreign buyers

Tax overhaul saved one thing

Anticipating condo special assessments

Holmes Beach Christmas tree

Holmes Beach gets a Christmas tree

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

HOLMES BEACH – After the idea of having a live Christmas tree came up in the October parks and beautification committee meeting, it didn’t take long for one to be planted at city field with the idea that residents can watch the blue cypress Christmas tree grow year after year.

Once the committee brought up the idea, liaison Commissioner Carol Soustek decided to follow up on it with committee member Dennis Groh. Groh just happened to have a 10-year-old blue cypress that he’d grown from a sapling in his backyard. He donated the tree to the city and it was quickly moved to city field where it was replanted and is planned to be decorated with Christmas lights and lit on Dec. 18 in a city-sponsored lighting ceremony, with commission approval. City commissioners will vote on the matter during their Dec. 11 meeting.

“It was a brilliant idea,” Soustek said, adding that she hopes the tree will help to bring the community together and spread some holiday cheer. “Things started falling into place like it was meant to be.”

At the Dec. 5 parks and beautification meeting, Mayor Judy Titsworth said the tree was moved to city field and replanted without going through the proper approval channels. She said the location of the tree, near the pavilion, is problematic because it is in the path of a planned, but not approved, grand entrance to the park complex. The complex is currently in the design phase with city engineer Lynn Burnett at the helm. Titsworth said she expects the commission to approve the tree and planned tree lighting ceremony but is concerned that the tree may have to be moved to a different location.

“If you move the tree it won’t make it,” Groh said. “You can’t move a tree like that twice.”

In its current location with lots of care from public works employees and staked for a year so that its roots can establish themselves, Groh said the tree has an 80 percent or better chance of survival. He said the roots wouldn’t survive the shock of being dug up and moved again.

“It’s a beautiful tree,” Titsworth said, adding that the city would do its best to work with the current location. “It’s an oops we can live with.”

A tree lighting ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 18 with light refreshments provided.

chamber tree lighting music

Crowds celebrate in Holmes Beach

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Family fun, Holiday.

HOLMES BEACH – It was a celebration of community and the start of the holiday season as residents and visitors alike gathered for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree at the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce.

chamber tree lighting
The Island Chamber’s tree-lighting ceremony drew several hundred revelers enjoying the festivities of the Holmes Beach Holiday Open House. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Businesses reported that more people than the previous year turned out for the Holiday Open House Friday night, held in the city’s central business district near the intersection of Gulf and Marina Drives. It might have been the perfect weather or cabin fever from the past weeks of red tide, but the visitors also spent money, which the merchants needed.

The open house also included A Paradise Realty’s 2018 Toys for Tots wine and tapas tasting with Hurricane Hank’s supplying the food and wine.

The celebration started around the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the annual event. The crowd gathered in the Chamber parking lot, sampling cookies and listening to music provided by CrossPointe Fellowship. Revelers also were greeted by the pirates of the Anna Maria Island Privateers and had the opportunity to climb aboard Santa’s sleigh to tell the man himself what they want for Christmas.

larry wilhelm ebenezer scrooge
Larry Wilhelm, dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge, entertained attendees by playing Christmas carols outside of the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island. – Kristin Swain | Sun

In years past, many people headed for the shopping centers before the Christmas tree lighting, but this year scrumptious snacks at Aqua Aveda next to the Chamber kept the visitors around. There was a “Christmas Vacation” moment when the tree’s lights came on, then all of the lights in the parking lot went off. It was only temporary, and the lights came back on and stayed that way, receiving a round of cheers and applause from onlookers.

The shops and art outlets reported good sales and the Toys for Tots donations also were plentiful. The merchants were thankful and hopeful that the event was the start of a business rebound from the lingering effects of red tide.

Holmes Beach swearing in commission

New Holmes Beach elected officials sworn in

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

HOLMES BEACH – Nov. 29 was a day of celebration in the city commission chambers at city hall as the city’s new mayor, commissioners and charter review commission members took the oaths of their offices.

The chamber was packed with cheering friends, family members, supporters and city hall staff as each person stepped up to take the oath, administered by City Clerk Stacey Johnston.

Holmes Beach swearing in charter
City Clerk Stacey Johnston swears in members of the city’s new charter review commission, David Zaccagnino, Sean Murphy, Edward Upshaw, Claudia Carlson and Nancy Deal. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Elected to the charter review commission are Claudia Carlson, Nancy Deal, Sean Murphy, Edward Upshaw and David Zaccagnino. The charter review commission is expected to begin meeting in January.

Commissioner Pat Morton stepped up to take the oath for the ninth time, having first been elected to the city commission in 2003.

Holmes Beach swearing in pat
City Clerk Stacey Johnston congratulates Commissioner Pat Morton on his re-election. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The new commissioner on the dais this year is Commissioner Kim Rash, who received the most votes in the November election. This is Rash’s first term as commissioner.

Holmes Beach swearing in kim
Commissioner Kim Rash takes the oath of office. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Commissioner turned Mayor Judy Titsworth also took the oath of office, making her the fifth female mayor of Holmes Beach.

After the formalities were completed and the elected officials had a moment to be congratulated by their family and friends, the commissioners and mayor took to the dais for the city’s annual organizational meeting.

Holmes Beach swearing in judy
Mayor Judy Titsworth is sworn in as the fifth female mayor of Holmes Beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Commissioner Jim Kihm was elected as the new chair in a 4-1 vote with Morton dissenting. Morton was elected as vice-chair for the city commission in a 3-2 vote with Kihm and Rash dissenting.

At the end of the meeting, Rash took the opportunity to thank his friends, family and supporters who helped him make his way to a commission seat. “We had a real uphill battle,” he said.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer greeted the newly elected officials by saying, “Welcome to all and good luck.” Building Official Jim McGuinness also offered his congratulations.

As the meeting concluded, Titsworth said she’s feeling good about her new position and is “ready to get going.”

Kihm said he was happy to be elected as commission chair and said he’s looking forward to working with the new commission and hopes the coming year will be a good one for the city.

Also attending the meeting was former Mayor Bob Johnson, who said he’s feeling good about sitting on the other side of the dais and is looking forward to political retirement to spend more time with his wife and family.

The newly seated commission is scheduled to have its first regular meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at city hall.

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Holmes Beach mayor Joshua Linney

Former mayoral candidate faces inquiry

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

HOLMES BEACH – Defeated 2018 mayoral candidate Joshua Linney is no stranger to scrutiny when it comes to his past, but now the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is investigating his military service.

Special Agent Doug Williams, with the criminal investigation division of the department, is investigating Linney for fraud and misrepresentation of his time in the service of the U.S. Army. Though Williams did not specify the charges, he said he felt confident in the case he’s building against Linney.

After speaking with Williams, Linney said he has paperwork to fill out but feels disheartened that, in his opinion, the government is attempting to withdraw his veterans’ benefits, particularly those related to his 2012 post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, rather than attempting to treat the disease.

Rather than be investigated for fraud, Linney said he would appreciate the opportunity to undergo treatment, find the root cause of his PTSD and become more functional and able to hold down a typical job rather than rely on finding one that offers flexible hours to help combat his physical ailments and anxiety. He said he hopes to use the inquiry into his service record and previous diagnosis to bring more attention to effective ways to treat veterans issues, including PTSD, anxiety and other service-related disorders.

Prior to running for mayor, Linney served as a private first class in the Army from September 1993 until August 1996 when he was honorably discharged for medical reasons. During his time in the service, Linney was deployed to Southwest Asia for 43 days as a cook during Operation Vigilant Warrior, a mission to dispel an Iraqi threat on the Kuwait border. Though he was never involved in a direct combat situation, Linney said his experiences overseas left him with Gulf War Syndrome, a catch-all illness applied to military personnel deployed to Southwest Asia and returning with medically unexplained chronic symptoms ranging from headaches to PTSD.

Williams said he’s seeking to disprove Linney’s benefit claims and hopes to pursue a conviction through the U.S. Attorney General’s office.

Linney said he’s complying with the requests of investigators, and feels the inquiry is the result of the scrutiny of his service record during his campaign for mayor of Holmes Beach, and possibly a misunderstanding stemming from a 2007 PTSD episode.

During the election, Linney came under media scrutiny due to inconsistencies in different versions of his self-written biographies. He attributed the inconsistencies to misunderstandings and miscommunications.

Linney said he continues to work to uphold the promises he made while running for political office, including getting a ferry to Holmes Beach and a trolley park-and-ride service from 75th Street in Bradenton to the beach.

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HB Fish Canal

Holmes Beach officials responding to fish floating in canals

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

HOLMES BEACH – Holmes Beach city officials are aware of the dead fish floating in some of Holmes Beach’s residential canals and they are working to rectify the situation.

One of the most visible instances is in the canal along Marina Drive, near 63rd Street.

On Friday, Nov. 23, outgoing Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson said members of the city’s Public Works Department would be out in the city boat Saturday morning removing dead fish from canals. He said the fish removed would be placed in a designated dumpster and pick up by WastePro by noon on Saturday.

“We’re working on it. What we’ve been doing is picking these things up every couple days because they’ve been at different places at different times, depending on which way the wind blows. The other side of that is getting rid of the fish, so we have a dumpster service that we use. We don’t leave them in the dumpster overnight because that also causes problems,” Johnson said.

“They’re trying to keep up with it,” Police Chief Bill Tokajer later added.

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said he hadn’t received any reports of dead fish floating in Anna Maria’s canals. He said if he gets any reports of that nature he would reach out to the Cortez commercial fishermen who earlier this year assisted the city with its red tide-related shoreline cleanup efforts along South Bay Boulevard.

Captain’s concerns

On Thursday, Nov. 22, Holmes Beach resident and charter fishing captain Scott Moore suggested at his Facebook page that it would be smart for the city of Holmes Beach to remove the dead fish as soon as possible because that would benefit the Island’s residents and visitors. He also stated his view that it’s more environmentally sound to remove the fish quickly rather than allowing them to sink to the bottom and decompose.

When contacted Friday, Moore said, “Most of them are mullet, it’s a shame. As soon as those fish pop up, they need to get them. They shouldn’t wait until they’re half-rotted because once they start to decay and rot that puts nutrients back in the water that can help regenerate red tide.”

Moore said these views were shaped in part by scientific opinions cited at a meeting he attended after the red tide blooms began appearing near Anna Maria Island in early August.

“Hopefully they can clean that up because it’s hard on the tourism. I’m not complaining about Holmes Beach, I know they’re limited. A month ago, Holmes Beach workers came down and cleaned up my canal,” Moore said.

Moore said he was also aware of dead fish floating in other nearby residential canals, including canals in Key Royale and Seaside Gardens.

On a more positive note, Moore said the water on the Gulf side looked good.

“The beach is beautiful. The water at 28th Street is beautiful. It’s only on the bay side, and some in Palma Sola too. I caught a lot of fish in the river near Terra Ceia this week. The water there was good,” Moore said.

Social media commentary

On Wednesday, Nov. 21, Anna Maria resident Cheri Sackett initiated a Facebook conversation that started with her post that said, “The canal by 63rd St. is littered with dead fish again.”

HB Fish Facebook 1128 S
On Wednesday, Anna Maria resident Cheri Sackett posted this on her Facebook page, which then generated responses from several other users. – Facebook | Submitted

Facebook user Rich Bell noted this is something Island visitors would notice when visiting or passing through Holmes Beach.

“Go net the canal,” he suggested.

Brett Nance posted a response that said he cruised in his boat and spotted several large dead fish floating in the canals and by the Kingfish Boat Ramp too.

A few Facebook users commented on how the lingering red tide is affecting their respiratory health and the unpleasant smell it created at times.

According the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website, the red tide levels offshore of Manatee County between Nov. 15 and Nov. 21 remained within 5 percent (positive or negative) of the levels recorded the previous week.

 

https://amisun.com/2018/11/23/patchy-red-tide-forecast-at-high-levels/

License plate readers coming to Holmes Beach

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

HOLMES BEACH – It’s official, a five-camera license plate recognition system is coming to the city, costing $105,240 for 5 years, not including $40 per month for wireless internet service to each camera.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer presented the quote for the system from Vetted Security Solutions LLC out of St. Petersburg for the Vigilant camera system. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the project but also said that outside of the monthly charge for wireless internet access, any costs over the $105,240 will have to come back before commissioners for approval. The approved agreements include the purchase and installation of the cameras and related system, software to run it and five years of maintenance for the entire system.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to approve a LPR system user agreement with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that Tokajer will have to bring back before them annually for approval. The user agreement allows FDLE to access the LPR system’s records with cause in the event of a crime taking place on the Island or officers believing a suspect may have been on the Island before or after the crime was committed.

The LPR system reads everyone’s license plates, but it only sends an alert to officers in certain situations, such as a suspended driver’s license, the registration is more than a month or so out of date, the vehicle is stolen, or the owner has an outstanding warrant. Tokajer said police also will be able to pull the recordings from certain time periods to help solve crimes that occur on the Island.

“It’s a beneficial tool for law enforcement,” he said. “This system brings us up to date with current technology.”

Commissioner Jim Kihm said he would like to see reports regularly that show commissioners how the system is being used by police and how it’s helping to reduce crime in Holmes Beach.

Holmes Beach vrc presentation chief

Vacation rental changes on hold for now

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

HOLMES BEACH – It’s been a long, sometimes rough road for the city’s vacation rental certificate program and the code enforcement officers who oversee it since the program’s inception two years ago. Now with the first round of certificate renewals occurring, commissioners are re-evaluating the program.

On second reading, an amendment to the VRC program failed due to a list of questions and concerns voiced by Commissioner Jim Kihm that caused his fellow commissioners to agree to take the amendment back to a work session rather than vote to approve the suggested changes. The amendment will now be studied by commissioners in a work session before returning to regular meetings for two public hearings and votes before any changes can be enacted.

The decision came the same day that Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer hosted a stakeholder public forum for short-term rental owners and agents to come to learn about the proposed changes to the program and ask any questions. Now those changes may or may not materialize.

The primary reason for enacting the changes to the program was to give code enforcement officers the ability to immediately fine property owners for some violations of the certificate program including misleading advertising, renting for higher occupancy than allowed or for fewer days than permitted, and for not including the unit’s VRC number on advertising. With the program in its second year, Tokajer said the ticketing changes would help to reinforce the city’s stance on violating the program.

vrc delay lynn tran
Rental property owner Lynn Tran appeared before commissioners Nov. 13 during public comment to explain why the additional advertising requirements proposed in an update to the city’s vacation rental certificate program could be problematic for short-term rental owners and agents. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Rental owner Lynn Tran spoke to commissioners during public comment about the proposed changes to the program and how requiring property owners and agents to add more information to advertisements could become a hardship due to increased cost. She suggested finding a compromise between what the city wants and what’s considered reasonable for owners.

Though the changes to the VRC are going back to a work session for further review and discussion, commissioners did vote unanimously in favor of approving a contract with Host Compliance LLC in San Francisco for $30,600 to monitor rental advertisements for Holmes Beach properties online and alert police when a potential violation of the rental certificate program is noted. Sample violations include the advertised length of stay or occupancy and the lack of a VRC or business tax receipt number in the advertisement.

Once alerted of a potential violation, Tokajer said police would do their own investigation to determine if the property owner or agent is in violation of the VRC program and issue a citation, if necessary.

Holmes Beach mike norman rezone

Real estate office rezone approved

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

HOLMES BEACH – Despite some concerns from the public, city commissioners voted unanimously to allow an increase in intensity of use at the 3101 Gulf Drive office of Michael Norman Realty, rezoning the C-1 commercial property to a C-2.

As a C-1 commercial property, the location could primarily only house an office. With a C-2 designation, future generations of the Norman family may choose to turn it into a coffee shop, café, or retail space. The use of the building will be held back primarily by the lack of onsite parking and lack of space to expand the 1,200 square-foot building, according to city planner Bill Brisson.

Though a majority of planning commissioners voted that the rezoning project is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, the decision wasn’t reached without some serious discussion. Planning Commissioner Barbara Hines appeared at the Nov. 13 city commission meeting where the rezone was undergoing a final public hearing and vote to voice her concerns as a resident.

Hines said her concerns are that allowing an increase of intensity at the property will cause problems for an already clogged intersection at East Bay and Gulf drives. She also expressed concern that allowing more than an office in the spot could compromise the adjacent conservation lands which are a part of Grassy Point Preserve. Hines encouraged commissioners to deny the request for rezoning at this point and reconsider it when the property owner has plans for how to utilize the property.

Holmes Beach resident Robin Rouse, who owns a condo overlooking the property at 3100 Gulf Drive, said she’s concerned about the future of the real estate office and wants her neighborhood to remain “calmer and more quiet.”

Commissioner Rick Hurst questioned Brisson’s approval of the rezone, asking if he would still be comfortable with it if the property was turned into a Starbucks or other popular café.

Brisson said he doesn’t envision a company like Starbucks wanting the property because of its small size and few parking spaces. He did say that he’s comfortable with the location having some intensity of use and that any future use of the property would need to be approved by the sitting commission at the time the site plan request comes up, not now when no plans have been made. Right now, he said the property owner meets all of the requirements for the rezone which is all commissioners should consider.

“Everything else is a later decision,” he said.

“If the applicant meets the requirements for a rezone and it is consistent with the comprehensive plan it should be approved,” city attorney Patricia Petruff said. She didn’t recommend waiting for future plans to consider rezoning the property.

Planner Darenda Marvin, speaking on behalf of the property owner, said her clients have no plans to change the use of the building at this time, they just want options for future generations who may not want a real estate office or for the day that having a physical location is no longer needed.

“I see C-2 as a viable request and support it wholeheartedly,” Commissioner Judy Titsworth said just before the vote was cast in favor of the rezoning project.

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Planning commissioners consider commercial rezone

holmes beach planning thank you

Planning commissioners consider commercial rezone

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

HOLMES BEACH – What started out as a potentially simple commercial rezoning request for an office building currently owned and occupied by Mike Norman Realty was a hard sell for some planning commissioners.

Tasked with determining whether or not a request to change the commercial zoning of the property is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, planning commissioners found themselves divided on the issue. Currently, the 1,200 square-foot building is zoned C-1, which allows only for offices in the space.

The owners at Mike Norman Realty requested a rezone to C-2, which would allow a retail establishment or small café to open up shop in the space. City planner Bill Brisson said the size of the business and any increases in size to the existing structure would be severely hampered by lot coverage requirements and the small amount of on-site parking available. Some planning commissioners worried about allowing an increase in intensity of use in the space because it’s bordered partly by conservation lands included in Grassy Point Preserve.

Planning Commissioner Jayne Christenson said she feels the property is more consistent with being claimed as conservation land and a part of the preserve, not as a continuation of the commercial space on two sides of the property.

Planning Commissioner Scott Boyd, a former city planner, argued that from a pure planning perspective, the real estate office property appears to be a case of spot zoning and should be allowed to expand its commercial business options for future use.

“There’s no need to change it until they tell us why they want to do it,” Christenson said.

Planner Darenda Marvin, speaking on behalf of the property owners, said that the request for a rezone is to allow for different future uses of the property if it was determined at some point that the realty company didn’t need to maintain a physical office or future generations of the family want to use the property for another purpose. She said currently there is no plan to close the realty office.

“I think this is a terrible idea,” Planning Commissioner Barbara Hines said. “If it was consistent, we wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. If this motion passes I feel it would be a shameful day for Holmes Beach and this commission.”

“We all worry about what may happen in the future,” Chair Charles Stealey said. “Everyone has rights.”

The matter moves back before city commissioners for a final public hearing and vote Nov. 13.

Holmes Beach election group

Holmes Beach has a new mayor

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

HOLMES BEACH – Election Day is coming to a close and a new mayor and new commissioners will take the dais at the city’s organizational meeting Nov. 19.

Holmes Beach mayoral candidates
Holmes Beach mayoral candidate Judy Titsworth answers a question while fellow candidate Joshua Linney looks on during The Sun’s candidate forum held at city hall. – Gail Swain | Sun

Former commissioner and newly-elected Mayor Judy Titsworth took home 79.3 percent of the vote with political newcomer Joshua Linney bringing in 20.7 percent. Though he’s never served on the dais, Linney was previously a member of the city’s parks and beautification committee.

In the commission race, Commissioner Pat Morton was re-elected, bringing in 36 percent of the votes. Morton was first elected to the commission in 2003. This will be his eighth term.

Holmes Beach election Kim
Holmes Beach commission candidate Kim Rash greets voters outside of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church along with his daughter Melissa Rash and granddog Bella. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The new commissioner on the dais will be Kim Rash who ended election night with 36 percent of the vote. Though Rash is no stranger to local politics, this will be his first term as commissioner.

Landing in the third spot is political newcomer and local real estate agent Don Purvis, who ended the night with 28 percent of the vote, just shutting him out of claiming one of the two available commission seats.

In the race for one of five positions on the newly-formed charter review board, eight candidates threw their hats in the ring – Jay Calhoun, Claudia Carlson, Nancy Deal, Major Leckie, Sean Murphy, Johnny Rigney, Edward Upshaw and David Zaccagnino. The five who will be reviewing the city’s charter and determining what issues to place in front of voters in November 2019 as charter amendments are Claudia Carlson, Nancy Deal, Sean Murphy, Edward Upshaw and David Zaccagnino, the five candidates who brought in the majority of resident votes.

According to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, there are 2,810 registered voters across two precincts in Holmes Beach. Out of that number, 1003 voted either in person or by mail, representing 35.7 percent of eligible voters.

artsHOP 2018 artist

Rain doesn’t stop artsHOP

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Art, Entertainment, Events, Festivals.

BRADENTON BEACH – The artsHOP celebration got off to an inauspicious start when rain started to fall a few hours before it began on Bridge Street last Friday.

Shop owners were ready for the art lovers, but would they brave the rain to come out?

As the sun set, the rain let up and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“This is great, despite the rain,” said Gaydon Shell, owner of The Cove. “We got a great online presence going, and it’s a great opportunity for artists and outlets to get exposure.”

Down Bridge Street, at the Bridge Tender Inn, organizers Diane Phinney and Debra Wing had wooden skimmers and gift baskets on display, out of the dwindling rain.

“This is all coming together, and I see more people walking around,” said Phinney.

The theme of this year’s artsHOP is “Follow the Flock” in honor of skimmers, birds that nest on Anna Maria Island’s beaches. Artists will be selling paintings of the birds with proceeds going to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

Artists decorated the dozens of birds to sell with proceeds going to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

As the sidewalks got busier, Wing praised the people who were there.

artsHOP 2018 demonstration
Artist Polly Tetrault applies color with a small blow torch at the Studio at Gulf and Pine. – Tom Vaught | Sun

“The rain didn’t stop them, and we’re off to a slow, but growing start,” she said. “We want to promote all the artists who feature the beauty of the Island and make it a wonderful place to live or visit.”

The next day, visitors to Pine Avenue in Anna Maria enjoyed better weather. The Anna Maria Island Historical Museum treated visitors to live music and opportunities to purchase raffle tickets for lavish gift baskets.

At the Studio at Gulf and Pine artists conducted demonstrations, and there was food and music by Jenna Smith. Music for the three-day event is sponsored by The Ugly Grouper.

On Friday, Nov. 9, the 12th Annual artsHOP concludes in Holmes Beach from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Shops and galleries throughout Holmes Beach and Waterline Marina Resort will feature local art demonstrations, live music and more. Basket raffle prize drawings will be held at the Ugly Grouper starting at 8 p.m.

artsHOP is sponsored by Cultural Connections to highlight Anna Maria Island’s arts and culture. Admission to artsHOP is free.