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County leaders play blame game over Kingfish funding

County leaders play blame game over Kingfish funding

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

MANATEE COUNTY – A proposed project at Kingfish Boat Ramp won’t be happening and county leaders are placing the blame for it squarely on the shoulders of city officials in Holmes Beach.

County staff members, with County Administrator Scott Hopes adding his voice to the group, said they are prepared to cancel grant funding of $4,500,000 from the Gulf Coast Consortium for planned renovations at the boat ramp, including paving, adding launch lanes, bathrooms, new dock facilities and other changes.

Two of the proposed changes that garnered the most public attention were the planned removal of dozens of trees along with the removal of a popular tree-shaded picnic area and the elimination of parking spaces to serve as a stormwater retention area until the Anna Maria Bridge is one day replaced. Though it’s designed, construction on a new bridge is not yet funded through the Florida Department of Transportation.

During a Sept. 13 county commission meeting, Hopes and other members of staff said that the reason the grant funding was being canceled is that a permit for construction from the city could not be obtained in time to complete construction before the November 2023 expiration of a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) permit. As that permit had already been granted multiple extensions by the department, staff members said it couldn’t be extended again. In addition to the outstanding construction permit from the city, other permits also were mentioned as still needed for the project, including one from Manatee County.

Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said he would like to see if there’s some way to recoup the funds that the county has already spent on the project in staff time, engineering fees and other costs. He suggested suing the city, but was cautioned against that action by the county attorney, who stated that the permit application hadn’t been denied by city leaders.

In an Aug. 25 email to Hopes, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said that the permit application was progressing through the city’s approval process for site plan changes. She said she was told by city staff that the changes planned for the boat ramp required site plan approval by the city commission to comply with Manatee County codes under the annexation agreement for the boat ramp. Titsworth said that city staff notified the county’s representative for the project, Michael D’Angelo, of the site plan approval requirement on June 7 and 22. She added that building department staff was notified by the county’s project engineer on July 6 that the Kingfish project was put on hold. With no further communication from county representatives, Titsworth said she instructed city staff to continue with the internal site plan review, which was almost complete as of Aug. 25.

She added that she believes some of the delay with the project was due to county leadership signing a lease for the Kingfish property with the Florida Department of Transportation instead of FDEP.

In a Sept. 15 email to The Sun, Titsworth said that city leaders only had two points
of contention concerning the Kingfish project, the removal of Australian pine trees that provide shade and nesting habitats for birds along with the picnic area and the elimination of parking spaces on the east side of the boat ramp to turn that area into a stormwater retention area.

“This in no way held up any permitting process as Florida statutes do not give us that authority,” she said.

In a Sept. 14 email to city and county commissioners, Titsworth said, “Holmes Beach does not have the authority to withhold permitting. This had nothing to do with additional parking. The hold up was that the planning administrator made the county aware that the annexation agreement required Holmes Beach to administer the permit using the county’s own rules which required site plan approval. I am disheartened by the continued misinformation and deviation from the truth. These improvements also required a new lease between the county and DEP as the original lease was done in error as the ownership of the land was not FDOT. Unfortunately, the county could not complete this in the time constraints of the grant. This is no fault of the city.”

Thanks to the mayor

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

Dear Mayor (Judy) Titsworth,

I want to strongly thank you and any other Holmes Beach commissioners who have stood against county plans to remove Australian pines and the sand and shell parking from Kingfish Boat Ramp. Please do not back down.

It defies logic and all aesthetic considerations that anyone would destroy the perfect first impression people currently get of our community as they descend from the bridge. I find it absurd that people suddenly become environmental purists when it comes to one tree species, as they pave away to their heart’s content, erect a huge bridge, and do all they can to bring more and more automobiles into that same landscape they supposedly are trying to make native again.

The Australian pines offer much-needed shade and wildlife habitat. Apparently, the ospreys and herons do not realize they are not politically correct in their choice to nest and perch in those trees. The beauty of that area is rare, and there are many reasons to keep it looking as it does.

Thank you, Judy, for all your efforts to protect the charm and beauty of this precious home of ours.

I would appreciate it if you would share this letter with the other commissioners, to whom I also send best regards.

Sincerely,

Maro Lorimer

Holmes Beach

Bird nesting discovered in trees slated for woodchipper

Bird nest discovered in trees slated for woodchipper

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Birds, Featured, Outdoors.

HOLMES BEACH – Some Manatee County commissioners may have given up on the fight to save more than 80 trees planned for destruction at Kingfish Boat Ramp, but city officials and residents hope the discovery of an active great blue heron nest in one of the trees will change minds.

County Commissioner Carol Whitmore led the fight during a recent meeting to save the pines and palms slated for destruction or relocation at Kingfish as part of planned renovations at the popular park. However, Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge said that he didn’t think saving the trees is a fight that commissioners can win with the renovation plans already at 100% completion and a fall 2023 deadline for finishing the project looming.

Concern grows over Kingfish bird nests
Two great blue herons are believed to have at least one fledgling in an active nest perched in the branches of an Australian pine at Kingfish Boat Ramp. – Submitted | Jean Bystrom

Of the 120-140 trees in the park, more than 80 are planned to be removed or relocated to make way for more parking. All of the Australian pine trees, which provide shade along the shoreline and a place for birds to nest, are slated for destruction. As of May 28, dozens of trees at the boat ramp had been marked with caution tape, indicating they are to be removed, though no timeline for the removal was available as of press time for The Sun.

Some are hoping that the discovery of an active bird nest in one of the Australian pines will spur state representatives to halt the destruction of the trees and accompanying picnic area.

While Australian pines are considered an invasive species by the state of Florida, great blue herons are a protected nesting bird species, meaning that while an active nest is located in one of the pines, that tree cannot be disturbed. However, once fledgling herons leave the nest, the tree can be taken down under current regulations. With more and more trees that provide nesting areas for birds being demolished, some area residents are hoping that the nest will be enough to save the trees from the woodchipper.

Concern grows over Kingfish bird nests
All of the shade trees lining the picnic area at Kingfish Boat Ramp are marked for removal. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth sent an email to county commissioners asking them again to reconsider the plans for Kingfish and to involve city leaders in any future design plans. Though Kingfish is located in the city of Holmes Beach, it is a county-owned and maintained facility.

During a May 24 city commission meeting, Titsworth said that several of the trees are planned for demolition to make room for a trolley stop to accompany a 100-foot pier that may eventually be a stop for a water taxi, though county leaders have not applied with the city for a change of use for the property. She said that she’d sent photos of the nesting herons to state representatives with the hope that they will step in to halt the destruction of the trees. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission representatives have documented several great blue heron nests in the trees at Kingfish, many with fledglings, she added.

“I think we can be better than that,” she said of the planned tree removal.

Titsworth said the county’s renovation plans will have to go through the city’s planning commission approval process before permits can be issued. She added that if permits are approved, a note will be added that any change of use on the property, such as the addition of a water taxi stop, will require Holmes Beach Commission approval.

Resident Joe Arena said in an email to The Sun that he and his family are saddened by the planned destruction of the picnic area. He said that he and his wife have spent a lot of time relaxing at the picnic tables, enjoying the shade and bird watching.

Area resident Teal O’Fee said she hopes that county commissioners will listen to the concerns of their constituents over the destruction of the trees and nesting area and change course. She said she’s hoping more people will lend their voices to the cause and that a solution can be found to preserve the area.

As of press time for The Sun, no specific opportunities for public comment on the Kingfish renovations was scheduled with Manatee County commissioners, however, all commission meetings are open to the public and offer a public comment opportunity on any topic of concern.

The next county commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 7 at 8:30 a.m. at the Manatee County Government Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W. in Bradenton.

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Kingfish renovations make room for water taxi

 

Trees get the ax in Kingfish renovation plans

Kingfish renovations make room for water taxi

Kingfish renovations make room for water taxi

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

HOLMES BEACH – City and Manatee County leaders aren’t seeing eye to eye on the county’s renovation plans for the Kingfish Boat Ramp, where one vision includes a water taxi stop.

Responding to allegations that she would delay the issuance of building permits for the project, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth released a string of emails between herself, Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore and County Administrator Scott Hopes. The emails put Titsworth on record as stating that she could not delay the issuance of permits.

They also show that Hopes said an unexpected use at the boat ramp is being planned for – the future dockage of a water taxi service.

In a joint meeting earlier this year of city and county leaders, the potential for a water taxi service to Anna Maria Island from the mainland was mentioned. During that meeting, Titsworth noted that Holmes Beach does not have a place for a water taxi to dock, unlike the cities of Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach, which both have large bayside piers located within walking distance of those cities’ primary business districts.

At that meeting, she said that if county leaders want to pursue a water taxi site in Holmes Beach, the only place she could see with the potential for a dock site would be Kingfish Boat Ramp. She noted that the boat ramp is located several blocks from Manatee Beach, which could make taking the water taxi less attractive for beachgoers who bring a lot of gear for a day on the sand.

In the email conversation, Titsworth responded to the allegations made on the dais during a May 17 county commission meeting and said that she and the city’s staff fully support eliminating four to five parking spaces to allow more than 20 shade trees and the picnic area to remain intact at Kingfish.

In response, Hopes said that the county intends to use Kingfish as a stop for a future water taxi service, making the area that’s now a picnic spot a possible beach trolley stop for transportation to the public beach. The May 18 email goes on to say that the water taxi vendor the county is considering is incorporating Kingfish as the Holmes Beach service stop.

In her response, Titsworth asked whether a different trolley stop location could be considered, how many boaters could be displaced by the addition of a water taxi service at Kingfish and when city commissioners could expect to see a proposed site plan showing the new use at the park.

Hopes responded that the site plan already under consideration by staff with the Holmes Beach Building Department was valid, though it doesn’t include a water taxi, and asked that the permit applications for construction at Kingfish be processed as already presented.

Because Kingfish has a recreational zone, if a water taxi is to be brought to the park it will require an updated site plan to be brought before Holmes Beach commissioners for consideration to allow a change of use for the boat ramp. A dock to accommodate the water taxi also will have to be permitted for construction.

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Trees get the ax in Kingfish renovation plans

Trees get the ax in Kingfish renovation plans

Trees get the ax in Kingfish renovation plans

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

MANATEE COUNTY – Plans are underway to make significant changes at the Kingfish Boat Ramp in Holmes Beach, but those improvements are coming at a significant cost, namely the removal of a well-used picnic area and many of the park’s trees.

The project’s technical expert Tom Yarger answered questions from county commissioners about the renovation plans during a May 10 meeting. He said that there are approximately 130-140 trees at the boat ramp. To make space for additional launch lanes and parking that will be lost when the Anna Maria Island Bridge is eventually replaced, a lot of those trees will have to go.

Yarger said that 41 trees will be removed and 82 will be relocated. He did not state where those trees would be relocated. The trees are Australian pines that have been at the boat ramp for decades though they are not protected under Florida law and are considered a non-native species.

To accommodate the extension of the seawall at the boat ramp, not only will trees that provide shade along the waterline have to be removed, but a popular picnic area will be lost.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore, a Holmes Beach resident and former mayor of that town, said she couldn’t support the removal of the trees or picnic area and she also didn’t support paving the parking area.

Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said he was concerned about the removal of the trees, but he was more concerned about the paving and asked if it would be possible to replace the planned pavement with crushed shell.

County Administrator Dr. Scott Hopes said that commissioners could request a change order to determine if replacing the pavement with crushed shell would be a feasible option, but he felt it wasn’t an issue of major concern and that it was easier to launch boats on concrete than a softer surface, like crushed shell.

Van Ostenbridge said that he and Whitmore had both expressed concerns with the project for over a year and he felt that county staff was pushing the project through without addressing the issues with paving and tree removal.

“That is completely on you,” he said, addressing county staff members. “I’ve been saying I have an issue for over a year. Remember, we write the checks around here. You cash them.”

Though Whitmore said she didn’t know until the May 10 meeting that design for the improvement project was already 100% complete and that she had repeatedly asked county staff to put the Kingfish renovation on a work session agenda with a full presentation for commission discussion. She added that she was surprised to receive an email from Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth stating that a permit for construction at Kingfish had been applied for through the city’s building department. Whitmore went on to say that Titsworth had asked about the planned tree removal. When Whitmore said that she didn’t believe Titsworth would sign off on the needed construction permits due to the number of trees being removed at Kingfish, Hopes said that if Titsworth delays the permits, he would be prepared to file legal action against the city of Holmes Beach in a bid to force city leaders’ hands to issue the permits.

Hopes said that to reduce the number of trees planned for removal would require an entire redesign of the renovation project, which could cost the county a permit issued from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to complete the planned improvements. He stated that the FDEP permit had been issued once for a five-year period for renovations at Kingfish and been extended for another five years, expiring in November 2023. He said he doesn’t believe the department would give another extension on the permit if renovations were delayed any further.

“We’re out of time,” Hopes said.

Whitmore, along with some of her fellow commissioners, stated that if the matter was of such urgency, she didn’t understand why it was just now being addressed and at her request, not through a staff presentation. Yarger said that typically projects like the Kingfish renovation don’t require commission approval of the design until much later in the process when a contract comes before the board for construction.

“It’s wrong what we’re doing,” Whitmore said, adding that she wouldn’t support removal of the trees or paved parking at Kingfish. She also said she didn’t support taking legal action against the city of Holmes Beach if the issuance of permits was delayed.

Permit applications for construction at Kingfish are still under review by Holmes Beach building department staff as of press time for The Sun.

Van Ostenbridge said that while there might be a road to remove paving from the renovation plans, he felt that there was no way to win the battle for the trees at Kingfish. He proposed a motion to have staff bring back a change order for consideration to remove paving from the design plans, which passed with a 4-2 vote.

Bringing awareness to a silent killer

Bringing awareness to a silent killer

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, West Manatee Fire Rescue.

HOLMES BEACH – “Do you hear that silence? That is the sound of drowning,” West Manatee Fire Rescue Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski said, opening a discussion on the threats posed by not remaining vigilant around water.

Kwiatkowski was joined by Chief Ben Rigney, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, Manatee County Commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Carol Whitmore, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, Manatee County Marine Patrol Chief Joe Westerman and Manatee County Assistant Chief of Special Operations Sean Dwyer, among others, to speak at the event held March 10 at Kingfish Boat Ramp.

Of all of the people who spoke during the event, the most powerful and heart-wrenching testimony came from the Bardwell family who lost their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Lylah in 2021 due to drowning.

Tom and Courtney Bardwell recounted the events leading up to their child drowning in their backyard pool. Tom Bardwell, Lylah’s father, who was home with the toddler at the time of the accident, said that with all of the safety precautions in place to prevent the child from accessing their pool, including a pool fence, he stepped away to take a phone call. In that short amount of time, he said Lylah had apparently tossed a favorite toy over the pool fence and somehow made her way past all of the barriers to keep her out of the water without supervision.

Lylah Bardwell was one of 19 drowning or near-drowning victims under the age of 18 in Manatee County in the past 12 months.

Speaking from her experience, Titsworth said that she nearly lost one of her nephews to drowning when he was a child. Thankfully, she said the boy was found in time and able to be resuscitated. She encouraged everyone to make sure that there is a responsible adult keeping a close watch on everyone in their family or group when in the water, whether at a backyard pool or at the beach.

Dwyer echoed Titsworth’s recommendation, stating that drowning can happen quickly and in just a few inches of water. He said that in addition to making sure that there is an adult watching children swim, to swim near a lifeguard, if possible. He also recommended having someone who is CPR certified nearby. Additionally, he recommended making sure that all children are properly instructed on how to swim, a sentiment repeated by several of the speakers.

Westerman said that for anyone bringing children to the beach for spring break, make sure you swim where a trained lifeguard can observe and respond if an accident happens. He also encouraged beachgoers to learn about rip currents and how to avoid being sucked under and potentially drowning when encountering one.

He said the first thing to do when you realize you’re caught in a rip current is to not try to fight against it to get to shore. Instead, swim out or allow the current to pull you out, maintaining your head above water, and then swim to the side then back to shore once released from the current. Fighting against the rip current will sap your energy reserves and could increase the chance of drowning.

With spring break fully underway in Manatee County, Kwiatkowski said that there will be volunteers stationed in the mornings along Manatee Avenue leading to Manatee Beach waving signs to alert passersby about the initiative to prevent drowning and raise public awareness.

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Repairs on tap for local boat ramps

Repairs on tap for local boat ramps

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

MANATEE COUNTY – Members of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity (CME) met Aug. 12 and discussed what’s going on with the two boat ramps on Manatee Avenue West.

Liza Click with the Manatee County Parks and Recreation Department said that the anticipated changes and repairs at Kingfish boat ramp in Holmes Beach are still in the planning phases.

“Nothing is moving forward until we see a concept drawing,” Click told her fellow CME members. While some trees have been marked at the boat ramp, she said the marking was only done for a survey and it doesn’t indicate that those trees will ultimately be removed.

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth told her city’s commissioners during a July meeting that she had been given an overview of the planned changes to Kingfish which include the addition of pervious pavement in the parking area, an expansion of the parking area for vehicles with boat trailers, resurfacing of the boat ramps and removal of the Australian pine trees that provide shade to boaters and picnickers who use the park.

Currently, Manatee County has nearly $5 million budgeted for the work at Kingfish with $450,000 in the 2019-20 fiscal year and $4.5 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

At the Palma Sola boat ramp, the small craft boat launch area on the southwest side of the Palma Sola Causeway on Manatee Avenue, Click said work is ongoing. The boat ramp, which has been closed since Manatee County took responsibility for it from the city of Bradenton in 2019, has recently undergone dredging and workers have been resurfacing the ramp and are performing repairs to the dock.

Repairs at the Palma Sola ramp are expected to be completed by the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

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Boaters return to reopened boat ramps

 

Paid parking may be coming to county boat ramps

 

Palma Sola Boat Ramp remains closed

Paid parking may be coming to county boat ramps

Paid parking may be coming to county boat ramps

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

MANATEE COUNTY – A user fee is being proposed for boaters using any of the Manatee County managed boat ramps.

There are 10 county-managed boat ramps in Manatee County with three on Anna Maria Island, Kingfish Boat Ramp in Holmes Beach and the Coquina North and South Boat Ramps in Bradenton Beach, and one, the Palma Sola Boat Ramp, on the Palma Sola Causeway near Flamingo Cay. With renovations needed at Kingfish, Coquina South and Palma Sola, along with a planned parking expansion at the Highland Shores Boat Ramp, county leaders are looking for a way to help pay for repairs, management and ongoing maintenance. During an Aug. 15 work session, Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker presented a plan – charge the boat ramp users a fee.

The proposal from the Parks and Natural Resources staff is to charge $5 per day for boat trailer parking spaces. If the fee is charged, it’s estimated that each parking space would generate $500 in revenue each year, equaling $146,500 in annual revenue for 293 trailer parking spaces. The estimate to install solar-powered parking machines at the boat ramps is $65,000 with $5,400 in annual data costs.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore said that with the amount of money that would be raised with paid parking, she doesn’t feel that it’s worth it.

“I don’t support them, 100%,” she said. “I just don’t support charging to park our boats.” She added that she hopes her fellow commissioners won’t support paid parking at boat ramps either.

Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said she is more in favor of charging for paid parking at the boat ramps due to the use of the ramps for commercial businesses.

“I don’t think it’s right that a commercial fisherman should be able to use our ramps to run their business,” she said.

Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace said that she believes that fishermen would be willing to pay to park if it gave them access to the county’s busy boat ramps. She added that she hopes the county finds a way to expand its boat ramps and maybe a way to provide preferential treatment for boaters who live in Manatee County.

“It only makes sense to charge user fees,” Commissioner Besty Benac said.

Kingfish boat ramp
The Kingfish Boat Ramp in Holmes Beach is planned to undergo a minimum of a $4.5 million renovation. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

With the number of registered vessels in Manatee County jumping from 17,940 in 2015 to 20,931 in 2018, the county’s boat ramps are operating over capacity on a regular basis, according to Hunsicker. Adding in the approximately 395,000 Manatee County residents, the presentation notes that there should be 52 boat ramp lanes in the county to adequately accommodate everyone according to standards outlined in the county’s comprehensive plan. There are currently 18 boat ramp lanes in use in Manatee County in the nine improved boat ramps, not including the Lake Manatee Boat Ramp. In the nine boat ramps, there are 293 trailer parking spaces, not including those available to other vehicles.

Hunsicker also proposed creating a public-private partnership to create new boat ramps in the area, specifically one with Pen Bay 1 LLC to create a new four-lane boat ramp with access to Palma Sola Bay and 80 parking spaces in Cortez at the site of the proposed Peninsula Bay residential subdivision project. He said that the project as proposed would not change the shoreline of Palma Sola Bay.

He said the developer estimated in 2018 that the construction costs for the project, including cutting a channel to the bay, would be $10-15 million with the costs shared between the county and the developer. If county leaders opt to move forward with the project, Hunsicker said the developer is ready to go into design for the project as early as fiscal year 2020.

Whitmore said she feels “very good” about the possibilities of the project and applauded the developer for wanting to commit land to a public boat ramp that could be developed into more housing.

Currently, funds for boat ramp projects and renovations come from either matching funds with the West Coast Inland Navigation District or the Florida Boating Improvement Program from vessel registration fees. Without finding additional funding sources, Hunsicker said the county won’t meet their goals over the next five years to renovate existing boat ramps.

No decisions were made by commissioners due to the discussion taking place during a work session.

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County fast-tracks Kingfish improvements

Kingfish boat ramp

County fast-tracks Kingfish improvements

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Manatee County commissioners have moved Kingfish boat ramp’s rebuilding and expansion project to the top of the list for RESTORE Act funds.

The most heavily used boat ramp in the county has “severe structural deficiencies” that require both emergency and permanent repairs and expansion to accommodate increasing use, Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker said.

The project is expected to cost about $4.5 million and begin next year.

RESTORE Act funds are a penalty paid by BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the northern Gulf of Mexico in 2010, which killed 11 workers and caused the worst environmental disaster in the Gulf in history. Pieces of the rig washed up on an Anna Maria Island beach in 2015.

The 23 Florida counties on the Gulf coast are allocated $12.7 million each from the funds for environmental projects, Hunsicker said, with Manatee County set to receive funds every four years for 15 years beginning next month.

The new priority list topped by Kingfish will be submitted for approval to the Florida Restore Act Gulf Consortium, which administers the funds, he said.

The reprioritization requires delaying other projects, including a $5 million Palmetto Green Bridge fishing pier replacement project, now set for 2023. Other projects, including a $3 million Manatee River oyster restoration project and a $1 million Larry Borden artificial reef enhancement project in the Gulf will be deferred to the 10th year and beyond, Hunsicker said.

Additional projects in line for county BP oil spill funds include a $1 million living shoreline at Portosueno Park on Palma Sola Bay and $300,000 to research shellfish aquaculture and restore habitat at Port Manatee.

RESTORE Act projects for preserve management and coastal watershed management will be taken off the list and funded by other sources to free up funds for Kingfish boat ramp, he said.

Anna Maria bridge mudline

New details emerge for high-span bridge

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Transportation.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – There’s been a lot of talk from the Florida Department of Transportation about high-level bridges coming to the Island. The first one expected to arrive is the planned 65-foot, fixed-span replacement bridge for the current drawbridge on Manatee Avenue. Despite a lack of available funding, FDOT representatives are still making big plans for the Anna Maria Island Bridge.

FDOT project manager Roxann Lake and Ryan Forrestel, project manager for American Consulting Professionals, appeared before elected officials at the Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting to discuss those plans. They discussed what the new bridge is planned to look like and what may change on the Island when the new bridge is finally built.

“Our job is essentially to get the job done and on the shelf in case funding becomes available,” Forrestel said.

The new bridge is planned to be built about 100 feet south of the current bridge, with bridge approaches in roughly the same place they are now. This allows for the current drawbridge to remain in service while the high, fixed-span bridge is under construction. Once finished, at its highest point the new bridge is planned to have 65-foot vertical clearance to allow boats to pass underneath without the traffic stop of a drawbridge raise.

Two vehicular traffic lanes of 12 feet each are planned, along with a 10-foot shoulder on either side of the bridge. A concrete barrier wall will separate the vehicle lanes from 10-foot pedestrian and bicycle paths on either side of the bridge.

Anna Maria bridge piers
The hammerhead style piers supporting the bridge are planned to be blue with an impression of sea turtles on every fourth pier. – FDOT | Submitted

Forrestel and Lake went over the design choices selected by the bridge aesthetics committee in 2017. The group, made up of local stakeholders including representatives from Keep Manatee Beautiful, the Island cities, Save Anna Maria and Manatee County, met for 10 months between 2016 and their final meeting in April 2017. Choices made by the committee include the selection of hammerhead style piers to support the underside of the bridge cast in blue with a stamped motif of sea turtles on every fourth pier. The underside of the bridge is planned as a natural cement color. A metal railing with a sunshine motif is planned for the outer edges of the bridge.

Anna Maria bridge railing
Pedestrian railings lining the outer sides of the bridge will feature this sunshine motif. Pedestrian walkways are planned to be separated from vehicle lanes by concrete barricades. – FDOT | Submitted

While no lights or landscaping will be placed on the bridge, small pocket parks are planned for each end of the bridge featuring native landscaping and benches for pedestrians to rest. Walkways will wrap around the base of the bridge approaches on each side and feature cement tile walls with motifs of pelicans, sea turtles and manatees separated by tiles of fractured granite to give the area some texture. Railings will separate the walkway from the water.

Landscaping choices for the pocket parks and bridge approaches include sabal palms, silver buttonwoods and royal palms. To help add instant “curb appeal” to the bridge, Forrestel said FDOT planners have chosen a “bold” approach to landscaping where more mature trees will be planted so the effect is more noticeable immediately after plantings.

Anna Maria bridge parks
A pocket park is proposed as a “rest area” for each end of the new bridge. – FDOT | Submitted

Final plans for the bridge are expected to emerge in late 2019.

Forrestel said no right of way acquisitions are needed for the project.

Construction on the bridge, estimated to cost $15 million, is not yet funded.

Anna Maria bridge wall impressions
The aesthetics committee for the Anna Maria Island Bridge chose a mixture of wildlife impressions to recognize the animals that make the area home. These impression panels are planned to wrap around the base of the new bridge on each side underneath the bridge approach. – FDOT | Submitted

Once the fixed-span bridge is built, other changes may be made to the Island side of Manatee Avenue, including changes to parking at Kingfish Boat Ramp.

Forrestel said the bridge project managers are working with Manatee County officials to determine just how parking at the popular boat ramp will be affected and where additional parking spaces can be placed. Currently, the plan is to primarily eliminate parking on the south side of Manatee Avenue and extend the current parking area to the east toward the bridge.

Another change proposed for Kingfish is the elimination of left-hand turns to the east out of the parking area.

With the installation of a roundabout planned for the intersection of Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive, Forrestel said it would be safer for boaters going east to turn right out of the boat ramp and circle the roundabout to get up adequate speed to go east over the bridge.

Engineer to all three Island cities Lynn Burnett said she hopes the roundabout, which she called “a much-needed improvement,” will be installed before the new bridge is built.

Lake said the Anna Maria Island Bridge project is being presented to FDOT leaders again in fall 2018 for possible funding.

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Road rage lowers speed limit

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

HOLMES BEACH — Drivers crossing the Anna Maria Island bridge may have noticed a recent speed limit change.

The slowdown going in and out of Holmes Beach via Manatee Avenue isn’t all due to extra traffic. Beginning Jan. 30, the speed limit from the Manatee Public Beach on Manatee Avenue to the Anna Maria Island Bridge was slowed to 25 mph. Speed across the bridge was slowed from 45 to 35 mph.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who also serves as the city’s traffic engineer, reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation in 2015 and again in 2016 about reducing the speed limit along the quarter-mile stretch of road in Holmes Beach. The state agency responded by lowering not only the speed on the stretch of Island road, but also across the bridge on the approach to Holmes Beach.

Tokajer said his primary reason for requesting the change is increased safety on a shared road. With the road frequented by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, he said the speed limit needed to be lowered to help prevent accidents. Another reason for the slow down is the amount of traffic going in and out of Kingfish boat ramp.

“You can’t put a cross walk on a bridge, so we have to slow people down,” Tokajer said. “It’s dangerous for people to come over that bridge at high speeds. Our whole thing is public safety.”

The final speed limit determination was made by FDOT because Manatee Avenue is a state road.

In his opinion, Tokajer said the speed limit slow down was not expected to increase traffic congestion in the area. He said the public response he’s received to the change has been primarily positive.

However, that’s not the reaction Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore has received. In a letter sent to Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson on Sunday, Feb. 5 and obtained by The Sun on Monday, Feb. 6, Whitmore said she fielded calls all last week from people angry over the speed limit reduction.

“You have a lot of islanders that are very upset,” Whitmore wrote, adding that she was concerned that no notice was given to residents before the change was made.

“I don’t think the speed limit can be reduced on a state road to 25 mph without public input,” Whitmore wrote. “I do not recall any public meetings regarding this action by the city.

“I don’t believe this was a safety issue, personally,” she concluded.

After The Sun posted on its Facebook page a video from Tokajer explaining the speed limit reduction to social media, comments were mixed with a few concerned that the change was to create a speed trap in the area.

While motorists become accustomed to the change, Tokajer said officers will be issuing warnings for minor violations.

Island resident Kelly Smith said the reduced speed limit contributed to an added 30 minutes to her commute off-island.

However, Capt. Mark Howard, owner of SumoTime Fishing Charters of Anna Maria Island, commented that he supports an Island-wide reduced speed limit.

For his part, Tokajer said he hopes motorists abide by the new speed limit and safely share the road.

“You’re in paradise, slow down and enjoy the view,” he said.