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Hot Dog Guy coming to Jewfish Key sandbar

Hot Dog Guy coming to Jewfish Key sandbar

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

JEWFISH KEY – The sandbar off Jewfish Key, a popular spot for weekend boaters to drop anchor, now has a floating food service option in the form of Capt. Marc Bouclier’s The Hot Dog Guy boat.

Bouclier bought the 21-foot Carolina skiff last year to support Crysten’s AMI, his family’s Holmes Beach-based boat tour and rental business, but after speaking to a retired relative who had opened a hot dog business in Arizona, the idea was born.

“I thought it was a great idea to be able bring food and drinks to people when they’re out on their boats and in the sun all day,” Bouclier said.

He had the former fishing charter bait boat customized to create the hot dog boat and recently received approvals from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

He plans to have the boat at the sandbar between 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, along with some Fridays, weather permitting.

“We’ll be able to anchor the boat and have people walk from all over the sandbar to us,” he said. “The boat is easy to maneuver around in shallow water, people can come right up to the side of the boat.”

A strong advocate for supporting independent local businesses, he has multiple logos on his boat representing Island businesses.

“Everybody that’s involved in this boat was a handshake of ‘Let’s have some fun and let’s keep it island,’ ” Bouclier said. “There’s a couple of companies on here that have something to do with either the building of the boat or the marketing of the boat.”

Logos on the hot dog boat include Crysten’s AMI boat tours, Drift-In AMI, Anchor Stow, Anchor Down Real Estate & Rentals, Snook Haven, Kick Azz Fishing Charters, JMF Boatworks, Crabby Joe’s, 941 Marine Electronics, Mulligan’s Bar & Grill, Auto Trim, A.M.I. Boatworks, Custom Marine Fab and Speed King Signs.

Bouclier said people from those businesses will have an opportunity to go out on the boat with him on the weekends.

“All of our products are going to be bought from locals,” he said. “We’re keeping it simple, it’s strictly hot dogs, water and sodas.”

In keeping with his mission to support small business, Bouclier recently started a new Facebook page: Anna Maria Island FUN.

“This page is open to anybody and everybody to promote their business,” he said.

Jewfish Key withdraws application to be removed from LBK

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Longboat Key.

LONGBOAT KEY – The Jewfish Key Preservation Association has withdrawn its application to be removed from the jurisdiction of the Town of Longboat Key.

Attorney Aaron Thomas of the Najmy Thompson law firm represents the association. On May 31, he sent an email to Longboat Key Town Attorney Maggie Mooney formally withdrawing the “voluntary contraction” petition submitted on Jan. 16.

“Please be informed that the association, along with the property owners of Jewfish Key, has decided to formally withdraw and revoke the Voluntary Contraction Petition,” Thomas wrote. “This decision comes as we are currently in the process of reassessing the Voluntary Contraction Petition in light of the findings and recommendations contained within the Requested Contraction of Jewfish Key Feasibility Study conducted by the Town of Longboat Key.”

No specific reason was given.

The 139-page study prepared by the town includes a summary of the petition and a brief history of the contraction area, the town’s departmental and consultant analyses prepared by department heads from finance, planning, zoning, building, public works, police and fire departments and a market/economic analysis by consultant Willdan Financial of the contraction area relating to the statutory feasibility study criteria provided for in Florida Statutes Chapter 171. Also included are relevant maps, a staff analysis of Florida Statutes, historical documents and town department head credentials and biographies.

The study was prepared to fulfill statutory requirements and was intended to be used by the town commission to evaluate the feasibility of the requested contraction and decide whether to initiate contraction proceedings or to reject the petition, according to the study introduction.

Thomas wrote that since there was no longer a petition or proposal for commissioners to consider at the June 3 commission meeting, the item should be removed from the meeting agenda.

If the contraction had been pursued and was successful, Jewfish Key would have become part of unincorporated Manatee County.

Mooney notified Mayor Ken Schneier and town commissioners of the withdrawal by email: “The purpose of this email is to share with the Town Commission an email transmitted this morning from the attorney for the Jewfish Key Preservation Association withdrawing and revoking the Contraction Petition submitted on Jan. 16, 2024.”

Despite the withdrawal, Mooney wrote that the commission should still plan on convening to open the public meeting since the session was noticed to the public.

“Given the withdrawal, there will not be a presentation from town staff on the Jewfish Key contraction request as previously identified in the meeting agenda and no further town commission action or discussion on the matter is required,” she wrote.

Longboat Key considers joint regulation of mangroves with AMI cities

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Longboat Key.

LONGBOAT KEY – With an eye toward teaming up with the three Anna Maria Island cities to obtain Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) authorization to regulate mangroves, the Longboat Key Town Council invited FDEP Environmental Manager Hannah Westervelt to speak at its May 20 meeting.

“We’ve been discussing with the communities in Anna Maria Island possibly working to put together a joint program to preserve the mangroves on our two islands,” Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton said.

Westervelt provided a slide presentation beginning with an overview of the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act (MTPA) of 1996.

“The legislative intent of the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act is to protect mangroves,” Westervelt said.

She noted that the MTPA protects both living and dead mangroves and does distinguish between the two, however, dead mangroves provide structure and habitat.

“Something to think about,” she said. “Don’t remove mangroves because they’re dead. Contact me first, please.”

Westervelt discussed the process for local governments to obtain FDEP delegation authority over mangroves.

“I know that’s been a topic of discussion here so I wanted to talk about that,” she said. “Local agencies are able to adopt delegation. Something that is important to note is that they’re not allowed to limit the exemptions if they do get that authority.”

Westervelt said it’s up to local government to apply for that authority and FDEP will assist in the process.

“We have pre-meetings before that application is submitted so we can assist wherever needed,” she said. “But essentially it is up to that local agency to determine if they have the needed number of resources and the budget available for this project.”

Anna Maria City Commission Chair Mark Short, commissioners Gary McMullen and Charlie Salem and Building Department General Manager Dean Jones attended the May 20 Longboat Key Town Council meeting.

During the May 23 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, Short said he reached out to Westervelt and asked if it’s possible for FDEP to notify the city before any FDEP-approved mangrove removals take place in Anna Maria.

“If a property owner wants to alter their mangrove – alter basically means to do anything other than trim – they have to go to DEP to get the permit. DEP has no requirement to inform the city that a property owner has made this request,” Short said.

“I asked her if the city of Anna Maria formally requested DEP to inform us if any such permit requests are made for a property in Anna Maria, they would inform us. She did not see any reason why they could not honor that but that would require approval at a level higher than she is. So, I have asked the mayor to work with the city attorney to draft such a request to send to FDEP,” he said.

“If it can be approved, then going forward we can have this ability when a property owner does request to alter the mangroves on their property,” Short said. “I’m not saying it’s going to make everything right, but it sure seems to make sense to me that we at least know what’s going on.”

– Sun Correspondent Joe Hendricks contributed to this story

Jewfish Key could become part of county

Jewfish Key could become part of county

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners and officials from the Town of Longboat Key discussed a petition from the Jewfish Key Preservation Association to de-annex Jewfish Key from the town at a joint April 30 meeting.

If the de-annexation is successful, Jewfish Key will become part of unincorporated Manatee County.

“This is a little unusual and I just wanted to place it on your radar,” Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton said to the commission at the April 30 meeting. “There is a possibility you may have an unusual enclave for county services within the Town of Longboat Key.”

“On Jan. 16, 2024, the Town of Longboat Key received a voluntary petition from the Jewfish Key Preservation Association Inc. for the contraction of the island (Jewfish Key) from the municipal boundaries of the town,” Tipton read from a prepared statement. “The homeowners association submitted the request to examine the town’s levels of municipal service and because the town has land use controls that are more restrictive than Manatee County’s. Specifically, the town has a longstanding grandfathered-in land use regulation that restricts the duration of short-term rentals of residential properties for less than 30 days.

“While there is no role for Manatee County in the statutory contraction process, this information is being shared to create awareness of the pending request and the upcoming Town Commission discussion relating to the future of Jewfish Key within the town’s boundaries or as part of unincorporated Manatee County,” Tipton read further.

“I was a little surprised by the name – the Jewfish Key Preservation Association,” County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said. “What is it they’re trying to preserve? It seems like a disingenuous name that’s misleading.”

Tipton said he didn’t have an answer to that question and said there has been no communication between the association and the town outside of the petition.

“It does present a challenge,” Van Ostenbridge. “The island has slowly built up over time. There’s no fire hydrant there.”

“There are no utilities that serve the Island,” Tipton said. “It is a well and septic enclave.”

Jewfish Key is the only part of the Town of Longboat Key that is without water and sewer service and any increased density would raise concerns, he said.

“I think there’s a concern for the property owner for any future commercial use which would be their lack of sewer, their lack of potable water, the fact that they’re on well and septic,” Van Ostenbridge said. “I don’t know that the county would be eager or even willing to run sewer. The expense would be exorbitant. They may want to do it at their own expense.”

Florida Statutes require the town to undertake and evaluate a feasibility study within six months of receipt of the petition. The anticipated presentation of the completed feasibility study to the Town Commission is at a public meeting on Monday, June 3 at 1 p.m., Tipton said.

Longboat Key officials suggest traffic flow options for Coquina Beach

Longboat Key officials suggest traffic flow options for Coquina Beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

LONGBOAT KEY – Citing a study concluding that the 1.7-mile stretch of Gulf Drive from the Longboat Pass Bridge to Cortez Road is one of the most unpredictable in the region in terms of traffic expectations, Longboat Key Public Works Director Isaac Brownman asked the county to join the cities in finding solutions.

Brownman made a presentation to Manatee County commissioners at an April 30 joint meeting of Longboat Key officials and the county commission.

“The MPO (Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization) is conducting a congestion management plan update,” Brownman said. “And what they found was the Gulf Drive segment from Longboat Pass to Cortez Road is one of the most unreliable segments in the county – in the two-county region, in fact. And what they mean by unreliable segments – it’s not one of the most congested segments, we already know that – it’s that you can’t rely on the level of congestion. Sometimes it’s four times what you expect, sometimes it’s two times what you expect, sometimes it’s what you expect.”

He said that the top complaint in the town’s annual citizen’s survey is traffic congestion.

“We wanted to bring to the county’s attention, that the Town of Longboat Key is going to be embarking on these discussions with Bradenton Beach and we’d love the county to be at the table as well,” Brownman said.

Gate closure at Coquina Beach was brought up as one option to alleviate traffic congestion coming in and out of Longboat Key.

Brownman said a simple, cost-effective solution that will help with traffic is to close some of the access points at Coquina Beach, which is at the southernmost end of Bradenton Beach.

“The Coquina Beach parking lot is a very large beach parking lot with three access points. The center access points have a simple gate that can be shut,” he said. “That isolates each parking area from the other and keeps people who are in a long-standing queue from hopping into the southernmost access point and traveling 4/10ths of a mile to travel further north and jamming things up further.”

Brownman said when Manatee County park staff close those gates, there is a noticeable improvement in traffic flow.

“If that simple thing is done consistently throughout season from a certain time of day, it’s a significant cost-easy improvement from our perspective,” he said.

He said Longboat Key residents’ main concern is to get from Longboat Pass to the Cortez Bridge to get to the mainland.

“The FDOT is spending millions of dollars to upgrade Cortez Bridge and that will be a huge improvement,” he said. “They’re also planning the replacement of the Longboat Pass Bridge which, depending on which option they go with, will reduce the number of bridge openings and closings which contributes to the congestion as well.”

“Take a good hard look at the Bridge Street traffic circle,” he said. “This would be the perfect time to look at the Gulf Drive and Cortez Road intersection. Even though the state is doing a major bridge project, they’re not looking at the end point intersection and how to improve that at this time.”

Longboat Key Vice Mayor Mike Haycock said much of the traffic congestion in season is due to employees of Longboat Key businesses coming to the area to work.

“To reiterate, in those 90 days of hell during season that everybody’s talking about, the people of Longboat Key decide in those 90 days not to go north,” he said. “Not to go to Anna Maria Island for dinner like we do many other times. For the workers that live in Manatee County who are working on Longboat Key, it can cause them an extra 1.5 to two hours to get to work, so any help you can give to support some additional studies to see what else we can do would really be helpful.”

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Featured, Tourism.

LONGBOAT KEY – Gulf Islands Ferry service may one day be expanded to the north end of Long­boat Key, but that isn’t expected to happen in the immediate future.

Future ferry service was one of the topics discussed during the joint meeting that Manatee County and Longboat Key officials participated in on April 30 at the county admin­istration building in downtown Bradenton.

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said the county and the Town of Longboat Key have and will continue to discuss if, when and how the county’s Gulf Islands Ferry service might one day be expanded to Longboat Key.

Town Manager Howard Tipton said there have been preliminary discussions about using the town dock near the Mar Vista restaurant, which is also within walking distance of the Shore restaurant. Tipton plans to survey potentially impacted Longboat Key residents to gauge how they feel about a ferry stop there.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The canal behind the Whitney Plaza in Longboat Key is probably too shallow to accommodate the ferries. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said the canal behind the Whitney Plaza along Gulf of Mexico Drive at the north end of the key is too shallow to accommodate the ferries and he doesn’t envision the ferries traveling to the residential and resort areas further south.

“We’re talking. We’re not there yet,” Falcione said, noting that county resort tax revenues would fund any dock improvements needed in Long­boat Key.

FERRY INSIGHTS

Falcione also shared some general insights on the county-contracted ferry service that began in January and currently features stops at the Riverwalk Day Dock in downtown Bradenton, the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bradenton Beach Pier.

Initially operating on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the service was later expanded to include Thursday and Wednesday service. Falcione said the five-day service will continue through the month of May. Service days may be reduced during the summer months.

Falcione said county staff is working on extending ferry service to the Coquina South boat ramp by the end of the year to accommodate Manatee County residents who want to travel to Coquina Beach.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The county hopes to have a ferry stop at the South Coquina boat ramp in Bradenton Beach by year’s end. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said the two 49-passenger pontoon boat ferries transport 300-350 passengers per day, weather permitting, reducing the number of automobiles traveling to the Island.

“Since we started, we’ve served about 9,000 passengers. The chal­lenge that we face is we’ve lost 25 days due to the weather,” Falcione said.

Falcione said the county and the contracted ferry operator are research­ing the construction of a high speed, partially-enclosed 90-passenger ferry that would help minimize the service days suspended due to rain, wind, waves and other factors.

The larger, faster ferry would travel the Manatee River between downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria City Pier and the two pontoon boats would then service Anna Maria Island – and potentially Longboat Key. Falcione preliminary discussions have occurred with the city of Bradenton Beach about docking the pontoon boats there overnight in that future scenario.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The Bradenton Beach Pier currently serves as one of Anna Maria Island’s two ferry stops. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said it would take about a year to build the larger ferry and grants are being sought to help fund it.

Falcione also expects the ferry service to eventually be expanded to the convention center in Palmetto and the new 252-room Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa next to the convention center.

Falcione acknowledged the ferries are not yet a primary source of trans­portation for the Anna Maria Island workforce that commutes from the mainland – due in part to the uncer­tainty posed by suspended service days. He said a partially enclosed high-speed ferry might help.

“The St. Regis is going to employ a lot of folks,” County Commissioner Mike Rahm said of the new resort opening in Longboat Key at the former Colony Beach Resort location later this year.

Longboat Key Commissioner Debra Williams said Longboat Key busi­nesses struggle to attract and retain employees because of the transporta­tion challenges and lengthy travel times. She said workforce transporta­tion should be the top priority and ferrying folks to restaurants should be a secondary goal.

Ferry tickets can be purchased at www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.

Officials discuss state plan to replace Longboat Pass Bridge

Officials discuss state plan to replace Longboat Pass Bridge

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

LONGBOAT KEY – Members of the Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials (BIEO) discussed the proposed new Longboat Pass Bridge on April 17.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One has initiated a project development and environment study for SR 789 (Gulf Drive/Gulf of Mexico Drive) from North Shore Road on Longboat Key to the Coquina Beach entrance in Bradenton Beach.

“The study will evaluate alternatives to replace the existing SR 789 bridge over Longboat Pass. Alternatives to be evaluated will include rehabilitation of the existing bridge, a new high-level fixed bridge and moveable bridge,” according to FDOT.

“There are three options, with challenges and opportunities to each,” Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton said. “There’s one that’s too tall, one that’s too low and one that’s just right. We’re hoping it’s just right.”

The Longboat Pass Bridge was built in 1957 and renovated in 2005 and 2020. The bridge is classified as functionally obsolete due to substandard shoulders and traffic barriers, according to FDOT.

If constructed, a new bridge is planned to be wider than the existing bridge to provide safer accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians. Additional travel lanes for vehicles are not being proposed.

Tipton said the new bridge would be moved to the west and closer to condominiums at the north end of Longboat Key.

“That’s understandable because that’s where their (FDOT’s) right-of-way is,” he said. “It does impact condominiums at the very north end of town and brings it from 120 feet or so to about 30 feet, so it’ll be up close and personal, and we want to try to work with them as much as we can for sound mitigation.”

Tipton said the new bridge will allow improved traffic flow.

“We had a meeting with the MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) last week and we talked about the corridor from Cortez coming south to Longboat. And now it is a longer trip than anyone would expect,” he said. “The MPO is looking to circle back around and look at the bare ground of the traffic study.”

He said the traffic not only impacts residents and visitors but also those who work in Longboat Key.

“One of the hardest things for workers is let’s say they get hired in July and once season starts, they say, ‘I didn’t sign up for this’ and we lose folks that way,” Tipton said. “It’s the restaurants, it’s the hotels, it’s everybody.”

The issue of traffic also plays into the ferry conversation with Manatee County, he said.

“Is there a location where they can congregate on the mainland side?” he asked.

“There’s been a lot of construction in your city,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said to Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie. “Was there a lot of parking added in Bradenton Beach?”

“I think they’ve added well over 100 spaces” at Coquina Beach, Chappie said.

“When everybody is leaving at the end of the day and they add 200 or 300 parking spots, that’s 200 or 300 more cars you have to wait for,” Titsworth said.

“Don’t misunderstand where the traffic is coming from. I would say a lot of that traffic, most of that traffic, is coming from Longboat Key, not the beach,” Chappie said. “I live on that end of town, and it will be bumper to bumper during season at 8 or 9 o’clock. That’s not beach people.”

Chappie said he thinks both the proposed new Longboat Pass and Cortez bridges will help with traffic congestion.

“I had a recent meeting with our state representatives and one thing we talked about was the turn lanes to Cortez Road,” Chappie said. “Once the new (Cortez) bridge is completed, the merge lane will be expanded significantly. What people are doing at that intersection is stopping. You don’t stop, you use the merge lane to merge into traffic. It’s all about keeping the flow.”

Sister Keys clean-up set for Nov. 4

Reel Time: Sister Keys clean-up set for Nov. 4

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) is conducting its annual Sister Keys clean-up on Saturday, Nov. 4. The event is a collaboration with Suncoast Waterkeeper, the Town of Longboat Key and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant. Volunteers will work for four hours on the island and around the mangrove fringes collecting trash and recyclable items. After the event, volunteers will load the collected debris into a truck provided by the Town of Longboat Key Public Works for disposal. All plastics and cans will be collected in separate green bags provided by SBW and recycled. The volunteers will then be treated to a box lunch courtesy of the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant, a longtime supporter of the event.

The Sister Keys were originally slated for development in the early 60s as the Shangri Isle Club and were once again threatened in 1989 when they went on sale for $1 million. That spurred a group of citizens to form the Sister Keys Conservancy in an attempt to buy and preserve the islands as a nature preserve. Longboat Key purchased the islands in 1994 with a stipulation that the keys would never be developed.

The islands underwent a million-dollar mitigation in 2007 to remove all invasive species. Native flora was planted and a two-acre wetland was created. Today mature mangroves dominate the waterways, which are rich with crustaceans, minnows, juvenile finfish and wading birds. Native species planted on uplands created from the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway in the late 1800s have matured, making the islands one of the best examples of a thriving native marine environment in coastal Florida. The clean-up is part of a two-pronged ongoing effort to clean the islands of trash and support the resurgence of invasive species. The Longboat Key Marine division will be patrolling the Intracoastal Waterway to slow boaters. Kayakers and those without a boat will be ferried to the islands by volunteers.

The Sister Keys clean-up is just one of many projects that SBW is involved in. In recent years, SBW has planted over 1,000,000 clams in the bay and recently obtained a restoration lease in Sarasota Bay, a first of its kind, in its ongoing restoration effort. Other clean-ups (including underwater) are conducted at various locations throughout the bay, as well as an annual monofilament cleanup and much more.

Suncoast Waterkeeper (SCWK) is a Sarasota-based non-profit committed to protecting and restoring the Florida Suncoast’s waterways through enforcement, fieldwork, advocacy and environmental education for the benefit of the communities that rely upon these precious coastal resources. Their efforts have been responsible for major initiatives that hold municipalities responsible for mandates established in the landmark 1982 Clean Water Act. SCWK also conducts bi-monthly water testing of inland coastal waters. To learn more about the work of these organizations and join the effort, check out their websites at www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org and www.sarasotabaywatch.org.

The event is limited to the first 40 registrants, so reserve your spot today.

Dredging project underway on Greer Island

Dredging project underway on Greer Island

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Beach, Outdoors.

LONGBOAT KEY – A portion of the Greer Island beach will be closed through the beginning of September as a dredging project continues.

According to the Town of Longboat Key’s Public Works Department, an area along the west side of Greer Island, also known as Beer Can Island, is undergoing dredging of the sandspit near the dock area.

The Greer Island Spit Management Project’s tentative schedule, including the mobilization of upland equipment and dredging, began July 17-28, followed by upland clearing and excavation from July 24-31.

From July 31 through Aug. 14, hydraulic dredging of the Greer Island Spit is set to occur followed by hydraulic dredging of Canal 1A from Aug. 5-8.

Beach tilling is scheduled from Aug. 21-23, with the demobilization of the project set from Aug. 23 through Sept. 4.

The Longboat Key website notes that the schedule is tentative and subject to change.

In June 2022, the Longboat Key Town Commission permanently restricted the anchoring and beaching of motorized vessels in two areas of the southeast portion of Greer Island, along the east side of the Longboat Pass Bridge, across the bay from Jewfish Key.

Those areas are limited to beachgoers, waders, kayakers, paddleboarders and other non-motorized vessels, according to a 2022 town press release.

Boaters who violate those restrictions are subject to a $250 penalty for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses.

BIEO members reject TDC funding change

BIEO members reject TDC funding change

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

ANNA MARIA – Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth hasn’t gained a lot of support from leadership in local barrier island cities for her idea to change how tourist development taxes are distributed in Manatee County.

Titsworth brought up the topic during a Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting where she was joined by Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier and Longboat Key Town Manager Tom Harmer. She said that although vacation rentals bring in about 30% of the total Manatee County tourist development tax revenues, her city doesn’t see a lot of it returned.

“Tourist development funding is hard for Holmes Beach to qualify for,” she said, noting that the city has only seen about $100,000 of the millions of dollars earned come back to help fund city projects. Titsworth said she’s expecting about $30,000 from the tax this year for Grassy Point Preserve improvements.

The funds are assigned to projects by Manatee County commissioners with advice from the county’s Tourist Development Council. By state law, the funds can only be used for specified projects related to tourism. Titsworth said she’d like to see those funds available for infrastructure improvements or redistributed to local municipalities based on the percentage of the total funds earned by that city. She also said she’d prefer it if the funds could be distributed without the requirement of county commission approval.

In the current fiscal year, Titsworth requested funds for bicycle and sidewalk path improvements and reimbursement for seawall repairs necessary to prevent part of Marina Drive in the city’s commercial district from collapsing. While the project was approved by the members of the TDC, county commissioners voted it down, although they did approve the funds for Grassy Point Preserve. Some county commissioners stated that they didn’t see how the paths and seawall repairs tied into tourism-related spending while others stated that they wouldn’t approve the project because of an ongoing clash between city and county leaders over beach parking in residential neighborhoods. During the BIEO meeting, Titsworth said she doesn’t appreciate how some county leaders are “weaponizing” funding in an attempt to force city officials to meet their demands.

Though Murphy said he understands Titsworth’s predicament, he feels that his city has been getting its fair share of the tax funds. Rather than depend on tourist development tax funds for infrastructure repairs, he suggested making an effort to get a larger cut of sales tax revenue, which is currently disbursed based on population.

Harmer and Schneier agreed that they also don’t have an issue with the way the funding is currently distributed. Harmer said that their city’s tourist development tax dollars were primarily used for beach renourishment and maintenance. Unlike on Anna Maria Island, the small number of public beach accesses on Longboat Key means that beach renourishment and maintenance is funded by that city rather than through outside government funding.

Emergency dredge project closes part of Greer Island to boaters

Eastern end of Greer Island closed to boaters

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Longboat Key.

LONGBOAT KEY – The Greer Island beach east of the Longboat Pass Bridge is closed for about three weeks during a dredging project, then will open for recreational use – except to motorboats, according to an announcement posted on the town’s website.

The beach closure is due to an emergency dredge project to provide access to the lagoon area of Greer Island, also known as Beer Can Island.

The project is in the same area of Greer Island that the town commission recently decided to permanently close to boaters.

Officials approved the permanent closure to protect people who swim and lounge in the shallow waters off Greer Island from boaters. After the dredging project is completed, buoys will be placed to mark the areas where motorboats are prohibited.

“These areas will then be limited to beachgoers, waders, kayakers, paddleboarders and other non-motorized vessels,” according to the announcement.

Related coverage

 

Portions of Greer Island closing to boaters

Island building owners warned to investigate structural issues

Island building owners warned to investigate structural issues

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Could a tragedy such as last month’s collapse of the high-rise condominium in Surfside happen here?

Some say it could – particularly after a balcony fell off a residence in Holmes Beach last week at 4106 Sixth Ave. (see related story).

In response to the June 24 collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Longboat Key officials sent an open letter to property managers and condominium board members last week advising them to consider inspecting their foundations and structures.

And the property manager for the only high-rises on Anna Maria Island – the two seven-story Martinique condo buildings in Holmes Beach – has advised its board members to do an engineering study.

Longboat Key does not have AMI’s three-story height restriction – enacted after Martinique was built in the 70s – and subsequently has high-rise buildings lining the Gulf side of the key, but buildings of any height and location constructed in a salt-laden beach environment may be affected by corroding rebar and cracking concrete, two of the problems in the Champlain Towers.

“It’s not just mid- and high-rise,” Longboat Key’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department Director Allen Parsons said. “Any building that’s counting on rebar and structural cement to hold it up it needs to be maintained.”

It’s also not just an issue for Gulf of Mexico-facing properties, he said, but for any property in the beach environment of Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island or any Florida barrier island.

Regular maintenance – and continual funding of scheduled maintenance – is key to preventing a tragedy, he said.

Florida’s statewide building code does not require maintenance inspections after a building meets the initial code requirements upon construction, nor do Manatee County ordinances or ordinances in Longboat Key, Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach or Holmes Beach.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties have such a requirement for buildings more than 40 years old, said Chris Brown, president of Bradenton-based C&S Community Management, which manages properties in Manatee and Sarasota counties, including Martinique North and South.

A Florida law that required that condos over three stories do an engineering study every five years was rescinded due to complaints about high costs, he said.

“With what happened in Miami, that looks like it was a very good law,” he said, adding that several legislators are revisiting it. “I personally expect there will be a new law after what happened.”

Brown recommended to Martinique board members on Friday that they do an engineering study of the two seven-story buildings, he said, adding that inspections of foundations can reveal many issues, including hidden water line leaks or irrigation leaks under a building.

Forty to 50 years ago, condos were a new concept, but now that some are half a century old, owners must be vigilant, he said.

“If you don’t stay on it, anything near saltwater can have rebar expansion; it chemically reacts with salt and cracks the foundation,” Brown said. “A lot of communities put it off. It costs money. People don’t want special assessments. That’s the hardest thing, people don’t want to pay the money.”

Even a single-story building can have rebar issues, he said.

“If you happen to be in the wrong place at that moment, it could even happen in a single story. A ceiling collapse could kill you.”

If residents see a crack, they should report it immediately.

“Follow up on it; find out what the reason is,” he said. “Address it, even if it’s going to cost money. People always need to be conscious of their environment and if you have a gut feeling, check it out.”

Condo boards and building managers should address any structural issues with structural engineers, he said.

The Surfside accident has so far resulted in the death of 24 people; 121 more remained missing as of Monday.

Open letter from the Town of Longboat Key to owners of high-rise condominiums and older (pre-1980) multi-family structures

It is critically important to have structural engineering inspections, and to act on any structural deficiencies, or damage in a time-sensitive manner. Town staff can assist with identifying resources, and engineering professionals, to conduct those inspections, or advise on follow-up measures needed to ensure the safety of our residents.

Along with the rest of the country, the Town staff are sending well-wishes to those in Surfside, FL affected by the recent building collapse. And while there aren’t answers yet as to the causes of the building’s collapse, the terrible circumstances can serve to provide a constructive prompting to encourage the assessment of the structural integrity of older, multi-story buildings here in the Town to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.

The Town would like to encourage owners and property managers to consult with structural engineers to have a proper inspection completed, especially if the building is older and has not been recently evaluated. This kind of consultation is not currently a requirement, like it is in Dade and Broward counties and their jurisdictions, but it is recommended and does have a lot of merit for coastal environments.

Buildings on or near the ocean are especially vulnerable because they are constantly exposed to the increased effects of saltwater oxidation and corrosion, as well as minor concrete and masonry cracks. Stucco left exposed to the elements can cause rebar to expand up to seven times its original size, exerting a force of 10,000 pounds per square-inch (PSI). This condition—commonly referred to as spalling—can necessitate extremely expensive concrete restoration. Hundreds of thousands of dollars can be saved in building repair costs alone by following a regular maintenance schedule, applying early detection methods, and practicing aggressive prevention techniques.

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State reviewing Longboat Key’s two-county status

State reviewing Longboat Key’s two-county status

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Longboat Key.

LONGBOAT KEY – Manatee County officials have been notified that a state agency is reviewing the possibility that the Town of Longboat Key may be designated as entirely in Sarasota County or Manatee County.

The northern portion of Longboat Key is currently in Manatee County and the southern portion is in Sarasota County.

On May 27, R. Philip Twogood, coordinator for the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), sent written notification of the review to Manatee County Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh. County Administrator Scott Hopes was also copied on the one-page letter.

“At the direction of the Legislature, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability will examine administrative and fiscal factors related to placing the Town of Longboat Key in either Sarasota or Manatee county. We expect to begin this review immediately. To assure the least disruption to your agency, we would like to meet with you or your representative to discuss the procedures for this review. We will contact your office in the near future to establish an appropriate time and place for the meeting. Thank you for your cooperation,” Twogood’s letter states.

The current county designations result in some Longboat Key property owners paying property taxes to Manatee County and some paying taxes to Sarasota County. The county designations also determine where and how Longboat Key residents vote.

When contacted on Thursday, June 3, Longboat Key Town Manager Tom Harmer said the town was previously notified of the state review.

“We made a request to OPPAGA to review the circumstances around Longboat Key being in two counties. This was discussed with both Manatee and Sarasota counties and one of our legislative priorities was to ask OPPAGA to do an independent review of the challenges of being in two counties,” Harmer said.

State reviewing Longboat Key’s two-county status
Town Manager Tom Harmer awaits the results of the state agency’s study. – Town of Longboat Key | Submitted

“This has been a topic of discussion for a number of years – the challenges and differences with the property appraisers, the tax collectors, the supervisors of elections and the emergency management offices. There are also differences in how the two county governments are funded and what services they provide here. We’ve done our own review, but this would be an independent review,” Harmer said.

In 2018, the town commission held public hearings pertaining to the town’s two-county status. Harmer said no final conclusions were drawn from the 2018 hearings.

“We were just presenting the finding to both county commissions, so we had joint meetings with both Sarasota County and Manatee County. We looked at the differences and some of the challenges we face. One thing that did come out of those hearings was related to emergency management. Both counties agreed that we shouldn’t report to two different counties during an emergency, like a hurricane. The two sheriffs may have different curfews. The two counties may have different evacuations and reentry timings. We entered into a three-party agreement a little over a year ago that says during an active state of emergency we report through Sarasota County. This applied to the COVID pandemic too,” Harmer said.

“We’ve had discussions with Manatee County and looked for ways to partner with them financially. They agreed to partner with us on our beach renourishment project,” Harmer said.

Harmer provided The Sun with a copy of a March 2021 town presentation titled “Two Counties Challenges.” The presentation notes the total millage rate imposed on Manatee County property owners was 13.87 mills in 2020, compared to 11.7 mills for Sarasota County property owners.

“There’s been no discussion with the town commission on a preference. We’ve provided what we think is factual information to say here’s the difference in the millage rate, here’s the difference in services, here’s the difference in grant opportunities, school board funding and how working with the West Coast Inland Navigation District differs in both counties. The residents have not taken a vote and the commission has not taken a formal position on a particular county at this point,” Harmer said.

“This is really an act of the state Legislature. It’s the state Legislature that would approve it. That’s not something the town can do. Anything that we would do would be more of a non-binding straw ballot or survey. The state is the only one that can move county boundaries,” Harmer said.

Harmer was asked if the facts favor one county over the other.

“It’s a little bit of apples and oranges the way the counties are funded and how we interact with them. That’s why we want to present this to the state Legislature. We want to present the two different financial models for the counties and how it impacts us. We’re looking to the state for recommendations or options on how we address some of these concerns. Some of the concerns are about duplication, some are financial. We’re looking for the state to tell us what we can do and what we should do. Our residents may have different views, the counties may have different views, so why not go to the state and ask for a review of the circumstances and their thoughts on our options,” Harmer said.

“In their notice to us, they said they were moving forward immediately and wanted to complete the report in September. We appreciate them taking this on,” Harmer said.

According to Harmer, the current population of Longboat Key is approximately 7,200 residents.

Volunteers clean up Sister Keys

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Suncoast Waterkeeper teamed up with Sarasota Bay Watch on Saturday, March 6 during the annual Sister Keys cleanup.

Thirty-five volunteers braved inclement weather and collected almost 900 pounds of debris from the unique chain of islands in north Sarasota Bay. The event was a collaboration with the Town of Longboat Key and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant.

Volunteers led by Sarasota Bay Watch Program Director Ronda Ryan worked for four hours on the island and around the mangrove fringes collecting trash and recyclable items.

Longbeach Village residents Becky Parrish, Michael Riter, Patty McBride and Barry Rooks managed traffic and ferried volunteers on their golf carts from parking at Whitney Beach Plaza. Other Village residents including Mark McBride, Benny Parrish and Dan Madole managed transporting and orienting helpers. Ivan Zunz and his daughter Zuleika, Ali Claypoole, Jen McLellan and Henry and Deborah Stachura all pitched in.

After returning and sorting their “treasure,” participants were treated to a gourmet box lunch by the Mar Vista staff. Anna Maria resident Ed Chiles, owner of the Mar Vista, has been a sponsor of the event since its inception in 2010.

Special thanks go out to Larry Beggs of Reef Innovations who donated his time and barge to transport volunteers and debris. Longboat Key Public Works helped clear trails on the Sister Keys and provided a dump truck to haul the debris while Longboat Key Police officer Ed Kolodzieski was on hand to slow boat traffic in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Through an arrangement with Longboat Key Public Works, volunteers can still do a cleanup on their own until Sunday, March 14 and deposit bags at the town dock for pickup.

Ronda Ryan and Ivan Zunz sort the debris after the cleanup. - Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Ronda Ryan and Ivan Zunz sort the debris after the cleanup. - Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Cyndi Seamon, Alison Albee and Tim Thurman enjoy lunch after the event under the buttonwoods at the Mar Vista. - Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Cyndi Seamon, Alison Albee and Tim Thurman enjoy lunch after the event under the buttonwoods at the Mar Vista. - Rusty Chinnis | Sun

From left, Peter Peduzzi, Ann Maria Shields and Federico Vasquez return with a load of trash collected with the help of sisters Ashley and Brianna Aular and their mother, Katie Aular. - Rusty Chinnis | Sun

From left, Peter Peduzzi, Ann Maria Shields and Federico Vasquez return with a load of trash collected with the help of sisters Ashley and Brianna Aular and their mother, Katie Aular. - Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Coquina Beach renourishment slated for early 2021

Coquina Beach renourishment slated for early 2021

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Longboat Key.

MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County has a FEMA-funded, county-managed beach renourishment project planned for Coquina Beach in early 2021.

The county is also partnering with the Town of Longboat Key on a beach renourishment project that includes the construction of five permeable rock groins.

The Town of Longboat Key also plans to conduct an emergency dredging operation on Greer Island, also known as Beer Can Island, at the northern tip of the key.

These projects were presented and discussed at the Tuesday, Dec. 15 Manatee County Commission meeting.

Coquina Beach renourishment

Tom Pierro, principal engineer with Coastal Planning and Engineering, presented the county’s Coquina Beach renourishment plan.

The county-owned beach is located in Bradenton Beach at the southern end of Anna Maria Island. Pierro said the Coquina Beach renourishment project pertains to a mile-and-a-half stretch of beach in that area.

Pierro said the beach area is managed locally by the county and does not contain the required infrastructure elements to have been included in the recently-completed Anna Maria Island beach renourishment project that received significant federal funding.

Pierro said the beach sand lost during Hurricane Hermine in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 qualified the Coquina Beach renourishment project for FEMA funds.

About 200,000 cubic yards of sand can be removed from Longboat Pass, he said, adding that the county plans to use about 70,000 cubic yards of that available sand for the Coquina Beach renourishment project. He said the rest could possibly be made available to the Town of Longboat Key to renourish the beach at the end of Gulfside Road.

Pierro estimated the Coquina Beach renourishment project will cost approximately $3 million. He said the project plans are complete, and expects the contract to be awarded in January and the work to begin in February or March. Pierro said the project must be completed by the end of May to preserve the FEMA funds.

Greer Island dredging

Representing the Town of Longboat Key, Senior Project Manager Charlie Mopps presented the Greer Island emergency dredging plan.

Mopps said the purpose of the dredging operation is to improve and restore boat and kayak access to Greer Island lagoon near the Longboat Pass Bridge. Mopps said the emergency dredging project calls for the removal of about 1,000 cubic yards of sand in a 30-foot stretch of the lagoon.

Coquina Beach renourishment slated for early 2021
The Greer Island lagoon will be dredged to improve accessibility for boaters and kayakers. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Mopps said the dredging contract has been awarded to Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift. The dredging project is expected to begin soon and take only a few days to complete once started. Mopps said the sand removed from the lagoon will be stored for later use with the Longboat Key beach renourishment project.

Coquina Beach renourishment slated for early 2021
This photographic comparison illustrates how the Greer Island channel opening has narrowed over the past two decades. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Beach renourishment and groins

On behalf of the Town of Longboat Key, Al Browder, vice president of the Olsen Associates firm, provided county commissioners with an overview of the Longboat Key beach renourishment project.

The project is divided into three segments. Occurring first, segment 1 will include the north end of the key and Greer Island. The segment 1 plans call for the installation of five permeable groins and the addition of approximately 200,000 cubic yards of beach sand.

Browder said the beach renourishment sand will come from the town’s permitted borrow areas more than a mile offshore of Passage Key.

Browder said the low-crested permeable rock groins will complement two existing concrete groins located near the street end at North Shore Road. He said the goal is to slow the rate of sand flow and erosion in that area.

Coquina Beach renourishment slated for early 2021
The existing concrete groins near the north end of Longboat Key will be joined by five new permeable rock groins.- Joe Hendricks | Sun

“The purpose here is to maintain sandy beach conditions along the Gulf. It has been a running battle to protect the north tip of Longboat Key and maintain the recreational value and the environmental habitat in the lagoon itself,” Browder said.

Browder said the segment 1 project is anticipated to start in February or March and take about 180 days to complete. When the segment 1 work is complete, some additional dune vegetation and mangrove restoration will take place along the Greer Island lagoon.

The segment 2 plan calls for 350,000 cubic yards of beach sand to be placed in the center section of the key’s Gulfside beach areas.

Listed in the Town of Longboat Key’s presentation as optional and dependent on available funds, the segment 3 plans call for 160,000 cubic yards of beach sand to potentially be placed at the south end of the key.

These discussions resulted in the county commission authorizing the county administrator to execute an interlocal agreement with the Town of Longboat Key that provides $2.69 million as the county’s contribution to the town’s renourishment project.

The accompanying adoption of Resolution 20-199 authorized a short-term loan not to exceed $1.99 million from the county’s general fund to its beach erosion control fund. The remaining $700,000 of the county’s contribution to the town project will come from the county’s beach renourishment reserve fund.

The commission also approved the town’s request for the easements needed for groin installations.