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Robinson Preserve honored by Tripadvisor

Robinson Preserve honored by Tripadvisor

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Outdoors, Parks.

BRADENTON – Manatee County’s Robinson Preserve has been named a “2022 Travelers’ Choice” destination by Tripadvisor.

The 682-acre coastal wetland habitat is in the top 10% of attractions worldwide, according to the publication.

Both visitors and locals enjoy exploring the 2.5-mile paved trail as well as the 5 miles of shell coastal trails.

Robinson Preserve honored by Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor honors Robinson Preserve. Jason Schaffer | Sun

“We bring our bikes out here at least once a month and ride the trails as a family,” said Keith Brisco, of Lakewood Ranch, riding the trails with his wife, Kathy, and three children. “It’s a beautiful ride, and easy even for the younger kids. They love going up the tower; it’s a must every time we come out here.”

The tower Brisco speaks of is a 40-foot observation tower open to the public, with a view that includes four counties and five bodies of water. In addition to walking, running or biking, Robinson Preserve also offers 3 miles of blueways for paddlers to navigate mangrove tunnels, marshes and more connecting to the Manatee River, Perico Bayou and Palma Sola Bay.

“This is a great honor,” Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said. “It truly reflects the commitment to preserving and restoring sensitive lands and natural resources.”

The main entrance of Robinson Preserve is located at 1704 99th St. N.W. with another vehicle entrance at 10299 Ninth Ave. N.W. An aquatic entrance for kayakers is at the west end of the Palma Sola Causeway, and a bike- or hike-in entrance is north of the parking lot at the humpback bridge at Perico Island.

Chief concerned about lifeguard shortage

Chief concerned about lifeguard shortage

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Parking spots at Cortez Beach were nearly filled last Thursday and beachgoers packed the prime areas near the water, but one location remained empty – the lifeguard stand.

The three Anna Maria Island public beaches – Manatee, Cortez and Coquina – have been subject to lifeguard staffing shortages for about the past year and a half, and weekend-only coverage at Cortez Beach has been one response to the scarcity of staff, Manatee County Marine Rescue Chief Joe Westerman said.

“When something happens at one beach, we have to bring people from other beaches to help,” he said. “It has a domino effect.”

With six vacant lifeguard spots, Manatee County is currently running at slightly more than 70% capacity of its 21 potential positions. Westerman said that the current staff has been working overtime to make up for the shortfall in coverage.

“We have a core group of dedicated professionals right now that thrive in this job,” he said. “I’d like to keep them and get more.”

Despite staffing shortages, Westerman said with an annual average of 90-135 riptide rescues at the three beaches, Manatee County lifeguards may have prevented a corresponding number of potential deaths.

“I would call riptide rescues critical rescues,” he said. “Those are possible deaths. If someone gets caught and a lay person tries to help them, someone may drown.”

A rip current warning poster on the lifeguard stand at Cortez Beach issues the following cautions: “Don’t fight the current. Swim out of the current then to shore. If you can’t escape, float or tread water. If you need help, call or wave for assistance.”

“You can’t predict riptides – you don’t know when they’ll happen,” he said. “A sea breeze could kick in and it could only take a one- to two-foot chop for it to happen.”

Manatee County is far from the only location where lifeguards are in short supply.

“There is a national shortage for lifeguards where one-third of the nation’s pools aren’t opening,” Westerman said. “The ocean is different. We can’t close the door. People still come to the beach.”

He said the requirements to become a lifeguard are more stringent than some people may think.

“I could get 12 applicants and send out invitations to test and maybe one or two of them will show up,” he said.

According to the Beach Lifeguard I or II job posting by Manatee County, the following are among the job requirements:

“Must be able to demonstrate successfully 50 meters of each of the following swim strokes in a pool: Freestyle, Breaststroke, Sidestroke and Backstroke. Must be able to run ½ mile in 3:30 minutes or less, swim 500 meters in open water in 10 minutes or less and demonstrate a non-equipment rescue of an active, panicked victim from 100 meters offshore. Must be able to demonstrate paddling a rescue board approximately 200 meters.”

“This is a physically demanding job. They (our staff) are professionals and athletes,” Westerman said. “The 500-meter swim in 10 minutes is a nationally-set standard. There’s no deviation from that.”

Candidates must also be able to acquire and maintain American Heart Association CPR certification and First Responder/EMR or First-Aid Certification within 30 days of the hire date.

“First and foremost, get in the water and swim and be honest with yourself,” Westerman advises potential candidates. “Don’t just be satisfied with 500 meters, swim 1,000. Practice back, side and breaststrokes.”

The pay range for a Beach Lifeguard I is between $17.80 and $24.75 per hour.

“There are some pay-related issues,” among others, he said. “When COVID hit, people rethought what they wanted to do with their lives and in this job, you are putting your life on the line.”

Westerman said there was a recent increase in offered pay and praised Manatee County commissioners for what he called their great support.

There is a $1 per hour incentive for those with an EMT license, and a $1 per hour incentive for Rescue Diver certification.

“Currently we have six state-certified EMTs and one state-certified paramedic on our roster,” he said. “If someone wants to become an EMT, they can be reimbursed for school.”

Lifeguards respond to water and land-borne emergencies and provide rescues to beachgoers and boaters in the surf environment as well as on shore, and provide basic emergency medical care, according to an online job posting.

“We are the only entity besides the fire and police departments where we have seconds to make a decision to save someone’s life,” Westerman said. “This is with minimal equipment. We actively watch all day for something to happen.”

There is a community-oriented aspect to the job as well.

“We want people who are comfortable talking with the public and working around tourists,” Westerman said. “My wish list would be to have qualified candidates in a line out the door.”

For more information, visit mymanatee.org/jobs.

Castles in the Sand

Homebuyers getting hit every day

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

Buying a home was once a happy time for families. Homes were plentiful to choose from, and imagining your grandmother’s credenza in the dining room and the Christmas tree in the living room front window made for happy thoughts.

Now, however, looking for a home is a stressful event if you’re just the average potential homeowner. Inventory is low, prices are high, and, of course, now we have to stress even more about the increase in mortgage interest rates.

As of June 23, according to Forbes, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 5.89% and the average rate for a 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 5.13%. These numbers are slightly down. However, typically they are going up, forcing buyers to make some serious decisions, especially if they may not qualify for the additional monthly cost of the increased financing rate.

They can come up with more cash and apply for a smaller loan – usually not a good option for marginal buyers. They can lower their criteria for what kind of home they want at a lower price point and hope it exists. Or they can drop out of the market completely with the hope things improve in a year or whenever. Unfortunately, this is an option that is happening more and more as the interest rates and the selling prices keep going up.

New home buyers are getting hit even harder. Buyers who are in contract for new construction but haven’t closed are facing mortgage interest rates that are getting close to doubling since they agreed to purchase the home. In addition, they are also confronting construction that is taking longer than usual due to supply-chain and labor constraints. Some new home buyers also have to make difficult decisions; how long can they hold out while they’re watching mortgage interest rates go up and the construction on their new home crawling along?

Time now for the May Manatee County sales statistics published by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

Single-family homes closed 7.3% less than last May. The median sale price was $550,000, 37.5% higher, and the average sale price was $715,504, 26.1% higher. The median time to contract has not changed at six days but the month’s sup- ply of available properties has changed to 1.2 months availability. The good news is new listings are up 17.2%.

Condo sales were up 6.3% over last year. The median sale price was $369,900, 51.9% higher, and the average sale price was $441,674, 41.5% higher. The median time to contract is six days, the same as single family, and the month’s supply of available properties is one month. The good news for condos is also that new listings are up 15.5%.

A combination of higher interest rates and our normal summer slowdown is resulting in a fewer number of sales and more available properties on the market. However, prices, both average and median, remain very strong, according to the president of the Realtor Association, and are still increasing.

Making the biggest investment of your life has always been a stressful event, but it was also mixed with pleasant thoughts of the future and paint colors. Now, however, for the average buyer who needs to watch their dollars, the pleasant thoughts are gone, and they’re left with the stress. My heart goes out to them.

Spring tourism surges on AMI

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

ANNA MARIA – Spring tourism was strong on Anna Maria Island, according to Anne Wittine, Director of Quantitative Research for Tampa-based Research Data Services.

The Manatee County tourism consultant told the Tourist Development Council at
its June 23 meeting at The Center of Anna Maria Island that April 2022 broke records.

With 99,900 visitors, tourism rose 19.8% from April 2021. Room nights were at an all-time high at 230,200, up 5.5%, with an economic impact of $139,186,600, a 35.9% increase from a record-breaking April 2021. “These numbers are partly due to the fact we were so full in March that many people simply weren’t able to come” until April, Wittine said. “Also due to a late Easter, some of those trips were extended to April.”

Wittine spoke of visitor origins, saying there was a notable increase in visitors from the Northeast, up 74.9% from April 2021, and from the Midwest, up 81.7% during the same period. The Southeast was up 24.6%, however, Florida visitation was down 31.8%.

The average party size was 3.0 people, up from 2.8 last April. Wittine says while that number doesn’t sound like much, it’s a significant increase of 7%. The average length of stay was 5.1 days.

Fiscal year-to-date numbers were equally impressive, with the number of visitors up 21.6% and the economic impact up 35.9% over the previous fiscal year.

Airport traffic at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) was also up over 15% from April 2021.

Wittine also addressed gas prices and their impact on tourism.

“Considering gas prices and all the things that are going on, we are not hearing from property managers that it’s affecting their summer business,” Wittine said. “For May, we’re still seeing properties reporting increases from last year.”

A Traveler Sentiment Study showed that concern about gas prices went from 38.7% last May to 60.6% this year. It also showed that 76.1% of visitors were optimistic about personal health and 53.9% were optimistic about personal finances. Both of these numbers are lower than last May, when 81.9% were optimistic about personal health and 76% were optimistic about personal finances. Concern about the economy almost doubled, but so far has not kept visitors from booking vacations.

County commissioner accused of theft

County commissioner accused of theft

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

HOLMES BEACH – Manatee County voters are no strangers to political antics when it comes to local elections, but the case of the disappearing election signs has turned serious, with an accusation of theft.

The problem began when Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore removed three campaign signs promoting Jason Bearden, the opponent for her at-large commission seat. Two of the signs were located on private property and one was on city right of way.

During a June 22 press conference held outside Holmes Beach City Hall, Whitmore said that two of the signs she removed were on properties owned by local developer Shawn Kaleta. She said she contacted Kaleta, who said he had not given permission for the signs to be placed on his property.

Whitmore said she removed the signs and took them to the Holmes Beach Police Department, where she made a statement to officers noting that the city’s sign ordinance only allows for political signs to be placed in the city during the 45 days leading up to an election. According to the city’s sign ordinance, candidates cannot start placing their election signs until Saturday, Sept. 24.

Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that the signs were turned over to the city’s code compliance division to be collected by Bearden.

Once the news of the sign removal came out, Bearden publicly demanded that Whitmore be arrested and charged with theft.

Speaking to The Sun, Tokajer said that Whitmore was not being charged or fined in relation to the sign removal. However, he issued a warning to the community that election signs are to be placed on private property only with the property owner’s permission and that signs can only be legally moved or removed by the property owner, police or code compliance officers.

While Whitmore joked about turning herself in to police during her press conference, she adamantly maintained that “Carol Whitmore did nothing wrong.”

Ultimately, the contest between Whitmore and Bearden will be decided by voters during the Nov. 8 general election. The last day to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 11.

Fire district to reallocate taxpayer funds

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

MANATEE COUNTY – Property owners who are confused by a six-page letter arriving from West Manatee Fire Rescue District staff are not alone.

The letter, legally required to be mailed to every property owner in the district, covers two separate topics – that the district’s staff is reallocating some taxpayer funds to cover non-transport advanced life support service and that the district’s non-ad valorem assessment will increase for the 2022-23 tax year beginning Oct. 1.

The non-transport ALS service is not new to WMFR or the people it serves in the district, and the assessment rate increase isn’t happening because of the increase in service. In fact, WMFR’s non-transport ALS service has been ongoing for the last few years. Now that it’s fully launched at all three fire stations and the majority of the district’s first responders have been fully trained as paramedics, attorney Maggie Mooney said it’s time for staff to send out a letter informing taxpayers that some of the funds the district receives are being spent to provide the service.

With the non-transport ALS service, WMFR firefighters provide the same critical care service that EMS provides except that they cannot transport patients to the hospital. And the cost of the enhanced service has been factored into the district’s budget for more than three years, meaning that the increase in the assessment rate isn’t directly related to the increase in service.

Reasons for the assessment rate increase include a jump in the personal income growth number used to determine how much a special district like WMFR can increase rates each year, rising costs due to insurance and a new contract with the firefighters’ union, and an attempt to build reserve funds for future large purchases, such as replacement fire engines.

Assessment rates are planned to increase 4% for the new fiscal year over the current rates. For a residential property owner with a home of 2,000 square feet, the rate will increase to $336.22, a $12.94 increase over the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Commercial property owners also will see a 4% increase with the rate increasing to $753.19 for a 2,000-square-foot property, an increase of $28.96.

Anyone who has questions about the non-transport ALS service and how it affects the assessment rate or who wishes to dispute the assessment rate increase
is invited to attend a public hearing on Tuesday, July 19 at 6 p.m. at the district’s administration building at 701 63rd St. W. in Bradenton.

Castles in the Sand

Money flowing into Florida

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

I recently read an interesting historical novel about the wealthy landowners in the South in the years just before the Civil War. These privileged folks moved their entire households, including their money – carried in the form of gold transported in chests – to escape the summer heat. Well, things haven’t changed that much, only this time the money is in the form of wire transfers and the migration isn’t from a warm climate but to a warm climate.

According to the IRS’s report about migration of taxpayers between states, 2020 was a banner year for states with low tax policies, and guess which state accrued the most income? Florida had $23.7 billion more in income for 2020, followed by Texas with $6.3 billion and Arizona with $4.8 billion. Of the remaining top income-producing states, no one was even close to Florida, which stands alone in this area.

I probably don’t need to tell you where all of this wealth is being transferred from, but I will: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and other Northeastern states. New York state lost the most income, topping out at $19.5 billion.

Obviously, the flow of money is attached to their owners moving to our state and looking for properties to purchase, which accounts for the following analysis of $1-million-and-over properties in our area. This report covers six months from Nov. 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022. The available and pending properties are from the realtor.com website and the closed properties are from the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website.

In Cortez, currently on the market or pending there are three properties listed over $1 million;  at $4,750,000, $3,350,000 and $2,950,000. The new community of Hunters Point has several properties listed, all of them over $1 million, starting at $1,850,000.

Anna Maria has 44 properties listed or pending $1 million or over; three over $8 million, two over $6 million, three over $5 million, seven over $4 million, nine over $3 million, 17 over $2 million and three over $1 million. The combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach have 69 properties listed or pending over $1 million; one listed over $28 million, one listed over $14 million, one listed over $11 million, one listed over $19 million and one listed over $7 million. There are also four listed over $6 million, one listed over $5 million, five listed over $4 million, seven listed over $3 million, 24 listed over $2 million and 23 listed over $1 million.

As far as closed properties, Cortez had five over $1 million. Anna Maria had 82 over $1 million, two over $9 million, one over $7 million, two over $6 million, three over $5 million, five over $4 million, six over $3 million, 29 over $2 million and 34 over $1 million. The combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach closed 128 properties over $1 million, five over $9 million, one over $8 million, one over $5 million, 12 over $4 million, eight over $3 million, 26 over $2 million and 75 over $1 million.

All three areas increased their closed sales from the previous six months by approximately 30% to 50%. The available and pending listings also increased, but by a much smaller amount. In addition, the selling and listing prices are also higher than six months ago.

Our new residents may not have gold in their suitcases, but the cash keeps flowing into Florida anyway, and not for just a visit, as in years past, but for a lifetime. The rest of the country may be slowing down, but Florida isn’t getting the message.

Manatee County hurricane shelter list

Manatee County hurricane shelter list

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Hurricane Guide Archives.

The following hurricane shelters in Manatee County may be open depending on the direction and size of the storm. There are no assigned shelters, and few are furnished, so bring lawn chairs, cots, bedding and folding tables.

Bayshore Elementary School – 6120 26th St. W., Bradenton

Braden River Middle School – 6215 River Club Boulevard, Bradenton

Braden River High School – 6545 S.R. 70 E., Bradenton*

Buffalo Creek Middle School – 7320 69th St. E., Palmetto

Daughtrey Elementary – 515 63rd Ave. E., Bradenton

Freedom Elementary School – 9515 S.R. 64 E., Bradenton

Gullett Elementary School – 12125 44th Ave. E., Bradenton

Haile Middle School – 9501 S.R. 64 E., Bradenton

Harvey Elementary School, 8610 115th Ave. E., Parrish

Johnson-Wakeland School – 2121 26th Ave. E., Bradenton

Kinnan Elementary School – 3415 Tallevast Road, Sarasota

Lee Middle School – 4000 53rd Ave. W., Bradenton

Manatee High School – 1000 32nd St. W., Bradenton*

McNeal Elementary School – 6325 Lorraine Road, Bradenton

Miller Elementary School – 601 43rd St. W., Bradenton

Mills Elementary School – 7200 69th St. E., Palmetto*

Myakka City Elementary School – 37205 Manatee Ave., Myakka City

Oneco Elementary School – 5214 22nd St. Court E., Bradenton

Prine Elementary School – 3801 Southern Parkway, Bradenton

Rogers Garden Elementary – 515 13th Ave. W., Bradenton

Seabreeze Elementary School – 3601 71st St. W., Bradenton

Tillman Elementary School – 1415 29th St. E., Palmetto

Williams Elementary – 3404 Fort Hamer Road, Parrish

Willis Elementary School – 14705 The Masters Ave., Bradenton

Witt Elementary School – 200 Rye Road, Bradenton

*Pet-friendly

Manatee County logo

Special needs help available

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Hurricane Guide Archives.

Help is available for those dependent on medical equipment or those who need assistance or transportation to a shelter by registering in advance. Register for Manatee County’s Special Needs Assistance Program in several ways:

  • Call the county’s emergency management department at 941-749-3500, ext. 7828, and an application will be mailed to you. Complete the form and return it to Manatee County Emergency Management, P.O. Box 1000, Bradenton, FL 34206-1000.
  • Go to the county’s website and click on “emergency management” and then on “special needs registry” to download instructions, an evacuation checklist, and an application. Complete the form and return it to Manatee County Emergency Management, P.O. Box 1000, Bradenton, FL 34206-1000.
  • Register online at the county’s website, https://mymanatee.org

Prepare your house, pool and yard

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Hurricane Guide Archives.

Here’s how to secure your home, pool and yard before a storm.

 Home preparation

  • Install shutters on all openings, including windows, doors, sliding glass doors, French doors and garage doors
  • If using plywood, purchase 5/8″ thick plywood well before a storm arrives, pre-measure, pre-drill and label each piece, or buy clips to attach plywood to window frames
  • Install impact resistant windows
  • Caulk or install weather stripping around windows
  • Install three door hinges on outside doors
  • Install deadbolts that extend one inch into the door jamb on outside doors
  • Repair loose or missing roof shingles
  • Inspect soffits for adequate fasteners
  • Replace loose or missing soffits
  • Outside, seal openings from air conditioning refrigerant lines, water heater pressure relief lines, water pipes, cable and satellite TV wires, telephone wires, Internet wires and exhaust fan vents from bathroom, kitchen, clothes dryer
  • Inside, seal around electrical boxes and circuit breaker panels, electrical outlets, exhaust fan vents
  • Bring loose items inside, including garbage cans, lawn furniture, decorations, hoses, hanging plants, grills
  • Turn off or disconnect electric, gas, water and sewer before evacuating

Mobile home preparation

  • Inspect, repair or add tie-down straps and anchors according to Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles standards
  • Make sure straps are properly aligned and not on an angle
  • Check to be sure the proper number of tie-downs have been installed properly
  • Verify that ground anchors and stabilizer plates have been installed properly
  • Be sure support piers are in contact with the frame
  • Replace straps or ground anchors that show signs of corrosion or damage.
  • Inspect and repair wood rot and termite damage in wall-to-floor connections, wall-to-roof connections, perimeter joists and trusses
  • Inspect fasteners if home has a roof-over
  • Close shutters
  • Secure loose outdoor objects
  • Turn off or disconnect electricity, gas, water and sewer
  • Establish a community evacuation plan for your mobile home park
  • Make a list of residents’ phone numbers, altern ate addresses
  • Assign each neighbor a partner to help them evacuate

Swimming pool preparation

  • Lower the water level to reduce flooding potential
  • Do not empty the pool, it could pop out of the ground
  • Turn off electrical power to the pool
  • Store filter pump motor indoors to keep it dry
  • Store loose items indoors, not in pool, to protect from chemicals
  • Add extra chlorine to use pool water for washing and flushing
  • Inspect and repair or replace pool screen hardware
  • Remove two opposite pool screen panels to allow wind to blow through

Yard preparation

  • Trim weak branches
  • Hire licensed trimmers to trim near power lines
  • Trim early enough before storm to allow branches to be removed from property to keep them from becoming projectiles.

 

Castles in the Sand

Can’t be, not again – it’s hurricane season

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

As we get older, the years tick by more quickly – or so it seems – and here we are again looking down the barrel of the 2022 North Atlantic hurricane season cannon.

As usual, Colorado State University has released their predictions for the 2022 hurricane season. Also as usual, the season is predicted to be above average.

The average number of named storms in the North Atlantic stands at 14, seven of them hurricanes and three of them major hurricanes. The prediction for 2022 is 19 named storms, nine of them hurricanes and four major hurricanes, because of warmer waters and a lack of El Nino conditions, according to CSU. This is slightly above last year’s predictions of 17 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

The fun part of the beginning of hurricane season, if you can justify anything fun about hurricanes, is the names we can expect to hear any day now. This year starts with Alex and ends with Walter. Along the way we have Danielle, Lisa and Richard, among others, but my favorite of this season is Hermine, number eight in the list. Hopefully, we won’t run out of names this year.

The not-so-fun part of getting ready for hurricane season is preparing your home and your family in the event that Hermine comes knocking. The obvious items to add to your hurricane preparedness list are non-perishable foods, usually in cans (don’t forget the manual can opener), bottled water (buy it now; it’s the first thing to fly off the shelves when a storm is coming), batteries, cash, full tank of gas, prescriptions, candles or battery-operated lights, and if you still have a land line telephone, it’s not a bad idea to hang on to it or at the very least keep your cell phones and iPads fully charged if you’re facing a storm.

Remove any outdoor flying objects, furniture, toys, plants and awnings that can turn into missiles aimed at your windows. Secure your boats or move them to dry land if possible. Put together a briefcase with important papers if you need to evacuate like insurance policies, school records, home mortgage information, recent tax returns, bank records, investment records, even important photos or diplomas just in case.

If you live in a potential evacuation area, like I do, make a list of local hotels off the water or set up a safe house with a friend or relative to go to. You always have the official Manatee County shelter evacuation locations; know where yours is.

The mymanatee.org website has a great deal of information concerning everything I just outlined, but in much more detail. It’s worth taking the time to read it and to implement some of their recommendations. Hopefully by now you have upgraded your home to conform to hurricane guidelines, securing all windows, doors and roofs.

A quick note about another disaster. The 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse has been settled to resolve the wrongful death claims brought by family members of the 98 victims. The settlement was for $997 million; this was on top of the settlement earlier this year for the property damage claims of about $83 million.

Let’s hope the families of these poor people can find some peace. Let’s also hope that we can get through this hurricane season peacefully as well, and that Hermine or Gaston or Paula behave themselves. Be safe.

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.

Related coverage

 

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.

Beach parking meeting reaps results

Beach parking meeting reaps results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Castles in the Sand

Does anyone know what’s going on?

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand, Real estate | Development.

I recently spent a weekend with some good friends, all of whom were either involved in real estate sales or still are. Naturally, there was a lot of conversation about soaring home values both here in Florida and on New York’s Long Island, where we are all from. The question kept coming up, what does everyone think about the future of the market? Not surprisingly, these four smart women with a combined 150 years of real estate experience didn’t have a clue and neither do the economists.

We’re starting to see signs around the country that the market may have peaked in some places. More properties are coming on the market, which could level off the appreciation rate. However, since all real estate is local, only looking at specific regions will tell the story, and we are going to look at Manatee County’s statistics for March.

But first, almost every homeowner in the country is sitting on what could be substantial equity in their homes. The definition of equity is the difference between the market value of your property and the remaining mortgage debt against the property. There is something called tappable equity, which is the amount of equity homeowners can access while retaining at least 20% equity. Nevertheless, it can still be a lot of money, which begs the question: What should be done with all the equity?

Every homeowner’s situation is, of course, different. Less affluent borrowers may want to take out home equity loans against their equity to pay off higher-interest debt or to fund college tuition. But wealthier homeowners are frequently purchasing second homes to use for future retirement or investment opportunities.

If your decision is to sell and cash out, make sure you have a plan for where you’re going to live. Chances are, if you even find a property to purchase, it will be a much higher value than you anticipated, and rentals are also few and far between.

Now back to Manatee County statistics for the month of March as reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

Single-family home sales were down 20.2% from last March, but the good news is new listings are up 6.2%. However, values were way up – the median sale price broke another record of $525,000, up 32.9%, and the average was $703,385, up 31% from last March. The time to contract is five days and month’s supply of properties is 0.6 months.

Condo sales were down 39.9% but new listings are up 2.5%. The median sale price was $320,539, up 30.8% from last March, and the average sale price was $394,151, up 31.5%. The time to contract is also five days and month’s supply of properties is 0.7 months.

Obviously, there appears to be a positive change in new listings compared to last year. The hope is that if this trend continues, available inventory will start to level off. The big question is, will increased inventory result in lower sale prices? With properties going into contract quickly towards the end of the traditional selling season, the sale prices over the next few months may tell the story, but don’t bet on it. The number of buyers out there just waiting for new properties to come on the market will take a long time to go through, and even higher interest rates will, in my opinion, have little effect on most buyers in our waterfront area.

If my experienced friends didn’t know what’s going on in the market, why should you or any other buyer or seller? Whatever your decision is to do with your newfound wealth, don’t make that decision until you know all of your options. If you’re selling high, you’re also buying high.

Just saying.