HOLMES BEACH – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommends county commission approval of the city of Holmes Beach’s request to use $395,011 in tourist development tax revenues to install a multi-use path along a portion of Marina Drive and a connecting, perpendicular brick paver sidewalk along 65th Street.
During their Oct. 30 meeting, TDC members also voted in favor of recommending county commission approval of the city’s request to use $15,000 in tourist development tax revenues to pay for the city’s 75th anniversary celebration on Friday, Dec. 5.
Manatee County’s county commission-controlled tourist development tax revenues are generated by the 6% tax levied on all vacation rental, resort and hotel/motel stays of six months or less. In 2023, the county collected $30 million in tourist development tax revenues.
Multi-use path, sidewalk
If approved by county commissioners, the $395,011 in tourist development tax revenues would be combined with a $133,401 contribution from the city to complete the $528,412 multi-modal transportation enhancement project.
Multi-modal transportation systems include pedestrians, bicyclists, automobiles, e-bikes, golf carts, scooters, rollerbladers, public transit, water taxis and provide connectivity between the various transportation modes.
Holmes Beach Development Services Director Chad Minor attended the TDC meeting and was prepared to make a presentation and answer questions if needed.
This diagram illustrates the project components and locations. – City of Holmes Beach | Submitted
Before the meeting began, Minor said the proposed project will fill a gap and complete the existing multi-use path along the east side of Marina Drive that already connects to the multi-use path in Anna Maria. The remaining section of the multi-use path will be installed from 56th Street to 66th Street, between city hall and the Gloria Dei church property, where a much narrower sidewalk currently exists.
The image illustrates what the brick paver sidewalk along 65th Street will look like. – City of Holmes Beach | Submitted
The project will also include the installation of a brick paver sidewalk along 65th Street from Marina Drive to the 65th Street beach access, a lighted crosswalk at the Gulf Drive/65th Street intersection and wildlife habitat-related educational signage.
TDC member comments
When presenting the city’s funding request, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said it’s significantly lower than a similar request the city previously proposed for approximately $800,000.
Falcione said the city’s current request aligns with the county’s desire for an integrated, seven-mile-long pedestrian and bike trail that runs the entire length of Anna Maria Island and connects all three Island cities for the benefit of tourists and residents.
Falcione noted the existing Marina Drive multi-use path already passes by the Waterline marina basin the county hopes to use as a Gulf Islands Ferry stop.
“Please keep in mind that the city of Holmes Beach is the second highest collector of the tourism tax – with unincorporated Manatee County being the number one collector,” Falcione said.
A similar multi-use path was previously installed near city hall. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Off-Island hotel owner and TDC member Rahul Patel questioned whether the installation of a multi-use path is an allowed use of state regulated tourist development tax revenues, but he voted in favor of the request.
Holmes Beach-based Cedar Cove Resort Manager and TDC member Eric Cairns said, “The amount of taxes that are generated on the Island and in Holmes Beach would warrant. So many people are trying to walk down sidewalks that don’t exist.”
Holmes Beach commissioner and TDC member Dan Diggins said he also owns a vacation rental home in Holmes Beach and tourists probably make up 90% of the multi-use path users.
Citing information provided by Falcione’s office, Diggins said Holmes Beach has generated approximately $45 million in tourist tax revenues over the years and to date has only received $144,200 in return.
Palmetto Marriott Resort managing director and TDC member Tony DeRusso said, “Multi-modal transportation is an amenity for tourism. People who visit want a jogging trail. They want a place to ride a bike. I think this is a perfect situation for us to contribute.”
DeRusso said the Florida Department of Transportation and other agencies also need to help fund multi-modal improvements: “It shouldn’t be solely on tourism, because this is also for the residents.”
County commissioner and TDC Chair Amanda Ballard said, “When people come to a beach destination, they want that laid back lifestyle where they can ride a bike, walk down the sidewalk, ride on a golf cart. Being able to provide that kind of amenity is huge for the tourists and there’s an ancillary benefit for residents as well.”
Anniversary celebration
If approved by county commissioners, the $15,000 in tourist development tax revenues will help fund the city’s 75th Anniversary Celebration being held at City Field on Friday, Dec. 5 from 5-8 p.m.
The city of Holmes Beach’s 75th anniversary will be celebrated on Friday, Dec. 5. – City of Holmes Beach | Submitted
The anniversary celebration will include live music by Jah Movement and Trevor Bystrom, food and beer vendors, children and family activities and more.
HOLMES BEACH – In response to questions raised by residents and city commissioners, Holmes Beach Public Works Director Sage Kamiya addressed the ongoing Manatee County water main replacement project occurring along 65th, 64th, 63rd and 62nd Streets between Marina Drive and Holmes Boulevard.
During the April 8 city commission meeting, Commissioner Terry Schaefer said a resident asked him about the project.
“I think we’ve all driven by it and there’s an odor that’s coming from it. I was surprised the odor’s that pungent from our groundwater,” Schaefer said. “It’s not our project. They’re behind schedule and we unfortunately have no role in supervising it.”
The Marina Drive/63rd Street intersection was still impacted as of April 16. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Dan Diggins said residents also contacted him and he asked Kamiya to provide an update. Kamiya said the county contacted the city about a year and a half ago regarding the need to replace some aging water mains and the city has no control over the project and no inspection rights.
Kamiya said the water table has to be lowered where they’re laying the new pipes and the groundwater displaced during the dewatering process is producing the odor Schaefer mentioned.
“You’re smelling the sulfur that is naturally occurring,” he said.
The dewatering process also creates standing water along Marina Drive and the impacted streets between Marina Drive and Holmes Boulevard are lined with barricades, equipment, materials, excavated areas and more.
Barricades and other project-related items cluttered 62nd Street on March 25. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Kamiya said the county anticipated completing the project in January or February and now hopes to complete most of the work by the end of April, but some additional cleanup and other work will still be needed.
The impacted streets are lined with barricade barrels and other project-related items. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In reference to a previous county water main replacement project that encountered significant delays, Diggins said, “We don’t want this thing to turn into another Holmes Boulevard.”
Mayor Judy Titsworth cited post-hurricane labor demands as a contributing factor.
“Everybody is behind. Every single trade is behind and there’s just not enough workers out there,” she said.
HOLMES BEACH – Two cars drove into two neighboring businesses on two separate days last week, followed by a crash into a crosswalk signal and pedestrian barrier at the nearby intersection of Marina and Gulf drives.
Six people were injured in the accidents, none reported as critical.
The first crash happened on April 18 around noon when a Jeep driven by Susan Reedy of Ohio crashed into Gypsea Tides Boutique, 5602 Marina Drive. Three people were injured and taken to HCA Florida Blake Hospital and later released, including boutique owner Rexann Cecil, who posted on Facebook that the boutique would be closed until further notice.
A Jeep crashed into Gypsea Tides in Holmes Beach on April 18, injuring three people. – Tanya Licata | Submitted
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said Reedy reported that the car lunged forward, but after watching surveillance video of the incident, his department believed she hit the gas instead of the brake and accelerated through the store.
Tokajer said Reedy was cited with careless driving.
“The driver was unharmed,” Tokajer said. “The three taken to the hospital were all in the store and all were later released. It was the owner and two patrons.”
On April 20 around 4 p.m., a van crashed into Raders Reef, 5508 Marina Drive, just yards away from Gypsea Tides, causing even more destruction and injuring the driver and a patron inside the store, Tokajer said.
The vehicle caught fire upon impact, causing structural damage to the building, according to a West Manatee Fire Rescue incident report.
Firefighters from West Manatee Fire Rescue extinguish a vehicle fire after a van hit Raders Reef in Holmes Beach – Submitted | WMFR
The Sun arrived on the scene less than 15 minutes after the accident and spoke to Debbie Shaw, who was working at Raders Reef.
“I had my back kind of to the side and heard a big crash, and I knew what it was before I even turned around,” Shaw said. “As soon as it hit, it was on fire. We were trying to figure out if someone was still in it. I tried to get to the car to see if someone was still inside, but the flames were too high.”
WMFR firefighters and Manatee County paramedics were on the scene in less than two minutes. Firefighters extinguished the flames, extricated the driver – the lone person in the vehicle – and secured the building. The unidentified driver was taken to HCA Florida Blake Hospital by paramedics. Both the driver and the store customer were listed in stable condition. Tokajer said the cause of the crash is under investigation.
A crash on April 21 damaged a pedestrian barrier at the intersection of Marina and Gulf drives. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
The third accident happened on April 21 at 9:09 p.m. at the intersection of Marina and Gulf drives in Holmes Beach. An unidentified Bradenton man was driving a small SUV south on Marina and failed to make the turn at Gulf Drive, crashing into a crosswalk signal at the edge of the S&S Plaza parking lot. Tokajer said the cause of the accident is believed to be a medical event and no one was injured, though the driver received medical care. The damaged crosswalk signal was under repair on April 22, he said. An investigation continues.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Much of Anna Maria Island experienced storm surge and king tide-related flooding, but the barrier island survived Hurricane Idalia mostly unscathed.
During the evening hours of Tuesday, Aug. 29 and the overnight and the early hours of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Idalia passed by Anna Maria Island as a category 3 storm, far enough to the west to spare the Island from the worst of its wind damage and storm surge.
On the Island, the hurricane produced significant flooding but minimal structural damage, electrical outages or disruptions of the water and sewer services provided by Manatee County.
The storm produced no Island fatalities or reported injuries.
The plywood used to protect Hurricane Hanks in Holmes Beach was previously used during Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Ian. – Joe Hendricks | SunA hurricane party broke out at Slim’s Place in Anna Maria Tuesday afternoon. – Charlie Trygg | Submitted
A drive around the Island early Tuesday evening before the hurricane arrived indicated most residents and visitors had already evacuated or retreated to the safety of their homes and almost all Island businesses were closed. A hurricane party was unfolding at Slim’s Place in Anna Maria and folks were also still enjoying libations at the Sports Lounge in Bradenton Beach.
Storm unfolds
While the storm unfolded Tuesday night, many Island residents shared information at the Island Ratz Unite Facebook page and elsewhere on the social media platform. The Tuesday evening posts included notice of a structural fire in Holmes Beach, limited power outages and rising floodwaters.
The Bradenton Police Department posted a Facebook notice stating the Palma Sola Causeway was closed due to high water flooding one of the three roadways that lead to the Island.
Bradenton Beach police officer Tom Ferrara cautioned people not to drive on Gulf Drive during the unfolding hurricane. – Tom Ferrara | Submitted
Early Wednesday morning, well before daylight, Bradenton Beach Police Officer Tom Ferrara posted this information: “Please stay off Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach. It’s impassable and very dangerous.”
Police officer Tom Ferrara witnessed the street flooding as it occurred in Bradenton Beach early Wednesday morning. – Tom Ferrara | Submitted
At 4:25 a.m., Lexi DeLeon posted the following information: “Thigh-high flooding through Bradenton Beach. Waves are crashing at beach entrances and flooding out to Gulf Drive. Both bridges are closed.”
The morning after
The Sun’s attempted trip to the Island at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning ended at the foot of the Cortez Bridge, where Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies blocked access to the Island while Bradenton Beach officials assessed the storm damage.
Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies restricted access to the Cortez Bridge Wednesday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Nearby in Cortez, Tide Tables restaurant co-owner Bobby Woodson and others watched the water rising over the docks and seawall and creeping up against the restaurant building. Woodson said the restaurant equipment was removed before the storm and even if some minimal interior flooding occurred, he expected to reopen on Friday.
Rising water from the Intracoastal Waterway made its way toward the Tide Tables restaurant in Cortez. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The rising waters also spilled over into the adjacent Cortez Park mobile home park, and all the side streets south of Cortez Road in Cortez were flooded.
The Cortez Park mobile home park was partially flooded Wednesday morning. – Joe Hendricks | SunThe side streets along Cortez Road were flooded. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A subsequent trip to Manatee Avenue ended east of the causeway, where officers from the Bradenton Police Department blocked access to the roadway leading to the center of the Island. An officer there said return access to the Island was not expected until 2 p.m. or later, after the mid-day king tide subsided.
Officers from the Bradenton Police Department restricted Island access via Manatee Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After an afternoon conference call with the three Island mayors and others, the Holmes Beach Police Department posted on its Facebook page that return access to the city would begin at 4:30 p.m., with no re-entry tags or proof of residency or business interests required.
Before the bridge reopenings were announced, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “We still have some flooding. The water is receding and Gulf Drive receded much quicker than Marina Drive. We’re hoping that within the next couple hours, it recedes enough so you can discern the difference between the roadway and the ditches.
“The city did well but I think we’re going to see some water damage because the roadways were inundated with high water. I think we had a surge of at least 6 to 7 feet,” he added.
Regarding the fire, he said, “A power line went down on a shed. The shed caught fire, then the fence next to the house caught fire and the house next to the fence caught fire. After FPL shut off the power grid, they (the fire department) quickly knocked down the fire,” Tokajer said.
Tokajer said power outages and downed power lines were minimal and he wasn’t aware of any fallen trees.
When contacted before the Cortez Bridge reopened, Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby said, “We had a lot of water and it just wasn’t safe for people to come back yet. The main road is open and the water’s gone down on the secondary roads that are passable now.
“Every street in Bradenton Beach was under a minimum of 2 feet of water, and closer to 3 or 4 feet in some places, including the avenues at the north end of the city. The Gulf flowed over to the bay and that has not happened since the ‘Storm of the Century’ in 1993. It pushed a lot of sand onto Gulf Drive and we needed extra time for Public Works to get the sand off the road to make it passable, which they accomplished in record time. Kudos to them,” Cosby said.
“Bridge Street itself flooded and we had some water intrusion, but I won’t know where until the owners get back. The pier has some damage and we’ve got some boats tied to the pier. Some of the new finger docks may have separated from their connections to the floating dock and we’ll do a full assessment tomorrow,” Cosby said.
Cosby said the Longboat Pass Bridge that leads to Longboat Key at the south end of the city would remain closed until further notice Wednesday evening.
When contacted Wednesday afternoon, before the bridges reopened, Sgt. Brett Getman said, “We’re still flooded down here. The water on North Bay is pretty deep. When the bridges open, we’ll be restricting access to residents and business owners. The city fared well. We didn’t lose electricity and there’s not a lot of wind damage. It’s mostly flood damage.”
Back on the Island
The Sun was part of the first wave of people returning to the Island on Wednesday afternoon via the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue. Gulf Drive was dry but motorists encountered several inches of standing water on Marina Drive near Keyes Marina, the Island Branch Library and Holmes Beach City Hall. Gulf Drive was free of any significant standing water, but some of the residential streets between Marina Drive and Gulf Drive remained flooded.
Returning and departing motorists encountered remaining floodwater along Marina Drive in Holmes Beach. – Joe Hendricks | SunStanding water remained near the 61st Street/Holmes Boulevard intersection late Wednesday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
At the entrance to Anna Maria, near CrossPointe Fellowship, sheriff’s deputies asked motorists to provide reentry tags, proof of residency or proof of business intentions and those unable to provide that information were turned away.
Sheriff’s deputies restricted vehicular access to Anna Maria after the Island bridges reopened. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Nearby, a crew from Manatee County worked to unplug a plugged sewer line.
A portion of Magnolia Avenue, near Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café, was flooded and a safety barricade remained in place. A portion of North Shore Drive near Linda Lane was flooded and remained impassable for some motorists. Around the corner, Jacaranda Road was flooded and remained impassable for some motorists.
Magnolia Avenue, near Ginny’s and Jane E’s, was one of several Anna Maria streets that flooded. – Joe Hendricks | SunNorth Shore Drive in Anna Maria was flooded near Linda Lane. – Joe Hendricks | SunThe flooding on North Shore Drive extended to nearby residential structures. – Joe Hendricks | SunJacaranda Road in Anna Maria experienced significant flooding. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Near the City Pier, a barricade blocked one lane of North Bay Boulevard atop the humpback bridge and the roadway north of the bridge was severely flooded, as were several adjacent side streets.
North Bay Boulevard remained submerged as of Wednesday evening. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
By early Wednesday evening, much of the flooding in Bradenton Beach had subsided. The most visible storm damage was seen at the T-end of the Bradenton Beach Pier. A cabin cruiser anchored south of the pier broke loose during the storm, crashed into the pier and shattered a portion of the wooden pier railing.
The railing at the T-end of the Bradenton Beach pier was damaged by a careening cabin cruiser that broke free during the storm. – Joe Hendricks | SunFive live-aboard boats were tied to the Bradenton Beach Pier and the floating dock Wednesday evening. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Another cabin cruiser that broke free during the storm was tied up to the pier with its motor running, joined by another large sailboat. Two more sailboats that broke free were tied to the new finger docks connected to the floating public dock.
On Bridge Street, the Drift In bar was the first Island business to reopen that evening.
Final thoughts
When contacted Thursday afternoon, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said the storm surge and high tide reached a maximum height of approximately 4 feet in some locations.
South Bay Boulevard, near The Waterfront Restaurant in Anna Maria, was completely underwater on Wednesday. – MCSO | SubmittedSome Anna Maria beaches experienced significant hurricane-related erosion. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“The biggest issue we’ve had to deal with in the city has been flooding; and secondly, debris on the streets, including sand. We lost nearly 50 yards of beach in some locations, maybe more in others. It’ll take us a while to get the city back to normal. We’ve had crews and contractors out pumping and clearing the streets. County Commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Jason Bearden toured our city this morning and promised us whatever help we need to bring our city back to a state of normalcy,” Murphy said.
