HOLMES BEACH – Due to public opposition, the city of Holmes Beach’s multi-use path enhancement project along Marina Drive will not include a brick paver sidewalk along 65th Street.
According to the initial plans presented to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) members in October, the now-discarded brick paver sidewalk would have been at least 5 feet wide and would have extended from the Marina Drive/65th Street intersection to the beach access near the Gulf Drive/65th Street intersection.
The proposed 65th Street sidewalk was intended to enhance pedestrian access between the Marina Drive multi-use path and the 65th Street beach access.
The revised project plan diagram obtained from the city now includes a new sidewalk to instead be installed along 45th Street, between Second Avenue and the 45th Street beach access. The new sidewalk will connect to an existing sidewalk that extends from Second Avenue to Gulf Drive.
The city provided this revised one-page project document that includes a new sidewalk along 45th Street that is highlighted in yellow, toward the bottom of the diagram. – City of Holmes Beach | Submitted
On Oct. 30, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommended county commission approval of the city request to use $395,011 in tourist development tax revenues to install a section of 8-foot-wide, concrete multi-use path along Marina Drive between 56th and 66th streets. The new section of multi-use path will replace the last remaining section of a narrow sidewalk that connects to the wider and newer multi-use path at either end.
The proposed project calls for the replacement of the last remaining section of narrow sidewalk along Marina Drive. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Holmes Beach resident Julie Andrews was among the residents who sent emails to city officials expressing opposition to a path or sidewalk being installed along 65th Street, where no sidewalks exist.
On Nov. 14, Andrews received an email from Holmes Beach Commissioner Steve Oelfke that stated the 65th Street component was no longer included the plans. In his email, Oelfke stated he was pleased with this outcome and appreciated the efforts of Andrews and others to bring their concerns to the city’s attention.
The new segment of sidewalk now included in the plans will connect to this existing sidewalk along 45th Street. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted on Nov. 20, Mayor Judy Titsworth confirmed the plan revisions and she said she didn’t expect the changes to impact the city’s TDC-supported funding request that has not yet been presented for final county commission approval.
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.
ANNA MARIA – Some business owners are concerned about the city’s desire to extend the multi-use path along Gulf Drive that runs from the entrance of the city to Willow Avenue.
They say that extending the path to Magnolia or Pine avenues would eliminate the parallel parking spaces located along that side of Gulf Drive.
The multi-use path currently extends from the entrance to the city to Willow Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City officials are still awaiting word as to whether Gov. Ron DeSantis will approve or veto a $250,000 state appropriation supported by the Florida House and Senate for Anna Maria’s multi-use path extension project. The funding request is included in the proposed 2024-25 state budget not yet finalized by DeSantis.
The business owners’ concerns are expressed in a petition initiated by Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café owner Paul Foster. The petition was sent to DeSantis, Sen. Jim Boyd, State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. and Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge.
Several Anna Maria businesses are supported by the free parking spaces along Gulf Drive. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The petition was signed by the owners of Body & Sol Spa and Wellness, Snips Hair Design, Harry’s Grill, AMI Beach Hut, Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café, The Porch restaurant, Robinhood Rentals and John Cagnina, the owner of the Ginny’s and Jane E’s property leased to Foster, which includes a rear parking lot.
The Porch restaurant is among the businesses listed on the petition. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In part, the petition says: “There is a bill going to your desk that will hurt small businesses in the city of Anna Maria. We have, over the last number of years, seen a rapid decline in free public parking. Private lots turned into paid parking and projects like this extension of a multi-use path from a residential area into a commercial area, removed free parking in front of many small businesses. It not only hurts business, but it is dangerous to bring traffic like this into a busy corner. We have options that keep bikers (bicyclists) safe and keep businesses prospering.
AMI Beach Hut customers and Harry’s Grill patrons are among those who utilize the free parking spaces along Gulf Drive. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I implore you to use your veto authority and put a stop to the funding of this project. I am asking for a more thorough study on the impacts to health and safety, and to businesses directly impacted,” the petition says.
When speaking to The Sun on March 22, Foster said the concerns addressed in the petition stem in part from previous city commission discussions regarding the potential elimination of the streetside parallel parking spaces along Pine Avenue as part of the yet-to-be-constructed Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project.
Eliminating the Pine Avenue parking spaces has been discussed by the city commission and supported by some current and past commissioners, but that idea has never garnered the majority support of the commission. City Commission Chair Mark Short and Mayor Dan Murphy are among those who’ve expressed concerns about the negative impact eliminating the Pine Avenue parking spaces would have on those businesses.
Eliminating parking spaces along Gulf Drive to accommodate an extended multi-use path has never been publicly discussed by the city commission or presented to the commission in a planning document.
Foster was asked if anyone representing the city ever mentioned to him the possibility of eliminating Gulf Drive parking spaces to accommodate an extended multi-use path.
Foster referenced a wide-ranging conversation he had with Reimagining Pine Avenue project engineer Gerry Traverso in 2021. Traverso is employed by the George F. Young Inc. engineering firm.
“Gerry never told me they were going to do this, but he did say the extension of the multi-use path would eliminate the parking,” Foster said.
There does not appear to be enough space along Gulf Drive to extend the multi-use path while also preserving the existing parking spaces. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“It would be devastating. If people are coming to a restaurant, they’re not going to use paid parking. They’re going to want to park for free. Up here, free parking is definitely limited and these 13 spaces in front of these businesses are their lifeblood,” he added.
When asked why he didn’t approach the mayor before petitioning the governor, Foster said he felt this was the most effective means to address these concerns.
FUNDING REQUESTS
The city’s $250,000 funding request is addressed in Florida Senate local funding initiative request 1512, sponsored by Boyd, and House of Representatives HSE form 2599, sponsored by Robinson. Anna Maria City Clerk LeAnne Addy said the city’s contracted lobbyist submitted the funding requests on the city’s behalf.
The Senate form asks the applicant to state the purpose to be achieved with the desired state funds.
The city’s response says, “The goal is to improve safety and accessibility along the city’s main artery for the key stakeholders – residents, businesses, and visitors – while addressing the impact of seasonal traffic. The project will make the city’s main street corridor more user-friendly by addressing safety concerns, access issues and aesthetic deficiencies resulting from the currently antiquated infrastructure along the street that doesn’t account for increased tourism.”
The House request form asks if the need for funds is documented in a study completed by an independent third party.
The city’s response says, “Yes. George F. Young Inc. has done a study on this as the engineering firm that is working on the project.”
The city response refers to the initial Reimagining Pine Avenue research Traverso conducted. Neither funding request form includes any drawings or plans of the proposed multi-use path extension area, nor do they mention the removal of existing parking spaces.
When contacted by The Sun on March 22, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said no specific plans for the proposed path extension have been created or presented to the city commission; and Addy said she wasn’t aware of any such planning documents.
FOSTER’S LETTER
The petition sent to DeSantis and others was accompanied by a letter written by Foster.
“We are very concerned with the city’s push forward with a multi-use path into a busy commercial area. All businesses along this strip will be affected negatively,” his letter says.
The letter claims the path extension would eliminate 13 parking spaces that currently serve more than 200 people per day.
“Yes, health and safety must be the number one priority, but this must be done with an eye out for our community of ‘Ma and Pop’ businesses that need to survive there. I think it’s important that everyone’s interests are looked after,” Foster stated in his letter.
Ginny’s and Jane E’s owner doesn’t support a multi-use path located in front of his businesses. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After acknowledging that city officials have a tough job and their overall efforts are appreciated, Foster’s letter says, “I’m afraid they missed their mark on this one. There is still time if protecting businesses is as important to them.”
MAYOR’S RESPONSE
On March 22, Murphy provided a written statement regarding the petition and the business owners’ concerns.
“The problem we are trying to address is that people are opening their car doors into oncoming traffic on Gulf Drive and then walking in the road to go to the restaurants and stores,” Murphy stated. “We want to develop some ideas, and then plans, on how to best address that if possible. So, we submitted a funding request for $250,000 to help defray some of the costs of addressing the problem and then work on a plan. We want to find out if anything can be done to make Gulf Drive safer to walk and drive, more people-friendly and easier to shop and eat, not to eliminate the number of parking spaces serving that area.”
The multi-use path ends at Willow Avenue, with no sidewalk on that side of the street for pedestrians. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
He noted the path extension planning process would include the solicitation of public input, similar to what occurred during the initial Reimagining Pine Avenue planning process.
“I’m not sure why Mr. Foster wouldn’t have called me about his concerns prior to launching into a petition campaign, but that’s his prerogative. I’m hoping the appropriation doesn’t get stalled and goes through so we can quickly get started on addressing this issue,” Murphy stated.
When asked if there’s enough available space along that side of Gulf Drive to extend the multi-use path and preserve the existing parking spaces, Murphy said, “Not currently.”
HOLMES BEACH – City officials are seeking tourist tax funding for enhancements to the city’s multimodal path and the creation of a new path. Public Works Superintendent/City Engineer Sage Kamiya addressed the Aug. 21 Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting, citing the recent death of a bicyclist in the city and the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a truck earlier this year while crossing the street.
Kamiya told the TDC at the meeting at The Center of Anna Maria Island that a functional multimodal path running the length of the city was a matter of “life and death.”
Kamiya noted that there is a path for walkers and bicyclists that runs along a portion of Marina Drive, but it needs improvement. The proposed new path would begin around the 2800 block of Gulf Drive and continue almost the entire length of the city to where Gulf Drive and Marina Drive merge in the 8000 block. The proposal calls for the path to be separated from the road by a grassy buffer area that would further separate people using the path from the road, improving safety.
“Being here on the Island, you see a lot of people have to make use of the road because there aren’t a lot of good options for walking,” Kamiya said.
Holmes Beach Public Works Superintendent/City Engineer Sage Kamiya addresses the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on Aug. 21 seeking funding for the city’s proposed multimodal path. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
Connecting the path to the city’s 30 beach access points is also part of the plan, which would begin with the 65th and 66th Street access points near the center of the city. The city would also like to see educational signs along the path, allowing users to learn about wildlife they may encounter, such as shorebirds and sea turtles, as well as Island flora.
The budget estimate for the project totals $2,436,727, with half of the money going to the Gulf Drive path improvements ($1,293,238), and the remainder designated for Marina Drive path improvements, engineering design, crosswalks and educational signage.
Although the plan is ambitious, Kamiya told the TDC that it would be implemented in phases, with the first phase focusing on the city center area on both Gulf Drive and Marina Drive. The phase 1 estimate is $1,133,401 with $399,460 coming from the City of Holmes Beach and the remaining $733,948 being requested from tourist tax funds.
The TDC makes recommendations on the use of the funds to the Manatee County Commission.
Rather than approve or deny the funding recommendation, the TDC unanimously chose to have the matter brought to the next TDC meeting on Monday, Oct. 16, in hopes of getting answers to questions that multiple board members had, such as whether the path would eliminate public parking spots, which side of the street the path would be on, and defining a more specific timeline, among other concerns and questions.
ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria’s city officials want to fill in the city’s share of the gap that still exists between Anna Maria’s multi-use trail and Holmes Beach’s new multi-use trail.
Both concrete trails run along the eastern edge of Gulf Drive.
Commissioner Amy Tripp requested the discussion that took place at the Thursday, May 9 meeting. After approximately 25 minutes of discussion, the commission unanimously agreed to issue a request for proposals that will provide the commission with a firm cost estimate.
Tripp thinks Anna Maria should lead by example and complete the remaining section of her city’s multi-use trail by extending it south from Archer Way to CrossPointe Fellowship’s southernmost driveway. The remaining gap between the church driveway and 85th Street is in Holmes Beach and would be left for that city to complete when possible.
Anna Maria completed its initial multi-use path last fall. It extends north from Archer Way to Willow Avenue. There it connects to North Shore Drive, which provides bicyclists an alternate route through residential neighborhoods.
Murphy said he contacted someone in Holmes Beach and was told connecting that city’s trail to Anna Maria’s trail is not on the books this year. Murphy said he was told those funds might be available next year.
Murphy said Anna Maria could build a five-foot-wide paved trail that would be narrower than the existing trail that is six or seven feet wide in most places and five in others.
Murphy said a five-foot-wide trail extension would not require any trees to be removed or any rights of way to be acquired. Nor would it require any additional sewer or drainage elements.
“$50,000 should cover it, it could be a little bit less,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the expenditure is not included in the current fiscal year budget and he does have some spending reservations due to the unknown final cost of the new Anna Maria City Pier. He also mentioned the approaching hurricane season as another unknown.
Murphy also said he doesn’t want the trail construction taking place during peak tourist season like it did in Holmes Beach.
As a side note, Murphy said he recently learned Anna Maria’s welcome sign is actually in Holmes Beach and may need to be moved.
A show of faith
“It shows good faith on our part,” Tripp said of the proposed extension.
“I agree, I think the sooner the better. It’s also a safety issue,” Commissioner Dale Woodland said.
Commission Chair Brian Seymour said, “I’m all for doing this, but I think it needs to be in next year’s cycle.”
Commissioner Carol Carter said the new budget year starts soon (Oct. 1). If the trail extension is included in next year’s budget the project could be completed in the fall before the heaviest crowds return.
Tripp said it’s worth spending $50,000 to complete a project that addresses public safety.
“If it inspires Holmes Beach to step up and meet us, all the better. I’m all for the pier, but I think we get a little single-issued. It’s all about the pier all the time,” she added.
Woodland said he wasn’t concerned about spending $50,000 in the current budget cycle because the city’s ad valorem tax revenues continue to increase each year.
Commissioner Doug Copeland said, “I could go either way on this. I could see waiting until the next budget. At the same time, we could once again be the leader and finish this project for $50,000 – $50,000 is not going to keep us from building the pier.”
Copeland then suggested issuing an RFP to provide the commission with the funding details needed to decide when to initiate the project.
“If we have to do an RFP it’s not going to be until September anyway,” Seymour said.
