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Interconnected site plans denied for now

Interconnected site plans denied for now

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

HOLMES BEACH – Two business owners who submitted site plans for approval by city commissioners didn’t receive good news from commissioners but there’s still hope for approval at a future meeting.

During a July 15 work session, Holmes Beach commissioners heard proposals from the owner of the Shops at Waterline commercial plaza. And while the two-site plan proposals were submitted separately, commissioners had a hard time evaluating one independent of the other, particularly because they involve alterations at the same commercial space.

First up was the proposed site plan from the Shops at Waterline, owned by W.J. Keel Holdings LLC. City Planner Bill Brisson said the minor site plan approval was remanded to commissioners by Building Official Neal Schwartz due to issues with the site plan submittal. Some of the issues, Brisson said, include an incorrect calculation of required onsite parking spaces, lack of dumpster size, screening and placement indicated on the proposed site plan drawings and a mystery spot of a newly enclosed area with an entrance from the adjacent Sunrise Lane that has no usage noted on the plans. Brisson also said that work had been done on the interior of the building without obtaining the proper permits from the city’s building department.

While the proper permits can be obtained from the building department after the fact, those permits will carry a fee three times larger than what would’ve been charged had permits been secured before construction. The permit fees are based on the value of the proposed construction.

As a result of the unpermitted construction, Schwartz said that drywall was removed from three units and electrical and gas lines were unsecured, requiring the gas to be turned off for an extended period. The lack of gas to the shopping plaza caused the tenant restaurant Eat Here to be closed to the public for a few weeks due to a reliance on gas in the kitchen.

Schwartz said that there are too many unknowns in the space for him to approve the minor site plan changes administratively.

Since attorney Aaron Thomas, who represents both the owners of the shopping plaza and The Toy Barn, had contracted COVID-19 and was unable to attend the meeting, his associate Anisley Mena attended and spoke on his behalf.

Mena said that the plaza ownership was awaiting city direction on where to place trash dumpsters and that the changes made were internal only. She asked that the site plan be considered separately from the one proposed by The Toy Barn.

Rather than move the site plan approval to a first reading at a regular meeting, commissioners agreed to allow the applicant to resubmit with additional information and consider the site plan again at a future work session, the same response given to The Toy Barn and owner Travis Lantz.

Lantz said that he plans to work with the city and his attorney to resubmit his site plan for a future location for The Toy Barn at the Shops at Waterline Plaza.

He plans to take up about 3,500 square feet of space in the plaza to house his business’s office and provide a storage facility for his lithium battery-powered vehicles during the off-season when not so many are rented.

The plans submitted to city officials also include the installation of a garage door to allow vehicles to be pulled into the space for storage and maintenance from an access point on Sunrise Lane, something the residents of Sunrise Lane aren’t in favor of as discussed by their attorney during the work session.

During the presentation, Brisson said Lantz also planned to use some of the business’s required parking to store vehicles outside the shop. He said when all of the required parking for the businesses and proposed businesses in the plaza was computed, he came up with a required 66 spaces needed, with 71 total parking spaces located onsite. That means that instead of the 18 spaces indicated in the site plan approval request for parking rental vehicles, Lantz would only have five spaces available for parking rental vehicles. The plans also include a small charging area for golf carts and other vehicles near the proposed garage access.

To allow The Toy Barn to conduct its business in the plaza, Brisson said, requires a special exception because the rental business isn’t covered in uses allowed in the C-3 commercial district. To obtain that approval, the site plan submittal has to meet 12 standards required for a special exception under the city’s land development code, including the production of a traffic study to show how the proposed use will affect traffic in the area.

Lantz said that because his business is primarily a mobile one with vehicles going straight from one rental to another, he doesn’t feel it will negatively impact traffic in the area and that the garage door access on Sunrise Lane would only be used by his employees, not by renters of the vehicles.

Another concern Brisson mentioned is the business negatively affecting nearby residential property values and the quality of life for adjacent residents. Lantz said he’s willing to install an attractive, quiet garage door and that his vehicles are all electrically powered, meaning they make little to no noise to disturb residents.

Lena said she and Thomas would respond in writing to all of the commissioners’ concerns to help move the site plan approval process along.

For his part, Lantz said he plans to continue pursuing the Holmes Beach location for his business and will be attending every meeting where the site plan is discussed to answer any questions from commissioners, city staff and the public.

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New dining experience comes to Waterline

New dining experience comes to Waterline

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

HOLMES BEACH – A new dining experience is set to open on Dec. 20 with the French cuisine of The Chateau Anna Maria.

The new restaurant, helmed by Edward “Buddy” Foy Jr. and his wife, Jennifer, will open at the Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club, 5325 Marina Drive, taking the space formerly occupied by Eliza Ann’s Coastal Kitchen.

Speaking with The Sun, Foy said that the new restaurant has been a dream of his and his staff’s since starring on the Food Network show, “Summer Rush” last year. After visiting his parents in Holmes Beach earlier in the year and staying for several months due to COVID-19 shutdowns, Foy said he knew that Anna Maria Island is the perfect place for his family’s new venture. If the show is renewed by Food Network for a second season, he said it’s possible that some of it could be shot at The Chateau Anna Maria, though Foy said there’s no guarantee.

After beating out several other applicants for the space, renovations began on the restaurant to help transform the space into the signature European/French countryside-inspired design created by Jennifer Foy that makes dining a special treat at the couple’s flagship restaurant, The Chateau On The Lake in Bolton Landing, New York.

Foy said that the goal for his family and staff is to provide a white tablecloth, five-star dining experience that makes guests feel more like they’re being entertained at someone’s elegant home rather than dining in a restaurant, a goal that he said his wife’s design of the space brings to life.

Plans are also underway to renovate the outdoor dining area in a phase two opening tentatively planned for late spring/summer.

Thanks to Foy’s upbringing in the restaurant business and his wife’s Italian heritage, he said that guests can expect a spin on French cuisine served in Italian-sized portions. The Chateau Anna Maria will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week with more casual dining taking place during the day. In the evening, Foy said the plan is to transform the restaurant into more of a fine dining experience that guests can enjoy on a special occasion or every day. He added that for guests desiring a more casual evening, casual dining favorites such as burgers will be served at the bar.

Foy said that one of his daughters plans to attend IMG Academy this coming fall while he and his wife plan to spend at least half the year on Anna Maria Island, returning to New York to operate their flagship restaurant during the summer months.

Those familiar with the Foy’s show, “Summer Rush,” know that while The Chateau On The Lake is a destination restaurant, the time that guests have to dine there every year is extremely limited. While tourists flock to the area over the summer, Foy said his family, which owns three restaurants in the area, has only 60 days of season to put in the work normally done in an entire year.

The restaurant has received more than 30 Diner’s Choice awards and was named a Top 100 Most Romantic and a Top 100 Most Scenic restaurant in America.

With the new restaurant opening in Holmes Beach, Foy brought along 15 of his Bolton Landing employees to help get the new restaurant started, including chefs. Currently, his existing staff is working to help train the new staff members in the restaurant’s policies and procedures. At the New York location, Foy said that during this year’s season, his restaurant staff greeted more than 100,000 guests without a COVID-19 case among his staff or linked back to dining at the restaurant, a streak of safe dining he plans to continue at The Chateau Anna Maria.

While the new restaurant opens for a VIP dining experience on Dec. 19, it officially opens to the public on Dec. 20. Foy said that guests staying on the Island for the holidays also can join them for dining on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

To follow along with The Chateau Anna Maria, visit the restaurant’s website, follow on Instagram or go on Facebook to follow The Chateau On The Lake where you can see video of some of the renovations taking place.

putt putt waterline

Privateers putt for money

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Events.

When it came to fundraising, the Anna Maria Island Privateers shot a hole in one when they scheduled a Putt-Putt Pub Crawl last Saturday that went from Bradenton Beach to the city of Anna Maria and back.

Fifty-two golfers tried their luck at the nine stops, where each pub owner built a customized hole for putting.

Privateer Tim “Hammer” Thompson reported Nathan Talucci took first place with a score of 17. Nancy Ksiazek and Kevin Sims tied for second with scores of 18.  He said Dr. Scott Kosfeld made the most holes in one with two, Lisa Nelson had the most strokes on a single hole with seven and Pamela Lazaroff had the most mulligans, though that number was not supplied.

Privateers President Jamie “One-eye” Van Deusen said the participating pubs showed imagination in crafting their putt-putt holes.

Putt putt anchor
On this hole at The Anchor, golfers had to sit on a toilet while putting toward the hole. This fellow also took time to catch up on his reading. – Darla Tingler | Submitted

The competitors rode the Privateers’ parade ship, the Skullywag, to each stop. They began at the Fish Hole on Bridge Street, where they tried a difficult hole from the golf course. From there, they went to the Anchor Inn and the Waterline resort in Holmes Beach, Slim’s and Harry’s in Anna Maria, and then back south to the Ugly Grouper, D Coy Duck’s and the Freckled Fin in Holmes Beach, ending at the Drift In in Bradenton Beach.

putt putt fish hole
Fish Hole owner Jake Spooner had a difficult time with this unique hole at Harry’s Grill in Anna Maria. – Tom Vaught | Sun

Perhaps the most unusual hole was at the Anchor, where contestants had to sit on a toilet to shoot. The toilet was full of golf balls and there was a sign welcoming all to “The Anchor Country Club” with a “World famous mini toilet golf course.” Golfer Dennis Goehler posed for pictures on the toilet reading a copy of The Sun before he took his shot.

The stop at Waterline took them to some green space near the inlet. Thankfully for pub crawlers, there were no dead fish in those waters. Golfers had to shoot into a plastic seashell after going around obstacles and the holes at many of the remaining stops proved difficult.

It was a fun way to spend a hot afternoon and several Privateers said they would likely host the event again next year.

Eliza Ann chef James Baselici

Eliza Ann’s opens at Waterline

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

HOLMES BEACH – Just in time for the holidays, the doors have officially opened at Eliza Ann’s Coastal Kitchen in Holmes Beach.

The new restaurant is in the Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club, 5325 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, which opened its doors in late November. It features a casual dining atmosphere with rustic décor and an open kitchen, allowing guests to observe Executive Chef James Baselici and his staff at work. The menu features local seafood selections and Southern favorites, including dishes inspired by the Carolina Lowcountry and traditional Creole fare.

“Anna Maria Island has been a popular destination for generations of beach-goers, and we’re excited to add this one-of-a-kind resort and restaurant to the neighborhood,” Joe Collier, president of Mainsail Lodging and Development, said in a press release. “I expect it will quickly become a favorite option for travelers and locals alike.”

Eliza Ann’s is open for dinner from 4-10 p.m. daily and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily breakfast and lunch service is expected to be offered beginning in February 2018. Happy hour specials occur daily from 4-6 p.m. with a late-night happy hour from 10-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Waterline trolley

Waterline Resort making way to opening day

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Real estate | Development.

HOLMES BEACH — It’s been a long, bumpy road for the city of Holmes Beach and Mainsail Property Management, owner of the new Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club.

After months of delays, both parties met during the Aug. 23 city commission meeting to hammer out the details of two agreements that will allow the staff to ready the resort for guests.

Mainsail Vice President of Development Brian Check appeared with attorney Robert Lincoln on behalf of the resort to ask commissioners to consider two agreements presented, one for additional off-site parking and another verifying the 37 two-bedroom resort units would not be used as 74 one-bedroom lock out units.

City Attorney Patricia Petruff said she’d previously met with Mainsail management to discuss the terms of the two agreements on behalf of the city and was satisfied with the outcome.

Commissioners posed no objections to the agreements, allowing them to be recorded and enforced by building department and code enforcement staff.

One of the conditions stipulated for approval by commissioners was that any temporary occupancy certificates issued for the property only allow resort staff, trainers and other necessary personnel to stay overnight at the property. No guests, paying or not, are allowed by the city to occupy the resort until a full certificate of occupation is given.

Check requested that a TCO be issued for Building B, a seven-unit building located on the south side of the property, and the first floor of the main building in the coming weeks to allow for staff on site training. He said the expectation is to have on site training for at least two weeks prior to opening while last-minute work is going on at the resort. Some of the work includes furnishing rooms, landscaping and hardscaping, including parking lots.

Commissioner Judy Titsworth questioned where staff members would park with work still being done on the resort’s parking lot.

Anticipating a reduction in construction workers as work is completed, Check said hotel staff will occupy those vacated spaces as well as parking under Building B which is near completion. He estimates less than 20 staff members will be on site at any given time once the TCO is issued.

Building Official Jim McGuinness advised Check and Lincoln to create a punch list of items still in need of completion on the resort property before officially requesting a TCO. He also suggested to make the list “as small as possible” before applying. A TCO can be issued for up to 90 days. Check said he expects to apply for a full certificate of occupancy as early as mid-September.

The second agreement for commission consideration was an off-site parking agreement for the rental of 32 spaces from neighboring Wells Fargo bank to provide additional parking for the 50-slip marina. The resort’s site plan, approved by commissioners, requires a minimum of 17 parking spaces designated for the marina.

Lincoln said the additional parking gives the resort the ability to “handle future needs” at the marina.

“They’ve made a lot of progress but they’ve still got a long way to go,” McGuinness said of the resort project.

The opening date for the hotel is currently expected to be Oct. 1.