Anna Maria Island Sun June 3, 2026

Vehicles traveling on 52nd Street might soon be prevented from turning right (south) onto Second

during peak traffic periods.

Stormwater fee discussions continue

The current stormwater fee is $2.95 per 100 square feet of property.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – On May 26, city officials continued the stormwa ter fee assessment discussion that began on May 12.

Second Avenue alternative to Gulf Drive might be eliminated

City Commissioners are considering eliminating southbound access to second Avenue

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – City officials are considering altering the traffic patterns along Second Avenue and Fifth Avenue to prevent those residential streets from being used as southbound “cut-throughs” by motorists trying to avoid the congestion on Gulf Drive and Marina Drive.

During the May 26 city commission meeting, Public Works Director Herb Raybourn and Police Chief Bill Tokajer presented for preliminary discussion five potential traffic adjustment options. Preferences were stated, but no final decisions were made. The proposed traffic alterations will be discussed again during the Tuesday, June 9, city commission meeting that will begin at 2 p.m., with public input welcomed.

The leading option currently being considered is to install temporary barricades at the intersections

SEE SECOND AVENUE, PAGE 5

Waste Pro negotiations nearly completed

No decisions have been made regarding a potential fee increase for the 2026-27 fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. The stormwater fee discussions will continue until late July or early August.

The current stormwater fee rate is $2.95 per every 100 square feet of property, regardless of what sits on the property and how the property is used. The $2.95 fee was adopted in 2019.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Public Works Director Herb Raybourn previously proposed increasing the current $2.95 rate by 40 cents in the coming fiscal year.

During the city commission’s May 12 meeting, Public Works Director Herb Raybourn proposed increasing the annual stormwater fee by 40 cents per 100 square feet of property for the next 10 years, beginning with a 40-cent increase in the coming fiscal year.

SEE STORMWATER FEES, PAGE 11

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – As part of the new franchise agreement that Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short is negotiating with Waste Pro, vacation rental home owners in Anna Maria will be required to utilize mandatory side-door service for their trash and recycling containers.

The city’s franchise agreement with Waste Management expires at the end of June.

As a follow-up to its May 14 discussion, the Anna Maria City Commission, on May 28, authorized the city attorney to prepare a franchise agreement for the city’s solid waste hauling services with Waste Pro of Florida. The agreement is to include a side-door service stipulation for vacation rental homes.

When presented on May 14, the Waste Pro agreement didn’t stipulate side-door service for vacation rentals – a service Waste Management is currently providing as part of a rescheduling agreement. On May 14, the commission directed the mayor to include in the franchise agreement mandatory side-door service for vacation rentals.

Provided at an additional cost, the mandatory side-door service will not be required for non-homesteaded residential properties used as second homes or as personal vacation homes – a change from a previous city policy that required all non-homesteaded residential properties to use and pay extra for side-door service.

The mayor said the Waste Pro service will utilize 96 gallon trash containers and 64 gallon recycling containers.

Dog park equipment debate will continue

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – A request to install agility amenities in the Scentral Park dog park in Holmes Beach left dog park users divided and city commissioners undecided. The request to install the agility equipment in the large dog area was submitted by Holmes Beach resident Kim Bowersox and the Anna Maria Island Garden Club pledged $2,000 in support of the proposed project. The request was originally slated for preliminary review by the city’s Parks and Beautification Committee on May 6, but that meeting was cancelled because there were not going to be enough committee members present to constitute a voting quorum. With the committee now on summer hiatus, the request was forwarded to the city commission without a committee recommendation. The city commission and the public discussed the request at length on Tuesday, May 26.

The concerns expressed by dog park users and city commissioners included concerns about dogs and humans running into or tripping over the equipment; dogs falling off the equipment and landing on the proposed concrete pad; the equipment becoming too hot in the summer sun; potential cost over -

runs and more. Some suggested the agility equipment be placed in a separate area, fenced off from the rest of the dog park.

Supporters of the proposed agility amenities say they’re just for fun and are not for serious agility training. Supporters said dogs already climb on the dugout

benches located on cement pads and no one expresses safety concerns about that.

No final decisions were made and the discussion is expected to continue, with a possible commission decision, on Tuesday, June 9, during the commission meeting that starts at 2 p.m.

ISLAND NEWS

IN BRIEF

Chief provides Memorial Day traffic, visitor counts

During the Tuesday, May 26, Holmes Beach City Commission meeting, Police Chief Bill Tokajer provided statistical data on the number of vehicles that passed through Holmes Beach during the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

On Saturday, May 23, 35,723 vehicles passed through Holmes Beach. On Sunday, May 24, the vehicle count was 34,522. On Monday, the vehicle count was 32,115. The vehicle counts were tallied by the automated license plate readers located at the city entry/exit point along Manatee Avenue and the entry/exit point along Gulf Drive North, near the Holmes Beach/Bradenton Beach border. The license plate readers separately count the vehicles entering the city and exiting the city at those locations.

On Thursday, May 28, Tokajer sent the mayor and commissioners an email update that said, “We now have the number of people for the three days that visited the city.”

The chief’s email listed 40,000 estimated visitors on Saturday, slightly less than 40,000 estimated visitors on Sunday and approximately 35,000 estimated visitors on Monday. An estimated 19,500 people visited Manatee Beach during the three-day weekend, with more than 6,000 estimated beachgoers on each of those three days. “Our hope is that we can use these numbers to assist us in county funding and with legislators to work on changing the use of the tourist tax,” Tokajer stated in his email.

Four reappointed to planning commission

Gale Tedhams, James Harrison, Lisa Pierce and Joseph Ireland have been reappointed to three-year terms on the Holmes Beach Planning Commission. On May 26, city commissioners reappointed Tedhams, Harrison and Pierce as full committee members and Ireland as the first alternative member who temporarily becomes a voting member when one of the five full members is absent.

Correction

Marine Corps pilot Capt. Franklin R. Hooks II was lost in a training exercise in 2004. A Memorial Day story in last week’s Sun incorrectly stated he was lost in 2024.

Scan this code with your smartphone to go there.

Driver towing boat cited for Memorial Day accident

The Memorial Day accident sparked discussion about the challenges of exiting the Kingfish Boat Ramp.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The driver towing a boat that was struck on Memorial Day morning by another vehicle on Manatee Avenue was determined by police to be at fault for the accident.

The accident occurred in front of the Kingfish Boat Ramp on Monday, May 25, at 9:15 a.m. The accident scene was cleared at 12:02 p.m. The accident compounded traffic delays on an already busy Memorial Day morning.

Keith Miller, 67, of Bradenton, was issued a citation for failure to yield to oncoming traffic while making a left turn. According to the Florida Traffic Crash Report obtained from the Holmes Beach Police Department, Miller was making a left turn out of the Kingfish Boat Ramp onto eastbound Manatee Avenue. A vehicle traveling westbound struck the rear of the trailer and the boat came off the trailer, resting at an angle across both eastbound and westbound lanes.

Witnesses told police Miller’s vehicle’s tires were spinning as he pulled out onto the roadway, causing the vehicle to lose traction, which slowed its movement across the road. Witnesses stated the driver of the westbound vehicle hit the brakes hard but could not avoid striking the trailer.

Miller told police that he frequently pulls out of that parking lot and the vehicle that struck his vehicle should have stopped for him. The driver of the vehicle that struck the trailer, and one passenger in that vehicle, were transported by EMS to HCA Florida Blake Hospital for their reported injuries.

FUTURE SOLUTION?

Exiting the Kingfish Boat Ramp into heavy Manatee Avenue traffic while towing a boat can be a challenge.

“People have to use caution and make sure vehicles have stopped

and there is a clear opening,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said. “That being said, people on Manatee Avenue should be kind and allow access.”

Kingfish Boat Ramp is a Manatee County facility and Manatee Avenue is a state roadway maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Tokajer said it might be several years before a better solution for exiting the Kingfish Boat Ramp parking lot is implemented.

“FDOT is talking about having people make a right turn only out of Kingfish and using a roundabout at East Bay Drive and Manatee Avenue. When it was last discussed, it was said it could be six to eight years down the road. Right now, it’s not even in the design phase,” Tokajer said.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with everyone involved in the Memorial Day crash,” Manatee County Communications Manager Casey Zempel stated in a May 29 email to The Sun.

“The county is always interested in opportunities to improve safety for residents and visitors using our parks and boat ramps. As we learn more about the circumstances surrounding this incident, we will continue coordinating with our transportation partners and reviewing any recommendations that may help enhance safety in the area,” Zempel wrote.

Zempel stated the county is committed to working collaboratively with FDOT and other stakeholders to ensure access points such as the Kingfish Boat Ramp operate safely and efficiently.

FACEBOOK COMMENTS

In response to the accident story posted at The Sun’s Facebook page, several people commented on the challenges drivers face when exiting the Kingfish Boat Ramp and turning left onto Manatee Avenue.

“Anyone that has tried to exit Kingfish boat ramp trailering their boat knows that leaving is dependent on traffic yielding their right of way. Otherwise, there’s no leaving at all,” Joseph Scott wrote.

Julie Sikes Zatkovich wrote, in part: “Most of us choose to stop simply to avoid an accident, but we have no legal mandate to stop. Witnesses said the driver tried to stop. The real issue that needs to be addressed is the overcrowded area and no safe way for anyone to make a left turn out of there because there is never a break in the through traffic.”

Beth Morris Davis wrote: “If you’ve ever tried getting out of the boat ramp making a left turn, you’d understand why his tires we’re spinning to get out. The traffic is non-stop and you almost always have to pull out in front of someone, or you’ll just sit there waiting! People don’t want to slow down or be courteous.”

Jenna Sloan wrote, in part: “On a good day, it’s hard to pull out of that boat ramp without having to cut someone off; and most people that are locals know there likely is going to be someone pulling out of the boat ramp.”

Devlin Skahill wrote, “I’m surprised they were able to go fast enough to crash into somebody at 9:15 in the morning.”

SECOND AVENUE: alternative to Gulf Drive might be eliminated

of 52nd Street and Second Avenue and 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue. The barricades would prevent southbound vehicles from entering those residential streets. Vehicles traveling on 52nd Street would be rerouted east to Gulf Drive. If implemented, the impacts of the temporary barricades would be studied and if the experiment is deemed successful the barricades would later be replaced by permanent landscape walls that serve the same purpose. Staff insights

The May 26 meeting packet included diagrams of the five traffic alteration options, a comparison matrix for those options and a memo from Raybourn, Tokajer and Public Works Department Civil Engineer Jacob Leone.

The memo included traffic data collected between noon and 5 p.m. on Jan. 15. During that one-day timeframe, 629

vehicles traveled along Gulf Drive from 52nd Street to Manatee Avenue and 328 vehicles traveled down Second Avenue instead.

“Over one-third of the vehicles that traveled between 52nd Street and Manatee Avenue did so by using Second Avenue,” the memo says. “An average of 65.6 vehicles per hour, more than one every minute, traveled along Second Avenue during the time period reviewed.”

“People are using it (Second Avenue) as a cut-through,” Tokajer told the commission. “Some use it because they think they’re going to get there faster.”

Tokajer said not allowing southbound traffic to turn onto Second Avenue would make it safer for pedestrians and help maintain the quality of life for those homeowners.

Option 1 proposes installing permanent landscape walls at the north ends of Second Avenue and Fifth Avenue at

an estimated cost of $69,000. Raybourn said that cutthrough reduction measure would preclude southbound traffic from entering Second Avenue and Fifth Avenue at the 52nd Street intersections.

Raybourn said he, Tokajer and Leone agree that if the city is going to implement such a measure, it should first be done on a temporary trial basis that provides the city time to evaluate the impacts of the proposed traffic adjustments.

“Human behavior is not something that’s easy to calculate or estimate, so the proposal for any of these options would be to implement something on a temporary basis first, before we spend a lot of money,” Raybourn said.

“And to see what the unintended consequences would be,” Tokajer added. Tokajer suggested first putting up city-owned barricades that would restrict southbound access to Second and Fifth avenues.

Raybourn also presented the other options that include installing four-way stop signs at every Second Avenue intersection; lowering the Second Avenue speed limit and installing raised crosswalks at the 49th, 47th and 45th street intersections; installing a rain garden and a water retention area with plantings to restrict southbound access or installing mid-block speed tables on every other block.

Raybourn said the fifth option would be to take no action at this time and contract a traffic engineering firm to conduct a full-blown traffic study for that area. Raybourn acknowledged that he, Leone and Tokajer are not traffic engineers.

“Our recommendation is option 1 – the one that checks all the boxes,” Tokajer said. None of the options discussed proposed restricting southbound access to Second Avenue by turning right off of Gulf Drive and using 51st

The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff

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Classified Ads

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Accounting

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Holmes Beach: A planned community

Jack Holmes’ vision for a planned community will be further tested by the pending efforts to rezone the vacated Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Property.

BY LAUREL NEVANS SPECIAL TO THE SUN

HOLMES BEACH – When you hear the words “planned community,” they may evoke visions of homeowner’s associations, cookie-cutter houses and things like that.

But actually, that type of planned community did not become popular until the 1960s, long after the community of Holmes Beach was established. Holmes Beach is a good example of the earlier type of suburban planning utilized after World War II ended in 1945.

Urban planning has existed for centuries. Planned in 1791 by Pierre L'Enfant, Washington, D.C. is a notable example. But suburban planning was something that came to be in the 20th Century, gaining popularity after World War II.

The “Greenbelt communities” represent the earliest examples. During the 1930s, the federal government developed three experimental communities to address housing shortages and unemployment during the Great

Depression, and to serve as models for cooperative, garden-style suburban living. Of these three, Greenbelt, Maryland, is perhaps the best known, and it still thrives as a community today.

Influenced by the European “Garden City” movement, President Franklin Roosevelt’s Resettlement Administration initiated the Greenbelt program. The program focused on creating self-contained, cooperative communities that combine the

best features of city and country living. It included ample green space, separated land uses and common ownership. It emphasized affordable, high-quality housing and communal facilities, and design that prioritized safety and community interaction. It included public spaces to foster a stronger sense of community among residents. The Greenbelt towns introduced innovative suburban planning concepts that influenced subsequent suburban development projects.

Levittown was America's first mass-produced suburb. It

Summer camp registration still open at The Center

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com

The Center of Anna Maria Island is offering weekly summer camp experiences for children entering kindergarten through fifth grade, and also for those entering sixth grade to ninth grade.

The Summer My Way camp is for the younger children, with The Center hosting nine weeks of summer fun including the weekly sports camp and exploration of the arts with discovery camp. Camp runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cost for Center members is $195 a week and $215 a week for non-members. The Center offers reduced fees for those who qualify.

At the Adventure Time Summer Camp Program, teens will take a trip every Tuesday and Thursday. Trips include Bowling, Dave &

Busters, TreeUmph! and more. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, teens will hang out at The Center. The cost for summer camp only is $130 a week for Center members or $155 a week for non-members. Both camps run from June 1 through July 31.

The Center will offer optional weekly specialty camps for an additional cost. Space is limited, and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Some of the many weekly specialty camp offerings include archery, dance, Italian cooking, science, paddleboarding, skimboarding, flag football, wildlife encounters and more. For the weekly camps, please register a week in advance. For more information, visit Centerami.org. To register or learn more, email youthprograms@centerami.org or call 941-778-1908.

ON THE AGENDA

ANNA MARIA

10005 GULF DRIVE

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130

Visit www.cityofannamaria.com

Thursday, June 11, 1 p.m., City Commission meeting

BRADENTON BEACH

107 GULF DRIVE N. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005

Visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com

Wednesday, June 3, 1 p.m., Planning and Zoning Board meeting CANCELLED

Thursday, June 4, 6 p.m., City Commission meeting

Visit www.holmesbeachfl.org

Tuesday, June 9, 2 p.m., City Commission meeting

Wednesday, June 10, 9 a.m., Clean Water Ad Hoc Committee

Wednesday, June 10, 3:30 p.m., Planning Commission meeting

Commission to discuss stormwater fee increase

The Bradenton Beach City Commission will discuss an increase in stormwater fees during the Thursday, June 4, meeting that begins at 6 p.m. The commission will discuss the adoption of a May 19 court order regarding a proposal to allow the police department sergeant to be included in the same union bargaining unit as the regular

officers. On April 27, six of the eight potentially unionized police department members stated they would vote in opposition to unionizing. To date, the department has not unionized. Also on the agenda is the requested reimbursement of a permit fee. Thursday’s meeting will be held in the Katie Pierola Commission Chambers at 107 Gulf Drive N.

Variance requested for beach-related retail development

The property owner plans to development the property for beach-related retail purposes.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH –

The special master for the city of Bradenton Beach will hold a variance request hearing on Tuesday, June 16, at 9:30 a.m. The variance is requested for the property at 2509 Gulf Drive N. The applicant is requesting a one-foot variance from the required five-foot-wide landscape buffer. According to the variance application, “A variance is requested to reduce the required five-footwide landscaped area to 4 feet, 1 ¾ inches wide along the north property line, and four-foot-wide along the

south property line, only in the parking areas, in order to maintain the required 24-foot-wide two-way ingress/egress width off of Gulf Drive North and the 24-foot-wide two-way drive aisle width. The remaining requirements of the landscape areas would be satisfied.”

According to the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office, the property is a vacant 5,000-square-foot lot that carries a commercial zoning designation. The variance application lists Sarasota-based Robinhood Holdings LLC as the applicant and Monica Simpson as the applicant’s representative. According to the proposed project overview included in the hearing packet, “The property located at 2509 Gulf Drive North is planned to be developed with ‘beach-related’ retail as

A landscaping buffer variance is requested for the commercially zoned vacant lot at 2509 Gulf Drive North.

the primary land use, along with an accessory land use of rental of beach-related items, excluding the rental of boat or watercraft rentals. Both the principal and accessory use proposed are permitted land uses in the C-2 commercial zoning district.”

Public comment will be allowed during the public hearing to be held in the Katie Pierola Commission Chambers, 107 Gulf Drive N.

Wells Fargo building demolished

The demolition of the old Wells Fargo bank building at the corner of Gulf Drive and Marina Drive in Holmes Beach clears the way for the future construction of Jake Spooner's new mixed-use development that will include retail space, ice cream, fudge and candy sales, miniature golf, an arcade and Mingo's sports-themed restau-

rant. The demolition and debris removal could be completed as early as this week and construction is expected to begin soon. Oden Hardy Construction is doing the demolition work and will construct the new building at 5327 Gulf Drive. City commissioners approved the project site plan in December 2024.

SECOND AVENUE: alternative to Gulf Drive might be eliminated

or 50th streets to access southbound Second Avenue to avoid some of the Gulf Drive congestion.

COMMISSION DISCUSSION

Commissioner Carol Whitmore said Second Avenue served as a designated detour while the City Center project took place along Marina Drive in 2022 and 2023 and that made more people aware of the Second Avenue alternative to Gulf Drive.

Whitmore said she uses the Second Avenue cut-through almost every day and many Holmes Beach residents and Anna Maria residents do the same.

“This is a street I’ve used my entire life and I shouldn’t feel guilty,” Whitmore said.

Commissioner Jessica Patel said, “I use it all the time.”

“That’s what we’re saying. That is the problem: the amount of cars going down that residential road,” Tokajer responded.

Commissioner Steve Oelfke said he sometimes uses Second Avenue but he sometimes doesn’t because he feels guilty about driving through that residential neighborhood.

“I don’t think it should be a thoroughfare,” he said.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said Second Avenue has become a thoroughfare.

“We shouldn’t be making neighborhoods thoroughfares

and we need to come up with a solution. It’s not fair that it’s a local cut-through. It’s not fair that it’s a landscapers’ cut-through. It’s not fair that it’s the tourists’ cut-through. It’s not fair that it’s every worker’s cutthrough or everybody that lives in Anna Maria’s cut-through. It is a residential neighborhood and we do care about quality of life here,” Titsworth said, noting it was her idea to pursue a solution at this time.

Titsworth said Gulf Drive traffic is slowed by motorists merging onto the Gulf Drive near the south end of Second Avenue, where 43rd Street intersects with Gulf Drive, by Manatee Beach.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer said his neighbors, Sarah and Jay Calhoun, are engineers and he invited Sarah, a traffic engineer, to speak on this issue, which she later did.

Schaefer said, “Part of the problem is that of perception. We believe that by at least being in motion, there’s a perception of getting off the Island faster. In reality, that is probably not the case.”

Whitmore said having more data would help justify the potential impacts on Anna Maria residents and others who must travel through Holmes Beach and the Gulf Drive/Second Avenue area to get on and off the Island. Tokajer said that’s true, but they don’t have to use Second Avenue to do so.

Patel said the Second Avenue cut-through saves time and serves

as a “zipper lane” that merges with Gulf Drive at the south end of Second Avenue.

Oelfke said if Second Avenue wasn’t used as a zipper lane, the merging traffic wouldn’t slow the flow of traffic on Gulf Drive.

“There’s a flow problem for people trying to get off the Island,” Oelfke said.

“There’s no way to know until we test it,” Titsworth said.

Patel said she would love to hear from a traffic expert.

Titsworth said a traffic study would cost $10,000-$20,000 and there’s currently very little extra money in the public works budget.

Patel said the commission’s decision could significantly impact many people on the Island.

Commissioner Dan Diggins noted a decision wasn’t being made that day, but the public needs to know that a decision will be made soon.

Schaefer said installing the temporary barricades soon would give the commission time during the summer budgeting process to determine what, if any, trafficaltering actions or studies might require funding.

PUBLIC INPUT

When given the chance to speak, Sarah Calhoun spoke as a resident and not as an expert speaking on behalf of the city. Titsworth noted Calhoun served as the traffic engineer on the city’s City Center project.

Calhoun said option 1, the landscape walls, offers the simplest

Raise my stormwater fees to $5. Don’t barricade Second Avenue.”

Nancy Deal, Holmes Beach resident

solution and the results would be seen fairly quickly, but she doesn’t see the need for any traffic alterations.

“As a traffic engineer, the numbers I see don’t warrant anything. I’m one of those who uses that route all the time,” she said, noting she has a property on 60th Street and that street’s also used as a cut-through.

Calhoun said 60 trips an hour is pretty minimal for any roadway.

“That is not a significant amount of trips,” she said.

Oelfke said he thinks more than 60 trips an hour are occurring along Second Avenue during peak periods.

Holmes Beach resident Nancy Deal said she lives on 56th Street and people use that street as a cut-through too. Deal said not using Second Avenue as a zipper lane would create more traffic on Gulf Drive.

“If we could slow the traffic down on Second Avenue, I think that would be better than cutting it off all together,” she said.

She suggested four-way stops at every intersection.

“Putting those barricades up and not letting those people use Second Avenue is a big mistake. I would say slow it down. Please don’t do it. Raise my stormwater fees to $5.

Don’t barricade Second Avenue,” Deal said.

Future city commission candidate Mark Hebden lives on the 4600 block of Second Avenue and he first expressed his Second Avenue traffic concerns last summer when the new Key Royale Drive speed bumps were being debated. Hebden said he sent several videos and photos of the Second Avenue traffic congestion to Raybourn.

Hebden said the decision comes down to weighing the quality of life for residents versus the convenience of others.

“The convenience of one should not be an imposition or disadvantage to another citizen. That’s what it comes down to,” he said.

Hebden said the Second Avenue traffic is “horrible” between 5 to 8 p.m. and it ruins the quality of life for those who live there. He said drivers will just “blow through” the stop signs if more are added.

Whitmore said it’s important to inform Holmes Beach residents, Anna Maria residents and others that this change is being considered. “It will be a public meeting. They’re welcome to come here,” Titsworth said in regard to the June 9 meeting.

Trolley shelter replacement expected this summer

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The trolley stop along the west side of East Bay Drive is currently not sheltered from the sun and the rain.

On May 28, Island Ratz Unite Facebook group member Mark DesErmia shared a photo of the currently uncovered trolley stop located near the Publix supermarket. In his post, DesErmia questioned why the missing trolley stop shelter structure had not yet been replaced.

When contacted by The Sun on May 30, Holmes Beach City Commissioner Dan Diggins said the trolley stop shelter structure damaged by the 2024 hurricanes was removed for safety reasons.

Diggins said FEMA will reimburse the city $25,000 to replace the trolley stop shelter and the lowest initial bid the city received to replace the shelter structure in a manner similar to how it was originally built was $102,000. The city rejected all of the initial bids received. In March/April 2026, the city solicited a second round of bids and the lowest bid received was $65,000.

“We asked the county to make up the $40,000 difference and they just want

MARK DESERMIA/FACEBOOK |

SUBMITTED

The trolley stop along the west side of East Bay Drive is currently not sheltered from the sun and the rain.

to install their standard metal bench/ shelter combo, which would not match the other shelters in Holmes Beach,” Diggins said. “We will probably find the extra money somewhere in the current fiscal year budget and award the $65,000 contract.”

Mayor Judy Titsworth said the city plans to replace the shelter this summer and the city is still working with the county on this matter.

STORMWATER FEES: discussions continue

During the May 26 meeting, Raybourn said he didn’t have a lot of new information to provide, but he referenced a memo that was previously sent to the commissioners and included in the meeting packet.

His memo addressed the diminished buying power of the $2.95 stormwater rate adopted in 2019.

“When the assessment rate was raised in 2019 to $2.95, the buying power of that assessment was approximately $860,000. Seven years later, our 2019 buying power is around $200,000 less. With the same amount of revenue that we generate, we’re essentially only able to do $660,000 worth of work. Stretching it out over a 10-year period, that’s going to continue to get worse,” Raybourn said.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer asked Raybourn when the commission needs to set the annual stormwater fee for the 2026-27 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Raybourn said that the decision needs to be made in August so that information can be sent to the property appraiser’s office.

Schaefer, who was involved in the 2019 fee establishment, suggested increasing the stormwater rate by $1, $1.50 or $2 for the coming fiscal year. He said a $1 increase would generate an additional $287,000 in stormwater fee revenues. He said a $2 increase would generate an additional $574,000 and a $1.50 increase would raise an additional $430,000. Schaefer suggested the “middle ground” of a $1.50 increase as a good compromise.

Any rate increase adopted by the commission this year would remain

in effect for future years, unless it is increased or decreased by the commission during a future fiscal year.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore said she wants more input from the public before deciding on a potential rate increase.

Mayor Judy Titsworth reminded the commission that the money generated by the annual stormwater fee assessments provides the matching funds that allow the city to pursue grants that often cover up to 75% of the cost of stormwater and drainage improvement projects.

She said the city owes it to the property owners to protect their homes and properties from flooding.

Schaefer said it would be “unconscionable” for the commission to do nothing this year to increase the city’s ability to address stormwater and drainage concerns.

As he did during the May 12 discussion, Commissioner Steve Oelfke said he wants vacation rentals and commercial properties to carry more financial burden than the full-time residents and the owners of second homes not used as vacation rentals.

He again mentioned the vehicle trip counts the city of Fort Lauderdale uses as part of its stormwater fee calculations. Oelfke said using trip counts results in vacation rental home owners paying higher fees than those paid by full-time residents.

Schaefer noted vacation rental owners do not receive property taxrelated homestead exemptions and they are also subject to the 6% resort tax Manatee County levies on all accommodations of six months or less.

Commissioner Dan Diggins said, “We need a reality check here.” He said a $2 per 100 square foot

MARGIE MOTZER | SUBMITTED

On May 28, a “Slow Speed - No Wake” sign was placed along 56th Street, near Marina Drive, because of the flooding that occurred after a heavy rainfall

increase for a 5,000 square foot home would result in a property owner’s annual stormwater assessment increasing by approximately $100 per year. He said the fee for a 7,500 square foot lot would increase by about $150.

“We’re not talking a whole lot of money here,” Diggins said.

Diggins said increasing the fee by $2 per 100 square feet would provide the city with the matching funds needed to pursue another million dollars in grants.

As he did on May 12, Diggins again noted the city of Anna Maria is developing a new stormwater fee calculation methodology to be implemented in the coming fiscal year that will be based on the property’s impervious surface coverage rather than the property’s total square footage. Anna Maria is shifting away from the $4 per 100 square foot fee calculation method currently in place.

Oelfke said during last year’s stormwater fee discussions he asked for the city to revisit its stormwater

fee calculation method but that has not happened.

Whitmore said she likes the idea of following Anna Maria’s lead and starting that process this year, so a new calculation method can be implemented next year. She suggested not increasing the fee this year while using the current calculation method.

Titsworth said property owners expect the city to address stormwater and drainage issues and she does not get many phone calls or emails from property owners who oppose a stormwater fee increases. She said a $100-$200 fee increase is about as much as a couple would spend for a nice dinner at a restaurant.

Commissioner Jessica Patel said she currently favors maintaining the current $2.95 fee for another year and taking the steps needed to change the calculation method for the 2027-28 fiscal year.

Holmes Beach resident and city commission candidate Mark Hebden suggested the city send a letter to property owners informing them how to calculate their stormwater fees. He said most Holmes Beach residents don’t realize that stormwater fee revenues help the city obtain grant funding. He said the city needs to explain this to the taxpayers and do a better job of communicating with them.

“Don’t rely on the citizens to come to these meetings. You need to communicate, communicate, communicate,” Hebden said.

“It has to be pared down and also simplified. People listen to this whole discussion and it’s just too much. Put out something simple that summarizes it in a way that the average person can grasp it,” Hebden said.

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Public works director provides rainfall, flooding update

The May 28 rain fell at a rate of 2.4 inches per hour.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – On Thursday, May 28, Holmes Beach Public Works Director Herb Raybourn distributed an email to the mayor and city commissioners regarding the heavy rainfall and flooding that occurred earlier that morning.

“At about 2:40 a.m. this morning, it started raining with an intensity of about 2.4 inches per hour and stopped at about 4:40 a.m.,” Raybourn stated in his email.

Raybourn’s email referenced the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). NAVD 88 is the official vertical datum of the United States and it serves as a reference system for surveyors, engineers and mapping professionals to measure and relate elevations to the Earth's surface. A tidal datum is a

standard elevation framework used to track local water levels as measured by a tidal gauging station.

“The tide measured at the Key Royale Bridge was between about 0.54 feet and 0.26 feet (NAVD 88). The low tide measured at the Key Royale Bridge was about 0.21 ft at 5 a.m. The peak tide since this morning was about 1.39 feet at 10:20 a.m. This led to flooding in various areas around Holmes Beach and Anna Maria Island, causing road and facility closures, including Manatee County closing the southern parking at Coquina Beach,” Raybourn wrote.

“Public Works responded to the flooding and was onsite at about 5 a.m., working with the police department to implement safety measures, assess flooding around the city and begin recovery efforts,” Raybourn wrote.

“I would like to provide an update to the situation along

| SUN

Trolley passengers waded through ankle-deep water near the Island Branch Library to board the free trolley Thursday morning.

Marina Drive,” Raybourn wrote. “The stormwater infrastructure improvement project under construction has not been completed. Therefore, the existing stormwater system provides the only available drainage capacity along Marina Drive in the area of the library. While the existing system has been connected to the new

outfall constructed as part of the aforementioned improvements, the undersized pipes and their condition (fouled with barnacles, sediments, etc.) limit the ability of the system to discharge.

“Flooding at the intersection of 56th Street and Marina Drive was exacerbated by the rainfall intensity, high tide and

limited discharge, as well as the area low, about 1.75 ft (NAVD 88). The stormwater infrastructure improvement contractor, Harris McBurney, has a pump at the discharge point to help with the discharge. Unfortunately, it could not discharge the volume of water experienced this morning,” Raybourn wrote.

“To help alleviate the flooding along Marina Drive, Public Works contacted Manatee County to request an additional pump. Because of the expected rain over the next few days, the county was not comfortable lending Holmes Beach a pump. So, this morning Public Works rented a pump and it is expected to be delivered by the close of business today. Our plan is to keep the rental pump through the next two weeks as they are expected to bring large volumes of highintensity rainfall to the city,” Raybourn wrote.

FDOT replaces missing Gulf Drive crosswalk signal

FDOT responded to Bob Gumson’s request to install a new crosswalk signal.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON

BEACH

– The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) responded to Sandpiper Resort Co-Op resident Bob Gumson’s repeated requests to replace the audio crosswalk signal that had been out of order for nearly two years. On Tuesday, May 27, the crossing signal was installed.

Audio crosswalk signals help those who are blind or visually impaired cross the street in a safer manner. For

Bob Gumson, who is blind, crossing Gulf Drive near his mobile home at the Sandpiper Resort became a more hazardous endeavor in the absence of the audio crosswalk signal that was damaged by the 2024 hurricanes and later knocked down by a vehicle.

The new lighted and audio-equipped crosswalk signal now stands at the corner of 27th Street North and Gulf Drive North. Gulf Drive is a state road that is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

“I appreciate all the efforts taken to install the new audio signal at 27th Street,” Gumson wrote in a

May 27 email to The Sun. “It will be extremely helpful to our Sandpiper residents and neighbors and all visitors to the Island. It pays to bring your issues directly to speak to power. That’s how advocacy gets done.”

On April 21, Gumson appealed to the Bradenton Beach City Commission for assistance.

“I tried all last season and this season to get the attention needed to put it back in operation,” Gumson told the mayor and commission. “I contacted the mayor’s office, I contacted

FDOT and it’s still not working; and I’m still crossing the street at great risk of getting killed, along with everybody else that is a senior in Sandpaper. It’s essential to get that light back working for everybody.”

In response, Mayor John Chappie said, “I received an email from a gentleman from FDOT. He let me know he finally got a response and it is on their list. We need to get this done.”

Less than a week later, the new audio crosswalk signal was installed.

LET’S TALK ABOUT HUMIDITY CO NTROLS

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Code Compliance Department honored

HOLMES BEACH – The week of June 1 through June 7 has been proclaimed as Code Enforcement Officers’ Appreciation Week in Holmes Beach.

On Tuesday, May 26, Mayor Judy Titsworth read aloud a proclamation provided by Florida Association of Code Enforcement.

When doing so, Titsworth said, “Code Enforcement Officers are vital to the safety, health and welfare of our community, diligently enforcing building, zoning, housing and other codes and ordinances.

“These officers play a critical role in improving neighborhoods, enhancing quality of life and ensuring property values remain stable. Their work is often behindthe-scenes, yet essential for maintaining a thriving and compliant community,” the proclamation says.

“Whereas, the Florida Association of Code Enforcement has declared the first week of June be set aside by local governments to honor and recognize their code enforcement officers.

“Therefore, I, Judy Titsworth, mayor of the city of Holmes Beach, do hereby recognize the week of June 1 through June 7 as Code Enforcement Officers’ Appreciation Week in the city of Holmes Beach, in accordance with the statewide observance of the same and encourage citizens of Holmes Beach to join in expressing appreciation for the dedication and outstanding service provided by the individuals who serve as our code enforcement officers,” the mayor said.

The Holmes Beach Code Compliance Department is headed by Code Compliance Chief James “JT” Thomas. After accepting the proclamation from the mayor, Thomas

introduced each member of the Code Compliance team that includes code compliance officers Nate Brown and Jayson Clayton and code compliance clerks Sandy

Olson and Allyson Kalicharan. Thomas said Clayton works closely with the AMI Turtle Watch organization and serves as one of the city’s drone operators. He said

Kalicharan manages the city vacation rental program. He said Olson joined the code compliance team after the 2024 hurricanes. He praised her legal knowledge and noted she’s a Holmes Beach resident.

Thomas said Brown brings 30 years of law enforcement experience to the code compliance team he’s been a member of for 11 years.

Thomas said the code compliance team works closely with the Holmes Beach Police Department, the city’s public works department and building department the West Manatee Fire Rescue District, Waste Pro and AMI Turtle Watch.

Regarding the department’s current name and its previous name, Thomas said, “That’s why we changed it from code enforcement to code compliance: the number one goal is to get compliance.”

BEACH BEAT

HOLMES BEACH:

May 24, 4:16 a.m., 2900 block of Avenue C. Burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. Police were dispatched to an Avenue C home in reference to a burglary involving an intoxicated individual. The reporting party advised that the male subject had opened the back lanai door to the residence. The reporting party pointed officers to the backyard of the residence. Police observed a man who appeared to have broken the lanai door and was making his way into the residence. The man, 39, from Winter Haven, who police say was heavily intoxicated, would not come out of the lanai by himself and he had to pulled out by two officers. The reporting party stated he has never seen the man before and would like to press charges due to the man breaking his lanai door. Police read the man his Miranda rights, which police reported he was not in a sober state to understand. The man did make comments stating that he was staying at the location of the incident; however, he did not know what city he was currently in and he stated he was in “Valdosta.” He was charged with burglary and transported to the Manatee County Jail.

Disbrow and Farrington win

Wednesday matches

On Wednesday, May 27, two teams met in the final after each went 3-0 during pool play at Anna Maria Horseshoes. Jay Disbrow and Tom Farrington, pictured, beat Neil Hennessy and Gary Howcroft 22-8 and ended up in Wednesday’s winner's circle. On Saturday, May 30, three teams met in a playoff after going 3-0 during pool play. The bye went to Howcroft and Tim Sofran. Playing solo, Billy Silver moved on after a 22-8 win over Farrington and Gersey Fernandes. Howcroft and Sofran won 21-13 over Silver to take the day’s championship. The horseshoe pits are located on the Anna Maria City Hall property. The Wednesday and Saturday matches begin at 9 a.m., after that day’s teams are randomly selected. It’s free to play and newcomers and visitors are welcome.

OUTDOORS

Profiles In Conservation: John Kolojeski

Reel Time

here could be no better person to begin this series of “Profiles in Conservation” than Anna Maria’s John Kolojeski. Here is an individual who has had an outside influence on protecting our environment and water quality, not only on Anna Maria Island, but throughout his distinguished career.

John was among the founding members of the city of Holmes Beach’s Clean Water Ad Hoc Committee that held its first meeting on December 15, 2021. The volunteer committee John serves on acts as an advisory board for the city commission, with a focus on community education and outreach and encouraging governmental and community actions that improve and protect our water quality.

I first met John at a support group meeting over 10 years ago, but it wasn’t until recently that we reconnected through our shared interest in water quality. Here is a man who doesn’t wear his achievements on his sleeve. He is a quiet achiever who lets his work speak for itself. Having said that, I think it’s important to highlight some of his impressive accomplishments.

During the Richard Nixon era in the early 1970s, John served as the deputy general counsel and chief of litigation for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pesticides, Toxic Substances and Solid Waste Management. This was a senior legal role at the EPA, overseeing litigation in some of the agency's most consequential regulatory areas.

John later became special assistant to the assistant administrator for water and hazardous materials and chaired the EPA work group that developed the original list of toxic pollutants under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (the Clean Water Act).

After leaving the EPA, John took a one-year leave to teach (at the deans’ request) at the Harvard School of Public Health, where the administrator gave him wide latitude, including taking charge of creating a list of priority pollutants which became the famous “list of 65” – a list of man-made chemicals that is often been mentioned during the Clean Water Ad Hoc Commit -

tee’s discussions about the PFAS pollutants found in our drinking water, natural waters and many of the products we buy and use.

John then started Clement Associates Inc., one of the early pioneering environmental and scientific regulatory consulting firms in the world. This endeavor was a result of John seeing the need for expert scientific witnesses during his tenure with the EPA.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women like John Kolojeski who champion protecting the water and natural resources that support our lives and those of future generations. Now, more than ever, it’s important for citizens to demand of elected officials the basic environmental protections that are being loosened for profit.

I don’t think it’s an overstatement, as I’ve said before, to consider this a moral imperative.

ISLAND SPORTS

Moss Builders 4

Solid Rock Construction 2

Sato Real Estate 5

Pizza Social 3

YOUTH SOCCER 11-13 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

Moss Builders 5

La Creperie 4

YOUTH SOCCER 14-17 (SEMIFINALS)

CENTER SCOREBOARD

Youth Soccer 8-10 (quarterfinals)

West Coast Surf Shop 2

The Gitt Team – KW On the Water 0

G.I. Bins 6

Flip Flop Shop & Candy Stop 2

Isola Bella Italian Eatery 2

AMI Outfitters 1

YOUTH SOCCER 8-10 (SEMIFINALS)

West Coast Surf Shop 4

G.I. Bins 1

Isola Bella Italian Eatery 2

Anna Maria Island Rental Cars 1

YOUTH SOCCER 8-10 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

Isola Bella Italian Eatery 4

West Coast Surf Shop 2

YOUTH SOCCER 11-13 (SEMIFINALS)

La Creperie 3 Won in PK’s 4-3

Print Wizards 3

Solid Rock Construction 4

Print Wizards 1

YOUTH SOCCER 14-17 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

Solid Rock Construction 4

Kesten Concrete Co. 3

ADULT SOCCER (PLAY-IN GAMES)

Solid Rock Construction 1

Won in PK’s 5-4

Ross Built 1

Impact Florida Windows 4 Won in PK’s 5-4

Duncan Real Estate 4

Pizza Social 10

Bubble Binz 5

ADULT SOCCER (QUARTERFINALS)

Anna Maria Island Real Estate Corporation 2

Salty Printing 1

Pool America 6

Impact Windows Florida 0

Swordfish Grill 5

Solid Rock Construction 3

ADULT 35+ FLAG FOOTBALL (PLAY-INS)

Solid Rock Construction 40 gRub 32

ADULT 35+ FLAG FOOTBALL (SEMIFINALS)

Bradenton Home Inspections 25

Moss Builders 16

Slim’s Place 26

Solid Rock Construction 20

ADULT BASKETBALL (WEEK 6)

Paddy Wagon’s 16, 22, 21 (5-1)

Bradenton Home Inspections 18, 19, 11 (4-2)

Gator-Man Pools 21, 21, W by FF (5-1)

USA Fence 18, 7, FF (2-4)

Salty Printing 19, 21, 21 (3-3)

MI-Box 17, 17, 16 (0-6)

Q Law Injury Attorneys 22, 23, 19 (3-3)

Luxury Services 18, 12, 22 (2-4)

KEY ROYALE CLUB GOLF SCORES

MONDAY, MAY 25 - MEMORIAL DAY SCRAMBLE

First place: Amy and Joseph Quinn, Nathalie Brotchi and Alain Verstandig, tied with Rene Chapman, Beth Hanna, Steve Martins, Jim Bailey, 28 (- 2)

Long drive winners: Ken Nagangast, Charlie Porter, Rene Chapman Closest to the pin winner: Quentin Talbert Longest made first putt winner: Nelson Eagle

TUESDAY, MAY 26TH - LOW NET SCORE

First place: Sue Christensen, 30

Second place: Roxanne Koche, Debi Wohlers, 32

Third place: Helen Pollock, Jana Samuels, 34 Marilyn Manzer chipped in on hole 2

REAL ESTATE

Why can’t so many buy a home?

There is a continuing dialogue in the country, in Florida and in Manatee County about the price of homes and, of course, the cost of a mortgage. In this column, in recent weeks, I’ve talked about the influx of new residents to the state, the cost of renovations and the best way to choose a mortgage. So, as I stated last week, since we’re obsessed with mortgage rates, let’s start there.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, per Freddie Mac, rose to 6.51% the week of May 18, the highest level since August of last year. The previous week, the rate was 6.36%. This, of course, didn’t make home shoppers very happy, since every uptick in rates reduces their target price range.

Even a small change in mortgage rates can affect a buyer, and a significant change could take a buyer out of the market completely. For example,

Castles in the Sand

a buyer qualified for a $400,000 mortgage at 6% might only qualify for a $384,000 mortgage at 6.5%

In February, when the rates dipped to 6%, everyone, me included, thought we were at the beginning of an upswing. That was before the Middle East war started playing havoc with oil prices and worries about inflation. Suddenly, the pool of buyers narrowed and both buyers and sellers had to rethink their positions.

June is National Homeownership Month, which raises awareness about the value of owning a home and making homeownership accessible

to all Americans, while highlighting the benefits of homeownership that include building personal and generational wealth and stronger communities. In Florida, the homeownership rate hovers around 68%.

A new analysis from Construction Coverage, a company that uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau, states the last decade of rapid home price growth has severely worsened housing affordability across the United States. Home values surged more than 81% between 2016 and 2026, dramatically outpacing wage growth, which was up 47%, and reshaping housing affordability nationwide.

Locally, home price growth in Bradenton between 2016 and 2026 experienced an increase of $157,466 in the median home price; that is an 80.4% increase in just 10 years. Comparing home price growth with wage growth in Bradenton, the most

recent income data shows an increase of 49.8% over 10 years in Bradenton’s median household income.

Sorry if all of these numbers are making you dizzy; however, the bottom line is that wage growth is not keeping up with sales growth in Bradenton and around the country. This is a big affordability issue for buyers wanting to get into a home

Getting back to interest rates: 6.51% was almost identical to the 2002 average of 6.54%. In 1987, the first year I had my real estate license, the average rate was 10.21%; and the year I bought my first house, in 1974, the average rate was 9.195%. Somehow, we all lived through it and didn’t talk nearly as much about interest rates as we do now. By the way, I keep a record of interest rates from the Freddie Mac archive starting in 1971 and it’s been a good reality check down through the years –something we all need once in a while.

Women of the Moose conduct post-holiday beach cleanup

JENNIFER MALLARD | SUBMITTED

This group of volunteers set out to clean the beach. The trash collected included a beach chair, several pizza boxes and many discarded bottles and cans.

On Tuesday, May 26, Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge 2188 and the lodge-affiliated Women of the Moose Chapter 1601 hosted a post-Memorial Day beach cleanup in conjunction with the Annie Silver Community Center from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Moose lodge is located in Bradenton Beach and the cleanup focus area extended from the beach access near the Bridge Street roundabout at 110 Gulf Drive South to the 23rd

Street North beach access. “This was an effort to keep our Island beaches beautiful after a busy holiday weekend,” Chapter 1601 Secretary Jennifer Mallard said. Working in conjunction with the Keep Manatee Beautiful organization, the Women of the Moose Chapter 1601 are now planning another beach cleanup event after the Fourth of July weekend, with more details to come.

/

Sea oats planted along Anna Maria shoreline

The AMI Garden Club and the Girl Scouts participated in the project.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – On Saturday, May 23, volunteers planted 4,000 sea oats along the Gulf shoreline in Anna Maria.

Anna Maria Public Works Manager Dean Jones mentioned the planting project while providing Anna Maria City Commissioners with a capital projects update on Thursday, May 28.

Jones said the sea plantings were conducted by the Anna Maria Island Garden Club, local Girl Scouts and community volunteers. Jones said multiple, roped-off sections of sea oats were planted on the beach near Gulf Boulevard, between Magnolia and Palm avenues, and additional plantings occurred near the Spring Avenue beach access.

Jones said the sea oats were planted landward of the erosion control line and over time will spread toward the water.

“It was a wonderful project,” Jones said. “In a year or two, we’ll start to see the dunes again that were destroyed by (Hurricane) Helene.”

Mayor Mark Short said Keep Manatee

HENDRICKS | SUN Thousands of sea oats were planted along the Anna Maria shoreline, between Magnolia and Palm avenues.

Beautiful Executive Director Jennifer Hoffman advised the city on the project.

“This planting focused on city-owned property,” Short said. “We had Keep Manatee Beautiful out here two, three weeks ago. Jennifer rode the beach. She agreed this area was the worst part of our beach after the storms and was definitely where we needed to focus on.”

Commissioner Charlie Salem said there’s an area just north of Elm Avenue that used to have dunes and after the 2024 hurricanes it’s now a wide-open space.

“At some point, I think it would be useful to take a look at the options there as well,” Salem said.

Jones noted the hurricanes also destroyed the dune walkovers at Spring and Elm avenues and he’s been tasked with getting bids for their replacement.

(310) 437-9336

/A4650561/ $1,800,000 NOW $1,690,000

Least terns and black skimmers nesting on AMI TURTLE NESTING NEWS

Beachgoers are advised to stay 300 feet away from a bird nesting colony.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – There are currently two active nesting shorebird colonies on Anna Maria Island.

A black skimmer colony has over 100 birds sitting on 40 nests and a least tern colony continues to grow, with more than 50 birds sitting on 26 nests.

“As we approach the time when chicks will start to hatch, pyramid structures called ‘chick huts’ have been placed with the enclosures,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella stated in her May 29 email update.

KATHY DODDRIDGE| SUBMITTED Chick huts, like the one in the foreground, are placed inside the posted bird closures in anticipation of hatching chicks.

Turtle nests laid: 80

False crawls: 87

Nests hatched: 0

Hatchlings produced: 0

Hatchling nest disorientations: 0

Adult disorientations: 0

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

The chick huts provide shade for the chicks and protect them from predators such as fish crows and laughing gulls.

“Shorebird chicks are mobile soon after they hatch and may travel outside the posted closure,” Mazzarella wrote. “They are very tiny and camouflaged to look like sand, so be careful when walking near the nesting colonies.”

Mazzarella offered the following cautions regarding the nesting areas:

• Respect the posted bird closures and keep your distance. If the birds become agitated or leave their nests, you’re too close. Stay at least 300 feet away from a shorebird nest

• Avoid flying kites or drones near shorebird colonies

• Place trash in its proper place. Food scraps attract predators and litter on the beach can entangle birds and turtles

• Keep pets away from nesting areas and keep cats indoors

• Do not intentionally force the birds to fly

• Do not use fireworks on the beach

If you see someone disturbing nesting birds, sea turtles or nest sites, gently remind them that their actions might hurt the animals’ survival. If someone continues to disturb the wildlife, please report their activities to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

HOLMES BEACH: A planned community

FROM PAGE 6

was built by William Levitt in 1947 on Long Island, New York, to meet the post-war demand for affordable housing for returning veterans. Using unprecedented assembly line techniques, Levitt & Sons quickly and cheaply built thousands of identical, modest, single-story homes. With prices affordable to many families, they symbolized the “American dream” of homeownership and suburban life.

Levittown was the first example of the kind of planned communities that remain to this day – communities planned with amenities that include village greens, playgrounds and shopping areas to create a complete community using principles inspired by the Greenbelt cities.

HOLMES BEACH PLANNING

This history of suburban planning inspired Jack Holmes. After World War II, Holmes

transformed the area that became Holmes Beach from a sparsely populated settlement into a residential and tourist community that contrasted with the earlier slow, homesteading-based growth.

Holmes created a 600-acre master-planned community centered around a marina to attract returning veterans and their families, and he focused on developing infrastructure that enabled suburban living. A significant element of Holmes’ planning was the dredging of canals and bayous, which created waterfront lots and maximized residential density.

A small airstrip was built in 1947 and the MGM musical “On an Island With You” was filmed there. Holmes soon added a yacht club and shopping centers that catered to both residents and tourists. By the time Holmes Beach was incorporated as a city on March 13, 1950, Holmes had already built and listed for sale over 200 homes in the area.

In contrast to Levittown, Holmes Beach did not encourage “cookie-cutter” architecture. Holmes Beach was built using a variety of builders and developers; and although homes shared certain characteristics, none of the early homes looked identical to their neighbors. Small cottages with yards and gardens dominated the landscape, with some larger, elevated or multi-story homes thrown into the mix.

When developing his planned city, Holmes envisioned a diverse and inclusive community. Although his vision was for a community that was primarily residential, he also recognized the importance of tourism and part-time residents and he planned for a community that accommodated full-time, parttime and transient residents. He also integrated many of the principles first established in the Greenbelt communities of the early 20th Century. One of the biggest differences between Holmes Beach and

the Greenbelt communities is that Holmes Beach was designed to accommodate a wide variety of income levels, from working class to the more affluent. This is reflected in the various residential zoning codes that each reflected the character the neighborhood was being designed around. Holmes developed a “resort zone” to accommodate transient visitors. Manatee Public Beach was established in 1952 to accommodate “day trippers” – the people who lived on the mainland, came to visit for the day and returned home. In the 1970s,

Manatee County took control of the public beach and began operating it as part of the county’s public park system.

ZONING DISTRICTS

Holmes integrated several other aspects of early suburban planning into his new planned community. In addition to residential zoning, he included spaces zoned for Public/Semi-Public Use (PSP,) Private Recreation/ Open Space (POS), Public Recreation (REC), Conservation (CON) and Preservation.

SEE HOLMES BEACH, PAGE 24

HOLMES BEACH: A planned community

Lots were priced according to their zoning code, with nonresidential and non-commercial lots priced so non-profit organizations and houses of worship could be part of the community he envisioned. The now-vacated Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property carries the PSP zoning designation and a similar future land use map designation in the city’s comprehensive plan.

Holmes planned a downtown in central Holmes Beach that included commercially zoned spaces, and a second commercial zone at the southern end of the city, closest to the highest density resort housing zone (A1).

The first shopping center was developed in 1952. This zoning was a key component of Holmes’ vision for his new community; and his vision continues to be reflected in modern day Holmes Beach, where every update to the city’s comprehensive plan reflects the principles Holmes established in the mid-20th Century.

The resort/tourist zone was planned to be west of the main thoroughfares, as were the primary parts of the commercial zones. This was done to make the community more walkable and alleviate the need for visitors to cross the main roads to reach the beaches and businesses. The city was also planned to include the amenities families and retirees would desire in a community.

HOLMES BEACH GROWS

Holmes Beach continued to grow through the 1950s and 1960s. In 1950, the Island’s school was moved to Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. In the early 1960s, the community of Holmes Beach became known as the fastest-growing community in Florida and this contributed to the school’s growing population. In 1953, Holmes Beach

annexed into the city the northern portion of the former resort community known as Ixelhurst. The Jones and Casanas subdivisions were also annexed into the city.

In 1957, School Key was purchased by Peter Michelson. Michelson dredged the canals and planned the residences along them and created the Key Royale golf community. The last buildable lot on Key Royale was not sold until the early 1980s and the family who purchased it raised a family there and still lives there.

Holmes Beach continued development through the 20th century. As the city grew, so did its mix of residential options. The smaller “mom and pop” motels were built in the A1/Resort Zone.

Holmes Construction was joined by other local developers who built homes that honored the spirit of Jack Holmes’ vision. Condominiums joined the mix. After the first high-rise Martinique condos were built in the early 1970s, local officials enacted the height restrictions that now limit all development to a maximum of three stories. This was done to help preserve the Island's low-key, "Old Florida" charm. In 2019, the height restrictions were enshrined in the city charter – a document that can only be amended and revised with the approval of the city’s registered voters.

Most of the condos still standing today were built during the 1970s through 1990s, as was the Seaside Gardens development that utilizes ground-level single-family and multi-family dwellings.

ISLAND CHURCHES

The Island churches also started forming in the 1950s, including the Island Baptist Chapel (now CrossPointe Fellowship), the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation and Saint Bernard Catholic Church. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

was formed in 1959, after one of the last PSP-zoned lots was purchased. Constructed in 1964, the building’s distinctive roof became a local landmark. Due to a shrinking congregation and the damage the church building sustained during the back-to-back hurricanes in 2024, the iconic building and the land it sits upon are currently for sale.

Last year, the church ownership group declined the city’s $3 million offer to purchase the building and the property for continued public use. The three-parcel property was then listed for $9.95 million. Discussions recently took place between city staff, the mayor and a representative of the property owner regarding the property owners’ desire to rezone the church property to R-1 to allow for the residential development and a higher selling price for the church property.

The mayor, the city commissioners and several community members have already expressed a shared desire to preserve this architectural landmark and the green space that surrounds it for future generations to enjoy. The pending rezoning efforts will soon be the subject of city commission discussion, debate and decision making, with the public also weighing in on the property owners’ rezoning request.

CHANGE OCCURS

Up until the early 2000s, Holmes Beach remained a “hidden gem,” with a population primarily consisting of year-round residents, families, part-time residents known as “snowbirds” and weekend visitors from the Tampa Bay region. Holmes Beach also thrived as a lesser-known tourist destination, with visitors flocking to the variety of accommodations in the resort-zoned areas and enjoying the eclectic mix of businesses and amenities available within the city limits.

As the city’s charm attracted more visitors from all over the world, the character Jack Holmes worked so hard to foster began to change. Outside developers began buying the original houses and razing them in order to build large vacation rental homes.

Older ground-level homes that long served as annual rentals and provided homes for working-class families and those who worked on the Island began to disappear, creating workforce housing short-

ages and affordability challenges.

Over time, the influx of vacation rental homes began to disrupt the balance and residential character Jack Holmes created. In response, the city began tightening its building codes in an attempt to protect the remaining character of Holmes’ planned community.

City officials also have to contend with the ongoing efforts of the state officials who continue to erode the city’s home rule rights, favoring a “one-size-fits-all” redevelopment approach, rather than a careful, well-thought-out approach to community planning.

These changes have disrupted the residential character and the sense of community that many Holmes Beach residents still want to preserve – and many residents continue to encourage their city leaders to protect what can still be protected of Holmes’ original vision.

CITY EVOLVES

The city’s comprehensive plan continues to emphasize the principles Holmes Beach was built upon. Revisions to the future land use maps reinforced the planning principles that guided the city’s original development. Zoning codes and city ordinances were tightened and more strictly enforced to help preserve and reinforce the original nature and character of the city.

The Grassy Point Preserve was established to protect the largest tract of undeveloped land that remains within city limits and other public recreation spaces were enhanced.

New development-related site plans were more thoroughly scrutinized for consistency with the comprehensive plan and the zoning districts.

Today, Holmes Beach is an immensely popular tourist destination that offers a wide range of vacation rental and resort options while also serving as home to permanent and winter residents whose residences range from “Old Florida” charm to modern luxury.

The challenges of modern planning and preserving what remains of the city’s “small-town” feel require city officials to balance the needs of residents with the needs of the tourism industry and the needs of the real estate markets. This includes preserving the noncommercial, non-residential open space, public spaces, recreational spaces and preservation areas that enhance the quality of life for Holmes Beach residents and visitors.

As the city grows, our city officials must continue to work hard to ensure the character and amenities Jack Holmes planned for remain and are updated to reflect the changes this new century has brought with it. This is needed so Holmes Beach continues to reflect the ideals and structure of a planned community, so we can continue to enjoy what makes this community so special.

This particularly applies to preserving the non-commercial and non-residential elements, rather than allowing open space, public use space, recreational space and preservation areas to fall victim to the whims of modern-day developers who do not focus on community, but rather on how much money can be made.

Holmes Beach has always been a planned community, based on the concept that good planning strengthens a community. Jack Holmes believed private developers could foster human growth and that was reflected in his vision that called for diversity in land use, amenities, architecture and residential development. Holmes Beach has never been merely just another “cookiecutter” beach town. It has always been a thriving residential community that shares itself with visitors, whether they come from two miles away or 2,000 miles away. And continued good planning will help ensure the community and Jack Holmes’ original vision continue to thrive.

FUN IN THE SUN

CLASSIFIEDS

BOAT TOURS

DISCOVER THE BEST ANNA MARIA ISLAND

DOLPHIN TOUR—see wild dolphins, crystal-clear waters, and stunning coastal views. Family-friendly, guided boat tours with local experts. Book your unforgettable dolphin tour in Anna Maria Island today with Manatee River Boat Rentals and Watersports! 941-932-3700

COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE

HAVE YOU BEEN thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! Duplexes, multi family, small resorts? Call BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216

CLEANING SERVICE

TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570 or 941-565-3931

EMPLOYMENT

ACCOUNTANT/BOOK-

KEEPER NEEDED part time for a small HVAC company in Bradenton. Please send resume/inquiry to Sales@ ckphvac.com or Rae@ ckphvac.com

NOW HIRING: The White Egret & The Egret's Nest

We are seeking creative individuals to fill both part time and full time positions at our boutiques! Flexible days but some weekend availability required. Please inquire in person, drop off a resume or call 941-778-3782 for an interview appointment.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

RENOVATION SPECALIST

ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-725-0073.

KERN & GILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC New Homes & Remodel. Design/Build. Since 1968. License # CBC 1261150. Call the Office. 941-778-1115. OFFICE ADDRESS: 1878 59th Street W Bradenton, FL 34209

GET’R DONE DRYWALL, INC Specializing in Remodels & Repairs. Island Resident for 20+ years. Call Neil. Cell 941-9621194

JSAN CORPORATION

Renovations Construction & Handyman Services 941-243-0995 Lic# CRC1332505 jsancorporation@gmail. com Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Repairs, Kitchen and Bathrooms, Trim & Doors Free Estimates. Credit Cards Accepted.

GORILLA DRYWALL REPAIR, LLC. 15+ years of experience. Free Estimates. Let’s solve your Drywall problems together. Call 941-286-0607.

LOCAL ISLAND RESIDENT 30+ years of experience. Licensed & insured. Professional Services. Carpentry, Painting, Drywall and More. Reliable, Honest, Quality work. FREE estimates- Call Brian 941-220-8300

HOME SERVICE

HATE TO COOK? Long time Island resident. Can help with cooking, laundry and many things around your house. Many compliments on cooking. References available. Please Call or Text 941685-0045.

LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE

R. GAROFALO’S Interlocking brick pavers, driveways, patios, pool decks. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured. Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941

ISLAND RESIDENT. TREE/ BUSH Trimming, removal. Sweeping, blowing, and weeding. Weekly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule. Pressure washing. Call Bill Witaszek 941307-9315

MOVING & STORAGE

MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-8095777.

PAINTING & WALLCOVERING

PAINT! PAINT! AND MORE 28 years of experienced interior/exterior custom painting. Pressure cleaning, drywall repairs and texture finishes. Many Island references. Please call Neil for free estimates. 941-812-0507

“WIZARD OF WALLS” Established 1980 Prompt quality service. Wallpaper installation/ removal. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455

DONALD PERKINS ABRACADABRA PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941-705-7096

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Minor repairs & carpentry. Free estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315

PEST CONTROL

ANNA MARIA PEST CONTROL Call 941-7781630

POOL SERVICES

FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 18 + Years Experience. Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-7375657

COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893

PRESSURE WASHING & WINDOWS

TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Construction, Vacation, VRBO Rentals . Also available Pressure Washing, Roof Cleaning, Paver Sealing and Windows. Call 941-5653931.

REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE

Have you been thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! GULF FRONT, CANAL FRONT, BAY FRONT CONDOS or HOMES ASK for BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216

LOOKING FOR A highly motivated real estate broker to buy or sell your next home? Darcie Duncan, Broker Duncan Real Estate a lifelong island resident bringing success to her customers for 30 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589

RENTALS: ANNUAL

BEAUTIFUL PERICO BAY

Club Condo! 2BR/2BA, Second Floor Unit $3500/ mo seasonally, $2300/mo annually +Security Deposit Please call 941-7781979 for more details.

IN HOLMES BEACH

2BR/2BA Annual Rental. Off street parking. First & Security deposit. $2300/ mo Please call 941-5658407

ANNUAL PERICO ISLAND

2BR/2BA $1900/mo, unfurnished, ground floor, 1200sqft, utilities included, pool/tennis/gym, parking/storage, pets ok, no smoking, application required, call 941-7132328

RENTALS: SEASONAL & VACATION

ANNA MARIA ISLAND CONDOS Large pool, beach access, free WiFi, 1&2 Bedroom $900 to $1200 per week redekercondosonami.com Tim 941-704-7525

TIFFANY PLACE Gulf Front Condo for Rent Incredible views from living room and master bedroom. 2BR/2BA Green Real Estate Call 941-778-0455

SEASONAL RENTAL in PALMA SOLA. 3BR/2BA weekly or monthly rates. Contact Barb Grace 941201-2190

TRANSPORTATION

ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa/St. Pete $90. Sarasota $45. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-7795095