- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 24 No. 33
April 10, 2024
Marina clients face inclusion in canal lawsuit The 2022 lawsuit seeks to prohibit marina clients from using the Hunters Point canal. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
CORTEZ – Cortez Village Marina clients who use the privately-owned Hunters Point canal may soon be named as additional defendants in a 2022 canal dispute-related lawsuit. The Sun recently obtained a letter sent to a marina client. The letter was written by attorney Susan Martin, who represents Hunters Point developer Marshall Gobuty’s Cortez Road Investments and Finance (CRIF) ownership group. When completed, the Hunters Point development will include 86 solar-powered homes. According to Gobuty, approximately 50 marina clients received the first wave of letters eventually sent to all known marina clients who use the JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
In 2023, “No Trespassing” and other warning signs were posted in the canal near the Cortez Village Marina.
Property owners seek stop to kayak tours
A Holmes Beach couple is seeking an injunction to stop a kayak tour company from bringing clients near their property.
Bradenton Beach commissioners denied a request to make a parking lot on Gulf Drive south of the Shell gas station. SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – Residents Roger and Irene Alvarez are hoping for help from the legal system to prevent kayaking clients from Fun Florida Tours from trespassing on their property and causing what they call a nuisance. In a complaint filed on March 29 in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Manatee County, the couple alleges that tours conducted by the company, which occur daily about every 1.5 hours from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., are causing irreparable harm to their quality of
Commissioners deny paid parking lot
BY LESLIE LAKE
BY KRISTIN SWAIN
GOOGLE MAPS | SUBMITTED
Sportsman’s Harbor is a small inlet on the east side of Holmes Beach surrounded by residential properties. life and damaging their property. The home at 201 North Harbor Drive is on an inlet off Anna Maria Sound called Sportsman’s Harbor, which borders a residential district in Holmes Beach. In the lawsuit, the couple alleges that the kayakers are
SEE KAYAK, PAGE 19
BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners denied an application for a temporary use paid parking lot at 2509 Gulf Drive N. at their April 4 meeting. The application, which stated the property was in an R-2 (residential) zone, was submitted by Rick Munroe, of Sarasota-based Palm Parking, on behalf of property owner Mark Toomey for a 19-space paid parking facility. “We feel we’re providing a service for short-term accommodations,” Munroe said. “We’re asking for a 24-hour operation.” “We have nothing that has been presented by FDOT (Florida Depart-
IT'S SPRING, and salad days are here again. 18
ment of Transportation), FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection), SWFWMD (South Florida Water Management District)” - the state agencies that conduct review processes on such proposals, Mayor John Chappie said. According to building official Darin Cushing, a site plan was not presented with the application. “We need more documentation, a parking plan,” Cushing said. “We need a better idea of what the full plan is.” Toomey said the site plan had been submitted with the application. “I delivered the site plan myself. I don’t know how that piece of paper didn’t arrive. There’s two site plans on there,” Toomey said. Toomey said he attempted to have a home built on that property four years ago and it was denied by the commission.
SEE PARKING, PAGE 21
KYLE ORMS named BBPD Officer of
the Year. 9
ONLY ONE BID on Pine Avenue project -
again. 3
Page 23 Anna Maria Island, Florida
SEE CANAL, PAGE 11
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