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VOL 22 No. 47
August 31, 2022
Summer drama RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN
A late summer weather system over the Intracoastal Waterway as seen from the Longboat Pass bridge.
Proposed food truck plan at Bayfront Park stalled Some neighboring residents oppose the city’s efforts to designate a food truck area at Bayfront Park. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – City officials are pumping the brakes on their efforts to create a designated food truck area at the northwest end of Bayfront Park. With potentially impacted residents and property owners expressing opposition and city commissioners voicing concerns, further commission discussion and decision-making has been delayed until Oct. 13 at the earliest. The designated food truck area is the city’s response to a state law enacted by the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2020 that gives the state the sole authority to make regula-
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tions regarding food trucks and other mobile food dispensing vehicles. The state law prohibits local governments from enacting or maintaining outright bans on mobile food dispensing vehicles and prohibits local governments from requiring non-state-issued licenses, registrations, permits and fees for food truck operations. In the past, the city required food truck operators to acquire a special permit from the city, which is no longer allowed by the state. When first discussing the need for a designated food truck area on July 28, Mayor Dan Murphy said, “We’ve got to do something. The whole city is fair game until we do something.” The city commission was presented with the first reading of a city ordinance on Aug. 11 that proposed locating the designated food truck area at SEE FOOD TRUCK, PAGE 39
Beach access to remain closed A battle for beach access concluded with a ruling in favor of property owners, allowing a 78th Street path to remain closed. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
MANATEE COUNTY – The battle between neighbors for beach access on 78th Street in Holmes Beach came to a close when a judge ruled against granting a temporary injunction to reopen the path to the sand. “It’s a really unfortunate situation,” Manatee County Circuit Court Judge Charles Sniffen said. “Someone’s property rights are going to be affected by what I decide.” After hearing two days of testimony from current and former property owners as well as county Commissioner Carol Whitmore and others, Sniffen said the arguments boiled down to a technicality. In order for a temporary injunction to be
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
A beach access path at the end of 78th Street in Holmes Beach will remain closed at the discretion of two private property owners. granted, he said the plaintiffs, a group of 78th Street property owners, would have to meet four criteria – prove the historic use of the path, irreparable harm, that the SEE ACCESS, PAGE 35
SEE THE WINNERS
HOLMES BEACH City Center
of The Anna Maria Island Sun Readers’ Choice awards! 17-28
construction begins soon. 39
Anna Maria Island, Florida
HURRICANE SEASON is half
over, but keep your guard up. 5
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