- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 24 No. 48
July 24, 2024
Chiles Hospitality selling Sandbar, Beach House, Mar Vista
The sale of the three restaurants is expected to be finalized on July 29. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
CINDY LANE | SUN
Sandbar Seafood & Spirits (top) in Anna Maria, Beach House Waterfront Restaurant (left) in Bradenton Beach and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub (right) in Longboat Key are changing hands.
City threatens shutdown of Bridge Street parking lot
Non-compliance with city commission stipulations, absence of a site plan and a leaky artesian well are some issues cited by the Bradenton Beach building official. BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – A city-threatened shutdown of the paid parking lot at 101 Bridge St. prompted its management to begin to fix one long-standing issue, but due to non-compliance with other city requirements, a temporary closure of the lot may still be imminent, according to the city’s building official. The property, owned by developer Shawn Kaleta, has been operational
since earning commission approval in February for temporary use as a paid parking lot. That approval by the commission was conditional on stipulations, including the submission of a site plan, that have not been fulfilled, according to city officials. “I gave them until last Friday, July 12 to get things tightened up, or we would barricade off the lot and not allow it to be used for parking until there was progress being made to rectify these issues,” Bradenton Beach Building Official Darin Cushing wrote in a July 15 email to The Sun. “The representative immediately responded and began working toward resolution and has been in daily contact with myself and the code enforcement officer, therefore we did not shut them down.”
SEE PARKING, PAGE 21
SEE CHILES, PAGE 15
Anna Maria budget preparations continue The Anna Maria mayor and city commission plan to reduce the current 2.05 millage rate. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – The fiscal year 2024-25 city budget being crafted by Mayor Dan Murphy and city commissioners proposes $5.82 million in operating and general expenses during the new fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. Presented by Murphy during the city commission’s second budget meeting on July 18, the projected expenses include employee salaries and wages and represent a $296,979 increase over the $5.53 million in similar estimated year-end expenses for the current fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. The $5.82 million does not include the capital projects and infrastructure improvements to be decided
THE SUN travels to Yosemite. 10
during the third and final budget meeting on Thursday, July 25. That meeting begins at 5 p.m. and will include the setting of the tentative millage rate. During the commission’s initial budget meeting on June 27, Murphy proposed, and the commission tentatively supported, reducing the city’s longstanding 2.05 millage rate to the rollback rate of 1.8245 mills, or possibly lower. Murphy said due to increased property values, the rollback rate would generate $4.24 million in ad valorem property tax revenues during the 2024-25 fiscal year. The proposed budget anticipates $18.2 million in total revenues that also include previously approved state appropriations, unused funds carried over from the current fiscal year and other funding sources. On July 18, Murphy said the 1.8245 rollback rate would result in
SEE BUDGET, PAGE 12
SEE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
for Holmes Beach candidates. 3
HENRIETTA'S BACK! She nested a
third time on Anna Maria Island. 11
Page 21 Anna Maria Island, Florida
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Ed Chiles, the owner of Chiles Hospitality, is selling the Sandbar Seafood & Spirits restaurant in Anna Maria, the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub in Longboat Key to the Pinellas County-based Beachside Hospitality group. Beachside Hospitality is also buying the Anna Maria Bake House and Chiles Hospitality’s events department. No sales price was disclosed. Beachside Hospitality owns and operates Crabby’s Bar & Grill, Crabby’s Hideaway, Crabby’s On The Pass, Crabby’s Dockside, The Salty Crab Bar & Grill and Salty’s Island Bar & Grille in Pinellas County. The group also owns and operates
The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper
www.amisun.com