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VOL 15 No. 33
June 17, 2015
GROUNDED!
Fireworks cancelled to protect birds However, the fireworks display at the Sandbar restaurant remains scheduled for Saturday, July 4. BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – Imperiled shorebirds nesting on the beach at the north end of the BeachHouse restaurant have caused the cancellation of the 22nd Annual Beach House Fireworks Spectacular on Friday, July 3. A nesting area including black skimmers, a state species of special concern, and least terns, a state threatened species, has been staked off for protection by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, which brought the issue to the attention of Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker. Hunsicker and Ed Chiles, of The Chiles Group, which operates the CINDY LANE | SUN
This shorebird nesting colony in Bradenton Beach north of the BeachHouse restaurant has prompted the cancellation of the July 3 fireworks show.
see fireworks, page 40
City moves to limit number of bedrooms Houses that had five or more bedrooms jumped from 2.4 percent in 2008 to 40 percent between 2011 and 2014. BY PAT COPELAND SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – After hearing statistics from City Planner Bill Brisson,
INSIDE NEWS OPINION Sun survey TURTLES outdoors restaurants real estate police reports
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commissioners last week agreed on a four-bedroom limit on single family homes and a three –bedroom limit per side on duplexes in the R-2, R-3 and R-4 districts. Since January, the city has been under a moratorium in those zoning districts on remodeling or construction of homes with four or more rooms that can be used as bedroom/sleeping rooms.
J&J Graphics celebrates 30 years of custom printing. 14
Anna Maria Island, Florida
“Through 2008 the vast majority of dwelling units in the R-2 district had three or less bedrooms,” Brisson explained. “Four bedrooms were not the rule, but were not uncommon.” He said up to 2008, 18 to 20 percent of units had four bedrooms, and 2.4 percent had more than four. However, between 2011-2014, the number of dwelling units that had five or more
bedrooms jumped to 40 percent. “The best supportable limitation is four bedrooms,” he said. Commissioner Jean Peelen asked how many of those five-bedroom houses were investor built, and Brisson said possibly all of them but he would have to check. see BEDROOMS, page 40
weddings: A SPECIAL SECTION FOR ALL THINGS MATRIMONIAL. 28-31
The Privateers get a new sleigh for Christmas. 11
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