One city commissioner called it “rickety,” while another claimed a walk on the pier causes seasickness.
But an engineer might say the pier has a deliberate sway to prevent it from crumbling against the strong currents in Tampa Bay.
The Anna Maria City Pier may soon be getting a checkup. And after more than 100 years, it may be time.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy asked city commissioners March 26 to authorize a marine survey of the pier, including a sonar study of the pier pylons.
Murphy told commissioners that crashing waves and shifting sands have left many wooden pylons supported only by water. The pier, he said, is in a precarious position.
“This survey is vitally important to the health of the pier,” Murphy said.
Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources director Charlie Hunsicker went to Murphy with the idea of a survey, telling him about the necessity of the inspection.
The survey involves scuba divers mapping the pylons with sonar. The divers also would survey beams and decking.
The cost was estimated at $60,000 and the survey would take 90 days. Murphy said the cost would be split between Manatee County and the city. Anna Maria’s part of the bill would come from two sources — $11,000 from the pier contingency fund and $19,000 from the money received from Florida Tower Partners’ first payment of the cell tower lease.
Murphy said the county portion would come from its general operating fund.
The city commission approved unanimously.
Commissioner Doug Copeland said, “I always said if the pier falls while I’m a commissioner, I’m leaving town.”
Anna Maria City Pier general manager Dave Sork said the pier is surveyed annually. “We have scuba teams come out every spring to check our pylons and deck,” he said. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
Sork said he expected the same results from last year — “that everything will be just fine.”
Murphy, however, said the new survey would be more comprehensive.
“The survey the pier gets every year is a look-over on the nuts and bolts under the deck,” the mayor said. “This is more in-depth.”
There is no date scheduled for the survey, but Murphy said it shouldn’t disrupt the pier’s pedestrian traffic, fishers or the restaurant operation.
He also said he isn’t sure how any needed repairs would be funded but the city shouldn’t pay for anything.
The lease puts the tenant in charge of maintenance.
“It’s too early to say. We have to wait and see what the survey team finds,” Murphy said. “Once we get a list of what needs to be done, then we’ll worry about who pays for what.”
The city celebrated the pier’s centennial in 2010 and The Islander newspaper sponsored replacement of 1,000 memorial planks on the deck. The project concluded in 2014.