What is the purpose of the moratorium?
Anna Maria Commission Chair Chuck Webb asked the question to other commissioners April 23 at their meeting.
Their responses were evenly split.
Commissioners Doug Copeland and Dale Woodland said it was about controlling vacation rentals.
Commissioners Nancy Carter and Carol Yetter said it’s to control construction.
“If it’s in place to control vacation rentals, then we need to end it,” said Webb.
The moratorium is being re-evaluated because the commissioners believe the new vacation rental ordinance — enacted April 9 — may not fully control vacation rentals in the manner intended by by merely limiting a dwelling’s occupancy.
Webb thought that wouldn’t be enough.
“We can’t hang all our hats on our new ordinance,” he said. “If it gets challenged in court, which I’m sure it will, and is shot down, where will that leave us?”
City attorney Becky Vose and city planner Alan Garrett agreed, the city needs a backup plan— another ordinance or moratorium — in the event the courts decide against the city.
Vose said if the commissioners wanted to keep the moratorium in place, some changes would have to be made.
She said she found inconsistencies between the zoning code and the city’s comprehensive plan.
The zoning code states developers can use 50 percent of their living-area ratio to build a home — including air conditioned space, patios and driveways — while the comp plan provides 40 percent.
“It can’t be both,” Vose said.
The simplest fix, she said, is two rewrite the section in the zoning code to match the 40 percent in the comp plan.
The commissioners, Vose and Garrett continued to question what needs to be rewritten — should the moratorium address the numbers of bedrooms or bedroom sizes, should plans interior or exterior walls be measured?
“The question, why we still have a moratorium hasn’t been answered,” said Woodland. “Is this to control vacation rentals or to stop large homes from being developed?”
No one had a clear answer.
“We’re keeping decent, honest people from building a home,” Woodland said.
Webb said the question could be addressed at another meeting.
“Right now we’re trying to protect our community and the new vacation rental ordinance,” he said. “That’s what we need to focus on.”
The commission voted 4-1 to have Vose and Garrett work on a new zoning ordinance and building moratorium. Once the two documents are ready, a new moratorium can be put enacted and the old one repealed.
Woodland was the opposing vote.
Questions about the number of rooms and living-area ratio for new homes were tabled until another meeting, but commissioners did acknowledge the moratorium is inconveniencing a lot of people that want to make Anna Maria their home.
The commissioners said they would begin discussions on the documents at the next work session. The commissioners also will re-evaluate tandem parking in the new vacation rental ordinance.
The next city commission work session will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.