Commissioners didn’t necessarily strike down the idea of a building moratorium in Bradenton Beach June 16, but they decided with a 4-1 vote to withhold action.
No action by the commission puts the moratorium in the hands of voters Nov. 8.
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh cast the only “nay.”
The commission’s hesitation stems from a lack of goals. Vice Mayor Ed Straight said, “We need something in place that will be permanent or we’re going to be in trouble.”
The proposed moratorium ordinance calls for a six-month halt on new buildings “that contain more than four rooms that be used for bedrooms or sleeping areas” in the city’s R-1 and R-2 districts.
It would amount to a time out for the city to determine what ordinances can be enacted to protect residential neighborhoods from over-sized vacation homes.
“At the end of six months, we’re going to be in trouble. Are we going to keep the four bedrooms permanently?” Straight continued.
Commissioner Ralph Cole said, “I don’t see this doing any good.”
City attorney Ricinda Perry told commissioners a moratorium must include a plan of action on what the city is trying to accomplish.
City planner Alan Garrett and building official Steve Gilbert told commissioners their recommendation is to insert clearer language into the proposed ordinance.
“I don’t think the wording is clear on what we can move forward with,” Garrett said. “Every living room could be counted as a sleeping room. We need clarification.”
“The language needs to be amended to define the difference between a bedroom and a sleeping area. We’re going to have a problem on what we can accept,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said, as it stands, every room, unless defined otherwise, will have to be counted as a sleeping room or a bedroom. “We have to count all the rooms. Which means nobody’s going to get accepted.”
The proposed ordinance is posted here, click here to read it.
A long, winding road
This marked the third time a building moratorium has come before the commission and has been rejected. The first was September 2015. Vosburgh was the only vote for the measure then, too.
The second call for a moratorium was December 2015. Recently re-elected Mayor Bill Shearon brought the moratorium proposal back to commission for approval. Vosburgh motioned for action but it died without support. Shearon could only watch as it withered.
The third and recent request was brought forth by the citizen’s initiative petition. Resident Priscilla Van Ahnen gathered more than 70 signatures in April for a six-month building moratorium, calling on the commission to act. If the commission decided not to act, the moratorium would go before the voters in the next general election.
“The sooner we do this, the better,” Van Ahnen said. “It will keep builders from adding to the problem while we fix the problem.”
Vacation rental committee
Commissioners also unanimously agreed June 16 to have Van Ahnen create an ad hoc committee to find other solutions to help curtail community problems created by large vacation rentals.