Anna Maria commissioners approved three offers March 22, hoping to settle Bert Harris claims filed against the city.
City attorney Becky Vose recommended the city offer an occupancy of 10 people for a property at 107 Elm St. owned by Graham and Hazel Hansen.
She recommended an occupancy of 14 people for properties at 211 Chilson Ave., owned by O&S Holdings LLC, and 211 Willow Ave., owned by Allen Weinstein and Alison Boak.
Commissioner Carol Carter voted against the offer for the Elm Street property, arguing the bedrooms are too small to allow for more than eight people.
Commissioners approved the Elm Street offer 4-1, and the other two offers received unanimous approval.
The Bert Harris Jr. Private Property Protection Act of 1995 allows property owners to seek relief if they can prove a government action lowered the value of their property.
Claimants must provide appraisals to establish value and settlements, in lieu of cash payments, can either fully or partly restore the rights that existed prior to the prohibitions. The city has 150 days to respond to submitted claims.
The claimants have the option to decline the settlement and take their case to court.
and presses forward with historic preservation
Anna Maria may soon have a historic preservation board.
After nearly a year of inactivity, the city of Anna Maria plans to fill the five-person board, the final step in implementing the historic preservation measure adopted in July 2017.
The ordinance created a board that enables the city to approve properties for inclusion in the Anna Maria Register of Historic Places and evaluate properties nominated.
Mayor Dan Murphy told commissioners he would send them his candidates the week of March 26.
However, whether the board may first tackle a new obstacle. Officials in Bradenton Beach recently abandoned a historic preservation ordinance after city attorney Ricinda Perry said it could negatively affect the city’s insurance discount with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Murphy said March 26 Anna Maria is reviewing the information from Bradenton Beach. “Obviously we’re not going to go forward with something that would hurt us,” he said, but Anna Maria may not reach the same conclusion as Bradenton Beach.
— Bianca Benedí