The floodgate for building permits is set to reopen in Anna Maria.
City commissioners voted 3-2 April 23 to deny two motions to extend a temporary 60-day moratorium for new single-family homes and renovations that increase lot coverage or square footage. The moratorium will expire May 6.
Commissioners Amy Tripp, Mark Short and Joe Muscatello voted against both motions. Jonathan Crane and Carol Carter voted to extend the moratorium.
The moratorium was enacted March 4 to allow building officials time to handle a backlog of permits, update city building codes and add impact fees, as well as deal with problems not addressed in codes.
Mayor Dan Murphy said at the meeting that the moratorium was necessary because of a “building boom” that resulted in a backlog of 26 permits. He said the moratorium gave building officials a timeout to handle the permits, adding they completed roughly half as of April 23.
Murphy also said city planner Chad Minor met with contractors to discuss adjustments to the building code.
“We’re a lot further ahead than where we thought we’d be,” Murphy told commissioners.
Crane said he was concerned another boom in development might begin when safety measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 are lifted.
He said he also supported extending the moratorium because he wanted impact fees to be added before development revs up.
“I see the impact of unbridled, unchecked development on every street on the island, and I think allowing enough time to implement the impact fees is crucial,” Crane said.
Carter wanted to continue the moratorium until the building department worked through the backlog of permits.
Two local business owners attended the meeting, which was held via teleconference, to oppose extending the moratorium.
“(The extension) would probably hurt us a lot more than you think,” said Frank Agnelli of Mason Martin Builders of Holmes Beach, the contractor hired to build the restaurant and bait shop on the city pier. “The phones are not ringing right now. So we will get to the point where we start running out of work.”
Agnelli said the pandemic slowed the building industry. So lifting the moratorium likely would not result in an influx of permits.
Darcie Duncan, owner of Duncan Real Estate, based on Pine Avenue in the city, told commissioners she saw a dramatic slowdown in the real estate market because of the coronavirus. Extending the moratorium would make the situation worse, she said.
“We are more impacted than people realize,” Duncan said. “Extending this 60 days almost does nothing except put a bullet in our heads.”
Crane moved to extend the moratorium for 60 days and Carter seconded the motion, which failed.
Crane then moved to extend the moratorium for 30 days. Carter also seconded that motion, which again failed.
City attorney Becky Vose said that if the city received an influx of building permits, the commission could adopt another moratorium.
In other business, commissioners voted 5-0 to hire North Carolina-based Raftelis for $39,100 to calculate impact fees for drainage, roads, sea level rise and recreation by piggybacking on a contract with Lake Wales.
Murphy said the cost could be reimbursed with impact fees. The consultant could complete the work by August or September, he said.
There was no public comment.