The anti-megabridge squad wants to beef up with some municipal muscle.
During the public comment portion of a March 4 Bradenton Beach City Commission meeting, Jane von Hahmann invited the city to become the fifth plaintiff in a federal court case between a group that includes Cortez residents and the Florida Department of Transportation over the size of the replacement structure for the 17-foot-clearance Cortez Bridge.
In its latest five-year tentative work plan, the DOT included the construction of a 65-foot-clearance fixed-span bridge to replace the current bascule bridge on Cortez Road that spans the Intracoastal Waterway and connects Cortez on the mainland to Bradenton Beach on the island.
The work plan paves the way for funding the construction of the bridge.
Von Hahmann, a former county commissioner, and her allies, including another former county commissioner, environmentalist Joe McClash, maintain a high bridge would destroy the character of the Cortez Historic District, a fishing village on the eastern side of the proposed structure.
Bradenton Beach is linked to the mainland on the opposite side of the bridge.
Von Hahmann’s group opposes the megabridge in U.S. District Court and has offered the DOT a settlement on a 35-foot-clearance bascule.
The challengers and the DOT jointly filed an amended case management report with the court Feb. 1 — the first step toward mediation.
“We think that if we have a municipality, we might be able to bring them to the table,” von Hahmann told Bradenton Beach commissioners.
She provided them with photos of the Tierra Verde Bridge, a 65-foot-clearance fixed-span bridge that replaced an older drawbridge in Pinellas County, as well as a copy of the pending court case and settlement agreements.
“If they have this big, huge bridge, it’s going to impact the village, there’s just no two ways about it,” von Hahmann said. “And I’m going to tell you right now, I’m quite frankly sick of our doing everything that is just for automobiles because it’s not helping us in the village westbound because you can’t take any more traffic out here.”
Mayor John Chappie directed staff to include discussion about joining the fight against the high bridge on the agenda for the next commission meeting, which will be Thursday, March 18.
“Most of us probably have not been in favor of the high bridge,” Chappie said. “So, I would like to at least have that discussion to see if we can maybe give some direction to do something.”
Chappie, who has expressed his opposition to the megabridge in the past, said he wants the city attorney to review the situation for municipal liability before they make any decisions.
“It’s an issue that we’re all concerned about because we know how devastating, well, in my opinion, how devastating the high bridge is,” he said. “If this is the last-ditch effort, let’s see what we can do.”
It makes no sense because it is still a two lane road on the Island.
Money would be better spent adding a bridge to the north end of LBK connecting to South Bradenton/ Bayshore Gardens area, improved the utility, waste water lines while they are at it.
Most traffic is heading to Lido and Sarasota anyway in both directions.
Traffic would still jam up at LBK bridge and south of Cortez bridge.
This would improve the traffic more than a new Cortez bridge.
Preserve the old charm and character of Bradenton beach and Cortez.