The “war” over parking in Holmes Beach continued the week beginning June 13 with veiled threats and harsh denunciations.
Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who represents Anna Maria Island, attended a June 14 Holmes Beach City Commission meeting to air concerns about a work session agenda item, “Discussion for commission direction relating to the disallowing of parking garages.”
The “war” began when Van Ostenbridge was elected in November 2020 and immediately voiced criticism of the city’s park-by-permit system.
City officials stand by the system, which they say protects the residential quality of life by reducing roadside parking on certain residential streets.
Van Ostenbridge and other county commissioners argue the parking limits are unfair to off-island residents visiting the beaches, and they have threatened to either withhold beach renourishment funds if limits aren’t reversed or build a parking garage at Manatee Public Beach, 4000 State Road 64 and Gulf Drive, to make up for lost parking.
Van Ostenbridge told commissioners June 14 to “think long and hard” about potentially disallowing parking garages. He inferred the stance on parking within the city had and may continue to impact state and county funding to the municipality.
So far, county commissioners have denied the city’s request for $282,910, which would have reimbursed city-funded improvements to a seawall along Marina Drive to free up money for bike lanes, sidewalks and landscaping.
Additionally, Van Ostenbridge said the city’s $2 million state appropriation request may have been vetoed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis due to the conflict.
“It was not an accident that the governor vetoed $2 million that was supposed to go to the city,” Van Ostenbridge said. “Your decisions are having consequences and the county is currently in budget discussions at this time.”
“There can be or will be good or bad consequences for the decisions made here today,” he added.
Van Ostenbridge left the meeting before the agenda item was discussed but his words elicited sharp responses from city officials.
“I know one thing: This board is not putting a price tag on quality of life for a mere $2 million,” Mayor Judy Titsworth said. “I thank God we didn’t sell our souls because we were scared. …I don’t want the blood money.”
Titsworth said it “amazed” her the county would withhold improvement money from a city that contributes such a sizable portion of the county’s tourist development tax dollars.
Titsworth added that property values across the city have increased so much in recent years because of the city’s adherence to its island character.
She said a multilevel parking garage would be out of character for the city, so she recommended commissioners discuss a potential prohibition before the county readied its proposal.
“This is how our county commission is operating: they can put a gun to our head and say, ‘It’s our way or the highway,’” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said. “I don’t want dirty money, quite frankly, and I resent him placing that gun to our head with that threat.”
“I can assure you as a community, we will not acquiesce to that kind of behavior and I hope voters in the future will not forget that action and many others,” he added.
Commissioner Kim Rash said the county must figure out how to move people to and from the island without bringing additional vehicles into the city’s oft-congested roadways. He said a parking garage would worsen island traffic.
A multilevel parking garage currently is not an allowable use under city code, effectively prohibiting such a structure, according to city planner Bill Brisson.
Nevertheless, city attorney Erica Augello said the city could adopt an ordinance to specifically prohibit multilevel parking garages or provide a catch-all regulation to ensure unlisted uses are not allowable.
“The city has the ability to say, ‘No, the listed uses are the listed uses. That’s all you get,’” Augello said.
The commission reached consensus to move the discussion forward and direct city staff to draft code for consideration.
There was no public comment.
The next regular city commission meeting will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, go online to holmesbeachfl.org.
I find it ironic how there’s an uproar about a parking garage, but everyone seems to be in perfect acceptance with twenty; 3 to 4 story McMansions going up every year, that literally utilize every allowable sq. ft. of lot space and the lot space that’s left is either artificial turf or pavers (insert lack of complaint about “water table”). Take a once, 6-person occupancy and make it a 10-to-12-person occupancy X 20 a year?!? Do the math. I’ve observed for 5 years, and nothing has changed with people visiting the island (except for a 25% increase annually). Everyone simply wants their own vehicles, and nothing will change that. At this point, a parking garage seems legitimate. I’m not taking 10 levels, rather a 3 level.
I am a resident of Anna Maria. I want our leaders to know that we support their stance opposing a parking garage on the island. We do not want our home turned into a parking lot for the county of Manatee. Blackmail of our elected officials is beyond the pale. With regard to Commissioner Van Ostenbridge, he should be removed from office at the first opportunity available to the voters. Van Ostenbridge has shown he is nothing more than a bully.
I totally agree. This island is precious because we have steadfastly kept it precious for many years. People that live on AMI pay a lot of money to live here and part of that investment is to maintain it’s slow island culture, to not have high rises or parking garages or busses of day trippers. This island is also full of high paying vacationer tourists that want that “slow island” feel for a week or two, without being crowded out by day trippers that aren’t invested in the culture of the island. This bully pretending to be someone we all know and hate is not going to run ramshod over our precious island with his bullying ways.
Everyone who lives here, please be an active participant in stopping this from happening, because if it does, it won’t be the last time they bully us into something we don’t need or want.