Holmes Beach is cycling back to the county with a plan to use tourist tax revenues to improve biking and walking opportunities.
City representatives Oct. 16 — after The Islander went to press — were set to make a second presentation to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on a request for funding multimodal improvements.
The TDC is an advisory board that reviews projects and recommends funding from the tourist development tax, the 5% tax collected on overnight accommodations of six months or less.
The TDC heard a presentation at an August meeting and requested that Holmes Beach city engineer Sage Kamiya provide more details for consideration at an Oct. 16 meeting in Bradenton.
Kamiya, at the Aug. 21 meeting, asked the TDC to recommend using $733,948 in TDT money for phase 1 of the city’s multimodal path program, which involves lengthening the path on Marina Drive and creating a path on Gulf Drive, as well as improving connections to beach access paths.
The project involves installing nature-focused educational signs and improving some beach access paths, and installing an educational kiosk at the waterfront park near city field.
Additionally, the city wants to place rapid-flashing beacons at three midblock crosswalks.
The total project costs, estimated at $2.4 million, include:
- Gulf Drive multiuse path improvements, $1.29 million;
- Marina Drive multiuse path improvements, $239,489;
- Rapid-flashing beacons, $60,000;
- Signage, $594,000;
- Engineering design, $250,000.
But the project is divided into phases and the city only asked the TDC to help with phase 1, projected to cost $1,133,401, including the TDC’s share of $733,948.
Phase 1 includes multiuse paths on Gulf Drive from Holmes Boulevard to 66th Street and on Marina from 56th Street to 66th Street, one flashing beacon, signage and pervious beach access at 65th Street and engineering.
In materials for its Oct. 16 presentation, the city answered several TDC members’ questions, confirming that installing the proposed path will not result in the removal of parking spaces, that future phases will not involve removing parking and that the city also is seeking funding from other sources.
The TDC agenda also included presentations from Bishop Museum of Science and Nature CEO Andrew Sandall and the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport chief of staff Mark Stuckey, as well as a state of tourism report from Anne Wittine of Research Data Services.
The next TDC meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4, at the Center of Anna Maria, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
About the TDC
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council recommends to county commissioners how to spend the tourist development tax — the 5% tax collected on overnight rentals of six months or less.
TDT spending must boost and develop tourism.
TDC members include County Commissioner James Satcher as chair, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Bryant, hoteliers Jiten Patel, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns and Rahul Patel and interested citizens Dave Wick and Norma Kennedy.