Delays cannot stop Anna Maria city commissioners from getting excited about reimagining Pine Avenue in the new year.
Commissioners Mark Short, Jonathan Crane and Charlie Salem told The Islander the week beginning Dec. 18 about their hopes and concerns for 2024.
Short, who chairs the commission, and Crane said they were most excited about plans to move forward with a prototype to improve Pine Avenue.
The city budgeted $3,349,634.46 in fiscal 2023-24 to improve Pine, Magnolia and Spring avenues by installing pervious paver sidewalks and adding and enhancing crosswalks and street lighting.
The improvements will begin from Gulf Drive to North Shore Drive on Pine Avenue and serve as a prototype for the larger scope of work.
City officials hoped to issue a request for proposals for the prototype stretch in December. Still, they had yet to receive the green light from the Florida Department of Transportation to move ahead.
Crane told The Islander Dec. 18 that he was interested to see what directions the city could take with the project. He proposed at a recent meeting to let contractors provide different designs.
“I’m hoping to see something a little different than what was on our drawing board,” Crane said.
Short told The Islander Dec. 19 that the project was at the top of his list of things he was excited about in the new year.
“2024 will be the year that we’ll get this first section of Pine done, the prototype. We’ll learn from that, then grow that. See if we have to tweak anything from the original plan for Pine or not,” Short said.
Short and Salem agreed they were excited to welcome two people onto the commission to succeed Robert Kingan and Deanie Sebring.
“Deanie and Robert are missed and will be missed but I’m looking forward to having two new commissioners working with us to refine this vision and move it forward,” Short said.
Salem wrote in a Dec. 22 text message to The Islander that he was most excited about more community events.
“Anything that gets the community together,” Salem wrote. “I love the emphasis on parades and gatherings for the local community as a way to remind us all there are many people who call Anna Maria their home.”
Concerns in 2024
Salem and Short both said their primary concern was potential state interference due to the state study into the potential consolidation of the island’s municipalities.
The study was proposed by Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, and unanimously approved by the Manatee County Legislative Delegation.
“I’m hoping as they peel away the onion that they get a little more focused and can see what we see are the opportunities here on this island,” Short said.
Crane said he was concerned about a declining residential population and the replacement of homes with vacation rentals.
“I’d love to see a little bit more of a permanent population. It’s hard to maintain a sense of community when you don’t have any community members,” he said.
Salem, who was appointed in January 2023, has proposed incentives for permanent residents but the city has yet to take any action.
“We need to keep pressing different ways to help residents who live here to remain here and encourage new residents to relocate here,” Salem said.