Bradenton Beach commissioners April 4 denied two applications for temporary use permits for paid parking operations.
One application was for a lot at 900 Gulf Drive S., owned by George and Wendy Kokolis, and the other was for 2509 Gulf Drive N., owned by Mark Toomey. Both permit applications were met with opposition from residents and commissioners.
George and Wendy Kokolis, who own the Gulf Drive Cafe, 900 Gulf Drive S., were represented at the meeting by cafe manager Julian Botero.
The restaurant wanted a temporary use permit to operate a 27-space paid parking lot at the site.
Their application was submitted on March 15 by EZ Parking Co. owner Joshua LaRose.
City building official Darin Cushing said construction of the lot began before a permit application was made. He halted the lot’s construction and informed LaRose to stop operations pending permit approval.
Botero said the lot would allow people safer access to the beach because they would not have to cross Gulf Drive.
However, Mayor John Chappie raised concerns:
- The property is south of the restaurant and light pollution could impact sea turtle nesting.
- The property is seaward of the coastal construction line and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection would need to approve the use.
“These are some of the problems that you run into when you do something without asking and confirming with the city. It limits our ability to do a whole lot,” Chappie said.
Chappie noted the application asked for additional restaurant parking not for beachgoer parking, with requested hours of 6 a.m.-2 a.m.
Some residents in the area objected to another parking lot. Three residents spoke about the issue.
“We are very strongly impacted by anything that happens over at Gulf Drive Cafe due to our proximity,” Gerald Buck, who lives in Imperial House Condos across Gulf Drive from the proposed lot, said.
Buck cited a history of conflict over restaurant parking and said Imperial House residents objected to a lot blocking their view of the beach.
“We live on the beach and we are going to be looking out and be staring at cars,” he said.
Botero made assurances of minimal disruption, but the commission voted 4-0 to deny the permit citing concerns over increased traffic congestion, pedestrian safety, lack of proper permitting from the state, resident neighbor feedback and potential impacts to nesting sea turtles.
Commissioner Ralph Cole was absent with excuse.
Toomey, owner of Robin Hood Holdings Inc., proposed a 24-hour paid parking lot at 2509 Gulf Drive N.
Toomey attended but Rick Monroe of Palm Parking, a Sarasota-based parking management company, presented the application at the meeting.
“We are here to ask for permission, not beg for forgiveness,” Monroe quipped, saying the procedure was followed in seeking the permit.
“We think we are providing a needed service on the island,” he said. “Most of the parking, from what we’ve been observing, happens on the streets in residential areas.”
Toomey said he tried to launch a project four years ago at the site but was denied by the city. Since then, the property has sat vacant and people have been illegally parking there.
“If this doesn’t work, unfortunately, I am going to have to sell it to one of the developers on the island (who) is going to do something with it whether they have a permit or not,” Toomey said.
“I feel like we are getting penalized by people doing it the wrong way when we are trying to do it the right way,” he added.
Confusion during the application review arose after city officials said it identified the lot as R-2, residential zoning.
However, according to Cushing, the lot is zoned C-2, which allows a parking lot.
Toomey answered commissioner comments that the application was vague and lacked a site plan.
“I actually put in the site plan with the paperwork, that laid out parking,” he said.
Cushing clarified by text April 4 what the city received from Toomey to The Islander.
“We scanned the entire application when we received it in the building department,” Cushing wrote. “It was on my desk for probably a week before sending it over to the clerk’s office to be put on the agenda. That undimensioned and incomplete aerial site plan that the applicant presented at the meeting was never received by this office.”
Commissioners voicing concerns about exacerbating parking issues, lack of a traffic study, disrupting residential neighborhoods and confusion over mistakes in the application voted 4-0 to deny the permit.