Looks like a new pier for landing the Gulf Islands Ferry in Anna Maria is sunk.
City commissioners reached consensus on May 27 to abandon ferry landing options involving the construction of a new pier between the city pier and the Lake La Vista inlet to the north.
The GIF service consists of two 49-passenger boats operated Thursday-Sunday between a downtown Bradenton Riverwalk dock and the Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. The service is set to expand this summer with the addition of a larger, enclosed vessel.
The Anna Maria City Pier was a ferry stop but service ended after Hurricane Milton in October 2024 destroyed the walkway. The city will rebuild the walkway, but because it must be rebuilt within the same footprint, it cannot accommodate the larger boat.
That dilemma led the county to explore options for a new landing, basically either adding a new landing to a rebuilt city pier or constructing a separate structure adjacent to the Lake La Vista channel to the north.
Mayor Mark Short opened a May 27 discussion with commissioners by stating that the city would not be committing to a ferry landing plan, but he hoped to provide feedback to the county.
Commissioner Gary McMullen said he preferred adding a landing to a rebuilt city pier since it was more cost-effective and efficient.
Commissioner John Lynch agreed but said he had concerns about how the pier and the surrounding area — roads and parking — could handle the additional traffic the new, larger vessel would bring.
Commissioner Christopher Arendt voiced support for adding a landing to the city pier and said railings could make up for any added “hustle and bustle” from pedestrians on the pier as a result of the ferry service.
Commissioner Charles Salem said he was not in favor of building a separate pier and would not commit to other options until the city pier walkway was worked out.
“It just strikes me as odd that their focus is on something that’d be nice to have when something that is completely destroyed hasn’t been rebuilt yet,” Salem said. “And they haven’t told us how they’re going to help us do it.”
Short said the county has not committed funding for rebuilding the pier because the city has yet to submit a specific request.
Nevertheless, Short stressed that the city’s priority is to rebuild the pier walkway.
“We need that pier back up and running. That water ferry system, it will come,” he said. “What we need to stay focused on is … getting our pier rebuilt.”
In other matters…
Commissioners:
- Unanimously voted to authorize Short to execute an agreement with Bradenton-based Big Sur Technologies for IT infrastructure and support services over five years;
- Unanimously voted to approve a request from Roser Memorial Community Church to exempt a $3,911 permit valuation fee for storm damage repairs.
The commission will meet next at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
People can attend city meetings via Zoom by visiting the city’s website, cityofannamaria.com.