Residents near the Palma Sola Causeway are asking the Bradenton City Council for action to address nuisances on the stretch of beach on Manatee Avenue between the mainland and the islands.
Several people addressed council members during a regular meeting July 23 at Bradenton City Hall. Residents raised concerns about commercial operations and signs, overnight camping, fair use, loud music and an increasing number of boats in the basin.
“We want everyone to use it and enjoy it,” resident Laura Hahn said of the causeway. “But the residents there need to be able to also use it and enjoy it.”
Mike Galati, who lives about a quarter-mile from the causeway, said he can hear nighttime music from the causeway inside his hurricane-proofed home.
“That’s too much,” he said.
About the boats, Galati raised concerns about sanitation, insurance and anchorage, noting that one vessel pushed ashore during a 2024 storm had been “anchored” with a dumbbell.
The remarks were made during public comment and the council took no action.
Anna Maria Island elected officials have cited causeway concerns during recent discussions about the need to address commercial operations on Gulf beaches.