Controversy over an alleged complaint made to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has reignited tensions in Bradenton Beach.
Drift-In AMI owner Derrick Williams, who spent months — and likely plenty of money — navigating permitting disputes with Bradenton Beach to reopen his Bridge Street bar after the 2024 hurricanes, told commissioners Sept. 4 he was unsettled by recent remarks from city attorney Ricinda Perry that he filed a complaint with the state against the Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Historic Bridge Street Pier.
Williams’ efforts to reopen his business were slowed by controversy over a December 2024 permit, which was approved by then-building official Darin Cushing and questioned by Perry. Perry said the project should have been classified as a major development with commission approval.
The bar reopened under a temporary use permit approved by the city in March.
Against that backdrop, Williams stated that a rumor alleging he had lodged a complaint with the state regarding AMOB’s new tiki huts was false and damaging.
“I had a local merchant come to me in the last week and tell me that Mrs. Perry has spoken to them directly … and informed them that I have personally, Derrick Williams, reported them for certain legal issues, which I’m a thousand percent sure I did not do,” Williams said during public comment. “I just really don’t appreciate it. I got direct phone calls from those people.”
Later in the meeting, Perry said the DEP told her the complaint about tiki construction at the AMOB “was provided … by an individual from Drift-In.”
She said she repeated that information to AMOB owner John Horne and told him the complaint required the city and AMOB to take steps to clear up the issues.
The Islander reached out to Oysters Rock Hospitality-AMOB executive vice president Eleni Sokos Sept. 14, who declined to comment.
“So now the city is facing a lot of time. We had to pay for a sovereign submerged-land lease survey and we have to go through the application process and we have to go through a temporary use permit from the FDEP and then go to the (state) board of trustees to resolve the little thatched roofs that Mr. Horne put on the railing,” Perry said.
However, Perry told commissioners the city could take the opportunity to expand the state lease.
She said they could add regulations for vessels that use the floating dock.
The DEP application is expected to go before the state board of trustees in December.
City commissioners were to meet at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 16, after press time for The Islander, to review the city attorney’s performance, a followup to the discussion on a DEP letter.
The meeting will take place at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.