The permitting process to rebuild the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria has begun.
Owner Oliver “Oli” Lemke and Jack Walter of Bradenton-based Kingfish Coastal submitted an application to the city Sept. 25 for a letter of no objection — LONO — to rebuild the pier, according to documents requested by The Islander.
The Rod & Reel Pier, 875 N. Shore Drive, was built in 1947 and destroyed last year by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
While more than a year has passed since October, when Milton toppled what was left of the structure after Helene’s surge washed through the structure in late September, little progress has been made toward its rebuild.
Before construction can begin, building permits must be obtained from the city and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The DEP had not fulfilled an Oct. 24 request from The Islander for an update on its rebuild requirements as of Nov. 1.
However, the LONO application to the city shows that the process has been initiated.
DEP permitting for such a rebuild requires a city-issued letter of no objection establishing that work beyond the coastal construction control line complies with local zoning and land development codes.
The CCCL is a boundary established by the DEP to protect coastal habitats and property by regulating structures that may cause beach erosion, destabilize dunes or damage upland properties.
Lemke and Walter’s LONO application contains blueprints to rebuild the pier in almost identical fashion as the previous structure.
According to those plans, the 237-foot-long pier will be rebuilt within the same footprint with wooden pilings and decking, with a two-story restaurant building at the T-end.
The old pier’s north and south access docks, as well as the long bench on the south side of the walkway, will be rebuilt as before.
Proposed changes include the extension of a 42-inch-tall picket-style wooden railing on the walkway, 45 feet out, as well as a new entrance sign.
Plans for the rebuild also include regrading the existing parking lot with a gravel fill and installing a new 500-gallon underground propane tank near the pier’s base.
While the LONO application was submitted in September, the municipality’s review of it did not begin until Oct. 23, when city commissioners voted to approve a consent agenda containing a request to extend the deadline for restoration work at the property.
City code requires nonconforming structures and/or uses like the pier to be rebuilt within a year of their destruction, unless the city grants an extension.
The request approved in October extends the deadline to rebuild the pier for two years, until Oct. 23, 2027.
Lemke recently said permitting for the pier rebuild should be completed within six months.