Thank you for visiting The islander Newspaper Online.

We are currently updating our website to provide you better service and function.
If you would like to access the new site, please, click here: The islander Newspaper

Sorry for any inconvenience. Our new site and service will resume shortly.

Web Master

The Award Winning & Best News on Anna Maria Island, FL Since 1992

"The Award Winning & Best News on Anna Maria Island, FL Since 1992"

Tuesday, Mar, 19, 2024
Florida Press Assn. Award-Winning Web Site
Home Latest News Weather Sports Real Estate Classifieds Island Guide islander Store

 SECTIONS

 • 

Main News

 • 

Classifieds

 • 

Opinions

 • 

Streetlife

 • 

Calendar

 • 

Fishing

 • 

Sports

 • 

Real Estate

 • 

Obituaries

 • 

Weather

 Features

 • 

Cortez Cook Off: The Results

 • 

Anna Maria Island Bridge FDOT replacement bridge

 • 

National Hurricane Center (Atlantic)

 • 

Advanced Search

 • 

I love AMI

 • 

Mystery Story

 • 

Fishing Laws

 Classifieds

 • 

Classifieds Page

 • 

Place An AD

 • 

Items for Sale

 • 

Garage Sale

 • 

Estate Sale

 • 

Announcments

 • 

Lost & Found

 • 

Pets

 • 

Transportation

 • 

Boats & Boating

 • 

Fishing

 • 

Kids 4 Hire

 • 

Help Wanted

 • 

Health Care

 • 

Services

 • 

Lawn & Garden

 • 

Landscaping

 • 

Home Improvement

 • 

Business Opportunities

 • 

Rentals

 • 

Real Estate

 Weather

 • 

Today's Forecast

 • 

10 Day Forecast

 • 

Today's Tides

 • 

Emergency e-mail

 • 

Storm Watch

 Archive

 • 

News Archive

 • 

2009 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2008 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2007 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2006 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2005 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2004 Top Notch Gallery

 Useful Links

 • 

Island Links

 • 

i.wed

 • 

islander Store

 • 

About this Site

 Contact Us

 • 

islander Store

 • 

Subscribe

 • 

About Us

 • 

e-mail us

Story Tools

Hold remains on Holmes Beach building permits

Holmes Beach continues to turn away applications for building permits in the floodplain while the city’s ordinance governing such construction gets an update.

“It’s everything in the floodplain,” said building official Bill Saunders, assistant superintendent of the city’s public works department. “We’ve had several contractors who would like to continue with their projects but until this is resolved - no.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials paid a visit to the city at the city’s invite - Holmes Beach is working to bring up its rating in the National Flood Insurance Program so property owners enjoy lower insurance rates.

“We were trying to improve our standing,” Saunders said.

A chief concern during the visit was construction work at a home on 83rd Street and the city’s rules and guidelines for renovations below the floodplain.

“As is the case with all communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, FEMA is concerned that floodplain management is occurring as agreed and according to Section 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations and local ordinance requirements,” said Jody Cottrill in external affairs with FEMA’s Atlanta headquarters. “In Holmes Beach, there was an indication that something may be out of conformance with requirements.”

FEMA allows for ground-level homes to be remodeled up to 50 percent of the structure’s market value. In the simplest form, a home valued at $300,000 can undergo a $150,000 renovation and the living space can remain at the ground level.

But the application of the 50 percent policy is not simple, Saunders stressed. Property owners may hire an independent assessor to provide a value to be used in the calculation or the formula can use a market value based on the property assessor’s amount plus 20 percent.

FEMA, Saunders observed, doesn’t always agree with the values used in the application of the 50 percent policy. Lately the difficulty has come with the skyrocketing values of property - cement-block cottages valued at $80,000 as recently as eight years ago selling for $500,000.

The building permit hold was enacted at the request of Mayor Rich Bohnenberger during a Feb. 12 city commission meeting.

Commissioners endorsed a review of the city’s regulations pertaining to construction in the floodplain and put a hold on granting “any application, petition or request which concerns the location, construction, reconstruction or improvement of buildings or structures within the flood hazard areas of the city.”

“The ‘moratorium’ was enacted because Holmes Beach was concerned that their permitting procedures and resulting development weren’t appropriately addressing flood risk reduction. The enactment of the moratorium was strictly the city’s option and FEMA had nothing to do with this local action,” said Cottrill.

The city attorney currently is comparing Holmes Beach’s floodplain regulations with model ordinances from state and federal governments, as well as an ordinance enacted in Longboat Key.

“FEMA is working with Holmes Beach to assure that identified ordinance deficiencies are rectified,” Cottrill confirmed.

“We’d like to be in step up and down the coast,” Saunders said, adding that Holmes Beach officials may talk with Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach officials about “getting on the same page.”

“We’re going to come out all right, it’s just a slow down in things,” Saunders said. “We have been very timely in issuing permits out here. Now, it’s just going to take longer.”

For now, work has stopped at the home on 83rd Street and attorneys and the government are discussing whether new construction must be torn down.

“Our attorney is working with FEMA on that,” Saunders said, adding that no decisions have been made about the fate of the project.

Meanwhile, the Holmes Beach building department is not accepting applications for substantial improvements - remodeling or reconstruction work - on structures at the ground level.

FEMA has raised questions about the process in Manatee County and St. Petersburg.

“FEMA has similar concerns - in a broad sense - with all NFIP participating communities,” Cottrill said. “There are a few similar issues in the area that are currently being addressed by each community.”

Get breaking news

Follow the islander on TwitterBecome a fan of The islander on Facebook

Sign up to receive breaking news alerts via e-mail. We'll send you a notice when the news and classifieds appear online every week, before the print edition hits the streets.

Click here for Gulf oil spill updates related to Anna Maria Island.

Historic Anna Maria City Pier Plank Walk

Put your name, your message, your memorial on the Historic Anna Maria City Pier prior to the Pier Centennial Celebration! And join the fun!

CLICK HERE for Stoltzfus e-mails and related court documents.


FREE Island
Vacation Guide:
get it here

Cortez Cookoff

Click here for 2010 Cortez Cookoff Winner and recipes

To advertise here, please
visit our rates page
or contact us at:
sales@islander.org
Phone: (941) 778-7978
Fax: (941) 778-9392

Back to top of Page

Home | Weather | Real Estate | Classifieds | Archives | Contact | Island Links
islander Store | Subscribe About this site | Classifieds Page | Place an Ad
For Sale | Garage Sales | Announcements | Lost & Found | Pets | Transportation
Boats & Boating | Fishing | Kids for Hire | Help Wanted | Health Care | Services
Lawn & Garden | Landscaping | Home Improvement | Business Opportunities | Rentals | Real Estate

Our Privacy and Copyright Statements © 1992 - 2009, The islander