Frank Harrison was enthusiastic about protecting his neighborhood when he started asking friends if they agreed with his stance against vacation rental properties.
A resident of Bradenton Beach for more than 40 years, Harrison said he was encouraged that his community could be protected from the impact of rentals when Mayor Jack Clarke asked him to be a member of the planning and zoning board.
But Harrison feels it is excessive now for the city to also create a citizen panel to study vacation rentals.
As its newest member, Harrison quickly got the P&Z to discuss vacation rentals. Board members seemed eager to recommend to the city commission that it adopt an ordinance regulating short-term rentals, Harrison said.
Next, on Aug. 20, Harrison, his wife Priscilla VonAhnen and a few of their neighbors spoke at the city meeting about their interest in a six-month moratorium on construction of homes with more than three bedrooms. Holmes Beach has enacted a moratorium, as has Anna Maria.
Harrison credits Commissioner Jan Vosburgh with wanting to enact a moratorium, even though after she placed a discussion about one on the agenda for the Sept. 3 commission meeting, she later took it off.
During the meeting Vosburgh said she wants to protect residents, ‘what little we have left.’ She said she intended to put the moratorium proposal on the agenda for the Sept. 17 meeting.
Public opinion at the Sept. 3 meeting supported both sides of the issue. Joanne Keir said she sees no purpose in delaying a moratorium. Jo Ann Meilner opposes banning the construction of homes with four bedrooms.
VonAhnen said she is worried that a ‘huge piece of property’ in her neighborhood will ‘turn into a huge party house.’ Ted Baird said the city should not enact a moratorium based on the desires of a small minority of residents.
After what transpired next, commissioners won’t be discussing a moratorium anytime soon.
Commissioners listened to the public speak and heard city attorney Ricinda Perry say Anna Maria’s moratorium resulted in a lawsuit against that city. Then Clarke convinced them to instead create a citizen panel to address vacation rentals.
Harrison said he feels like he was manipulated by Clarke.
Harrison said that not pursuing a moratorium now is a mistake. He observed ‘some scare tactics going on about being sued, using as an example Anna Maria and totally bypassing the example of Holmes Beach, which did not get sued and did not have any problems, and in two more weeks’ will have an ordinance.
Clarke, who initially wanted Harrison to be on the panel, will serve as its commission liaison. Harrison said he has no intention of participating. He was told by staff passage of a moratorium would be strictly the purview of commissioners.
Harrison said not pursuing a moratorium right away is a mistake. The delay in issuing one, he said, may be the death knell for 11th Street South in Bradenton Beach.
If you are retired couple living alone, 3 bedrooms probably seems huge. I imagine you have 2 bedrooms you don’t use. However if you want young families to move to the island, a 4 bedroom home is the norm all across America. A family of 4 in a 3 bedroom home would have no extra rooms. A family of 5 would have to double up and have no extra rooms. If you have a few teens at your house with their friends over to visit, you would quickly decide extra space is necessary for your sanity.
While people are willing to cram into a rental house for a week or 2, nobody wants to be crowded in their permanent residence. Before you prohibit 4 bedroom homes, look at the homes of all the people you know with children. I bet most are 4 bedrooms or looking for 4 bedrooms. If you prohibit 4 bedroom homes, you will have less options for the permanent family residents.