Anna Maria’s set to put two big projects under a microscope in March.
City commissioners agreed Feb. 23 to schedule a pair of special meetings, including:
- 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, to discuss two options for Mote Marine Laboratory’s educational outreach center in the empty building at the T-end of the Anna Maria City Pier, 100 N. Bay Blvd.;
- 2 p.m. Thursday, March 17, to discuss a request for proposals to install pervious paver meandering sidewalks and adding and enhancing crosswalks on Pine Avenue.
Mote agreed in September 2021 to lease the empty 1,800-square-foot empty space on the pier and has been planning the interior since.
Mote’s options for the outreach center include one with four marine live display tanks featuring different fish and crustaceans visitors can view and touch, and a second option that replaces the live tanks with interactive media displays such as a livestream underwater video from beneath the pier.
Mayor Dan Murphy has said both options would be considered if the pier passes a structural inspection.
He said Feb. 23 that the inspection should be completed by the end of February and, as of Feb. 23, all signs were positive.
After the inspection is completed, city and Mote staff will meet to review plans, then bring them before the commission, according to Murphy.
The city also is waiting for traffic engineer Gerry Traverso, from St. Petersburg-based George F. Young, to create a request for proposals for Pine, which city commissioners have been “reimagining” since Summer 2021.
The meandering sidewalks will be constructed of permeable pavers — which commissioners will determine colors and materials for at a later date — and vary in width between 5 feet and 6 feet, depending on location.
Crosswalk improvements will involve raising all crossings by 3 inches and installing in-road blinking lights on both sides to increase visibility.
The city also plans to add and enhance street lighting along Pine, convert the trolley turnaround at the east end to include room for delivery trucks, as well as add bicycle paths to both sides of the roadway.
Those improvements are scheduled to follow shortly after the sidewalk and crosswalk projects are completed.
Both meetings will be at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive. The meetings will be open to the public. Directions to attend via Zoom can be found online, at cityofannamaria.com.