Petitioners express opposition to Holmes Beach ferry plans
Manatee County wants to establish a Gulf Islands Ferry stop in Holmes Beach.
But a group of locals is pushing back against one possible location.
Daria Grinenko and Dana Sky told The Islander Jan. 23 about a petition they are leading in opposition to a potential ferry landing at Waterline Marina, 5325 Marina Drive.
The GIF service runs between downtown Bradenton and the Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. The fleet currently consists of two 49-passenger catamarans, but is set to expand in the near future with the addition of the Manatee Belle, which is capable of transporting 93 passengers.
Before the 2024 hits from two hurricanes, the ferry serviced the Anna Maria City Pier.
The county plans to use the Manatee Belle to transport people from the mainland to the island, then use the pontoon catamarans as “hoppers” — transporting riders between island stops.
However, multiple island stops are needed for that to happen, and right now, only one exists.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, told The Islander Jan. 22 that GIF is aiming to have at least three island stops. The county is “really close” to establishing a second island ferry stop at Coquina Beach, so they are eyeing options for a third stop in Anna Maria or Holmes Beach, he said.
The Anna Maria City Pier was one of GIF’s original stops, but has been closed since October 2024, when its walkway was destroyed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The pier is not expected to reopen to the public until this fall, and the city denied the most recent plan to link a new ferry landing and gangway adjacent to the pier.
In the meantime, the county has narrowed its options for a stop in Holmes Beach to Waterline Marina.
Falcione said a stop at the Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., was “unlikely” due to the projected cost of redeveloping the facility to accommodate the service.
On the other hand, he said the Waterline “checks all the boxes” for a ferry stop and the county is doing its due diligence to explore the possibility.
Such a stop would require site plan approval from the Holmes Beach City Commission.
Falcione did not provide a projected timeline for submitting an official request and seeking commission approval.
“At some point, we’ll present an opportunity,” he said.
However, not everyone in Holmes Beach is onboard with the county’s plan.
Grinenko and Sky have collected more than 40 signatures from locals who oppose a ferry stop at the Waterline Marina.
The two residents told The Islander that they began collecting signatures when they heard about Commission Chair Carol Whitmore’s efforts to establish a stop there.
They noted that the marina’s entrance channel runs between multiple properties in the city’s R-1 zoning district, which is designated for low-density residential use.
Sky, who lives along the channel, said bringing a ferry into the area felt “invasive” to her. She said she is concerned about potential congestion caused by an influx of ferry riders to the area, her safety and privacy, as well as wear and tear to her seawall.
“I want the people to come, I just don’t want them to come through my backyard,” Sky said.
Grinenko said the marina is busy and narrow, so a ferry could impact boater safety and sealife, like dolphins and manatees, which often find harbor in the marina.
“I just don’t think it’s a good fit,” she said.
Both petitioners argued Kingfish would work better for a ferry stop and, if the county cannot make it work, they would rather have no stop in Holmes Beach than one at Waterline.
They said they will continue collecting signatures for the petition and had a number of people lined up to sign it despite the lack of an online access point.
“We just wanted to make sure that residents and homeowners were aware that this is going on, and if you’re opposed, you need to let them know now,” Grinenko said.
At a Jan. 22 town hall led by Whitmore, she said she initially opposed the ferry service as a county commissioner, but had been won over due to ridership numbers for 2025.
From Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025, the ferry service shuttled more than 52,000 passengers between the island and mainland, according to Falcione.
“There is ridership. They proved me wrong. And no matter what anybody tells you, it takes trips off our roads. You can’t say those people weren’t going to come out here anyway,” Whitmore said. “It’s keeping traffic off this island.”
She added that she had been contacted by five county commissioners asking her to move the possibility forward and had met the same day with county staff to discuss the matter.
“I just pray that y’all give it a chance, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work,” Whitmore said.