Cheers to the beautification project coming to Holmes Beach this year. The $460,000 Florida Department of Transportation landscaping project, yet to be designed, will feature sidewalks, bike paths and trolley shelters along one of the island city's gateways.

The State Road 789 improvements will stretch along East Bay Drive from Manatee Avenue south almost a half mile. This is where Publix and the West Bay Plaza shopping center are located.

Construction won't begin until next year, but as the Herald's Nick Williams reported this week, the project is already creating some buzz.

"It's terrific," Holmes Beach Commissioner Marvin Grossman enthused. "It will be a nice entrance to the city. When I first heard about it, we were very excited."

This project should further boost East Bay Drive's appeal by providing easier bicycle and pedestrian access to the 32-acre Grassy Point Preserve, which debuted just four months ago.

With 9 acres of uplands and 23 acres of wetlands, the public can stroll down a 1,000-foot shell path and view native plant life, picnic at one of the four tables, and launch a canoe or kayak into the intercoastal waterway.

Details about the landscaping project should be forthcoming. But the promise of an another attractive entry into Holmes Beach is, indeed, terrific.