New beach parking is now on Anna Maria Island just in time for spring break
The school district and Manatee County Government struck a deal to allow overflow beach parking at Anna Maria Elementary School ahead of the spring break holiday.
The agreement will provide more than 60 additional parking spaces at the school, 4700 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, which sits within walking distance of the county’s parking lot at Manatee Public Beach.
“It’s an evergreen agreement for anytime the school is not being utilized by the district, including spring break, weekends, holidays and the summertime,” County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said.
Anna Maria Elementary’s parking lot will be available only on certain days when school is not in session, beginning this weekend, Van Ostenbridge added. Parking will be allowed between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., with hours adjusted throughout the year to align with the sunset.
The school’s parking lot previously served as a last-minute solution for parking limitations on Anna Maria Island during the Memorial Day weekend holiday last year. The new agreement allows beach parking at the school on these dates:
- Spring Break: March 12 to March 20
- Memorial Day Weekend: May 28 to May 30
- Fourth of July Weekend: July 2 to July 4
- Labor Day Weekend: Sept. 3 to Sept. 5
Over the past two years, county officials have struggled to find ways to park more vehicles on the island after the city of Holmes Beach voted to remove hundreds of street parking spaces that had historically allowed beachgoers to park in residential neighborhoods.
Manatee Public Beach is a county-owned facility within Holmes Beach’s city limits. In a move that county officials say greatly restricted access to the beach, the city chose to limit street parking for non-residents between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
“We implemented the parking restrictions to save our neighborhoods. I look at it as beach parking and residential parking — they’re two different things,” Holmes Beach City Commissioner Jayne Christenson said during a recent joint meeting between the two government bodies. “We’re trying to protect the neighborhoods and it’s a safety concern.”
Holmes Beach leaders say they had to make the change to prevent neighborhood disturbances, such as visitors blocking driveways or leaving trash on private property. The city argued that it is not their responsibility to provide parking for the beach that the county owns and maintains.
“The problem is your problem. It’s not our problem. You have a public beach that’s too small for the amount of development that’s happening in the county. That’s not us. You have a public beach that offers 300 parking spaces. I wish you would’ve seen the trend 10 years ago,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth told county officials.
The battle for beach parking has drawn the attention of other local leaders, as well, including Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown and the area’s state lawmakers.
“I firmly believe all Manatee County residents should have the opportunity to enjoy our beautiful beaches, island restaurants and stores,” Brown wrote in a Feb. 25 letter to Titsworth. “I do empathize with the island parking issues and I am certain with collaboration between Manatee County and City of Holmes Beach that we can brainstorm through solutions and reinstate parking for our local residents.”
In a Feb. 28 joint letter to Titsworth, the county’s delegation of state legislators in the Florida Senate and House of Representatives also condemned the parking changes.
“Manatee County residents and visitors should not be turned away from our beaches, due to parking restrictions,” the group wrote. “As a delegation who secured taxpayer dollars for beach renourishment, as well as other investments in our area, we respectfully request you reexamine your decision and approach to reduce on-street parking.”
The school parking agreement doesn’t restore the hundreds of spaces that Holmes Beach removed, but it’s a small step in the right direction, county officials say.
“This is a good example of how local government can come together on an important issue that affects 99% of the residents in Manatee County,” said Van Ostenbridge.
The Manatee Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to execute the agreement with the school district during a public meeting Tuesday afternoon.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 5:50 AM.
