A parking garage on Anna Maria Island: Yes or no? Here’s how nearly 800 people voted
We asked Bradenton Herald readers what they think about the idea to build a parking garage on Anna Maria Island and most of them are opposed.
In a weeklong poll that saw nearly 800 responses, most voters said they would not want to see Manatee County add a three-story parking garage on the island. The results side with Holmes Beach officials who believe the parking structure would create more problems than it solves.
“I am not surprised,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said when told the results of the survey. “I don’t feel I’ve ever gotten so many people reaching out to me, even from years past, that are saying they are so supportive of our stance on a parking garage.”
The Bradenton Herald’s interactive poll is an unscientific survey meant to gather reader opinion. The results do not necessarily reflect the entire county or the government leaders tasked with these decisions.
The proposed garage is in response to parking changes on Holmes Beach that removed street parking in neighborhoods with beach access. Those changes, mainland residents say, made it harder to visit Anna Maria Island beaches.
But Holmes Beach leaders said the changes were necessary to protect their neighborhoods, where unruly beachgoers would block driveways or leave litter behind.
Seeking to resolve those issues, Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge asked Holmes Beach to consider allowing a three-story garage on the northeast corner of Gulf Drive and Marina Drive. Island leaders don’t support that plan, though.
Reached for comment on the survey results, Van Ostenbridge noted that the garage wouldn’t be on the table if Holmes Beach hadn’t removed parking spaces.
“Given the choice, like most people, I would prefer the county not to have to spend millions on a parking garage. It’s much more reasonable for Holmes Beach to return street parking at not cost to taxpayers,” Van Ostenbridge said.
Holmes Beach has already taken steps to block construction of a new parking garage. City commissioners are working to revise the Land Development Code to allow only ground-level parking.
“When you think about it, city downtowns are where parking garages go. A parking garage takes up the entire lot. Buildings don’t do that on the island,” Titsworth explained. “It would be a huge elephant in the room, and that’s not keeping with the character of a beach community.”
Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, who previously served as Holmes Beach’s mayor, said she remains committed to finding a solution to the island’s beach parking problem.
“We can’t strong-arm them. You’ve got to respect that,” Whitmore said. “The parking concerns won’t go away for Manatee County residents or the island residents, so we’ll have to find another way to address it because the issue is not going to go away.”
This story was originally published July 19, 2022 at 5:50 AM.
