Hundreds sign petition started by USF student opposing a new hotel on Bradenton Beach
A petition opposing the construction of a four-story, 103-room hotel on Bridge Street has already garnered more than 2,500 signatures.
Hunter Jensen, a 22-year-old Bradenton native and political science major at the University of South Florida, launched the petition drive on change.org after hearing about developer plans.
Those plans, now pending before the Bradenton Beach City Commission, would require demolition of multiple existing properties.
The site is southeast of the roundabout at Gulf Drive South and Bridge Street, across the street from Island Time Bar and Grill and the BridgeWalk hotel.
“It would completely change the character of Bridge Street. The majority of people want to keep Bridge Street the way that it is now,” Jensen said.
“People are very passionate about it,” he said.
Shawn Kaleta, who controls many rental properties on Anna Maria Island, and Jacob Spooner, a Bradenton Beach businessman and city commissioner, submitted the hotel proposal in December.
City officials say that the proposal requires city review and approval and that it is very early in the process.
Mayor John Chappie declined comment on the proposal, citing the city commission’s quasi-judicial role in development requests.
Language in the petition is unequivocal:
“Already a traffic nightmare, an addition of a large hotel on a busy intersection would only increase the volume of traffic on Gulf Drive North and Bridge Street. Bridge Street is of historic value and provides many retail and dining options to residents and visitors alike,” the petition says.
“A better use for the space would be restaurants, shops, a park, or maybe even parking solutions. It is important that city and county leaders take our viable concerns into account with the planning of this large hotel,” the petition says.
Jensen shared the petition with Florida Rep. Will Robinson, County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Mayor John Chappie.
