HOLMES BEACH – Under advice from the city attorney, commissioners reluctantly agreed to add a provision to the noise ordinance allowing a waiver for necessary projects, primarily beach renourishment.
The issue came up during a Nov. 19 work session when commissioners were discussing making changes to the city’s noise ordinance. Attorney Patricia Petruff informed commissioners that she had been approached by Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker to obtain a waiver for the noise ordinance requirements for work due to beach renourishment. Petruff said that equipment would need to take up the city’s 50-foot-wide right of way at the 68th Street beach access and that work would need to take place 24 hours a day for however long the project takes. She added that if a waiver or exception to the noise ordinance was not provided by the city that it was inferred that beach renourishment activities would skip that area.
Commissioners agreed to add the provision to changes already underway in the noise ordinance but said that they want more information on the project and exactly what residents in the area will have to deal with from construction noise and how long it will take. They agreed to ask Hunsicker to attend their Dec. 10 meeting to provide a presentation on the planned beach renourishment activities and answer questions from commissioners and the public.
Commissioners also said they want to make sure that residents along the 68th Street access are properly notified before any work begins.
