HOLMES BEACH – While city leaders await the delivery and installation of new posts and signs for street side, right of way and beach access parking, all of those options remain closed to beachgoers, even those who reside in the city.
During a May 26 commission meeting, Chief Bill Tokajer said that while the parking signs and the posts for them are expected to arrive over the next several days, it could take two weeks or more to have them all installed. Once the installation is complete, he said parking will be reopened at beach accesses but remain closed along city streets and in the rights of way. This opens up about 479 spaces, more than are needed for beach renourishment funding but keeps about 2,000 spaces permanently closed.
Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Tokajer said his officers issued parking tickets but did not tow any illegally parked vehicles.
Though he said that he’s received 98% support from residents on the new parking plan, there’s still a small percent, particularly those that live on the east side of Holmes Beach who have to drive to the beach, that are unhappy with the decision. In an effort to assist those residents with obtaining a beach parking space more easily, Tokajer said he’s looking at designating golf cart parking spaces at some beach accesses. The reasoning for designated golf cart spaces is that residents and visitors to the Island will be the only people arriving at the beach in golf carts, not people from town or other areas.
Though Tokajer said not all beach access points are large enough to accommodate handicapped parking spaces, four will be designated at the 53rd Street access near the Martinique condominiums. He added that a volunteer from the community has offered to install a handicap ramp to assist with beach access at the location.
Another group having difficulty with the new beach parking arrangements are area churches.
While Tokajer said beach parking has been taking place at CrossPointe Fellowship, it was not under authorization from the church’s leaders and Holmes Beach police can’t interfere because the parking lot is located in the city of Anna Maria.
In contrast, Father Matthew Grunfeld spoke during public comment at the meeting, petitioning for the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation to be able to allow parking at the church’s lot for a donation.
With donations down due to the church’s closure for COVID-19 precautions and a dwindling resident population on the Island, Grunfeld said that allowing beach parking, overseen by volunteers from the church, gives his congregation a new way to minister to the public and also collect a freewill offering if drivers are so inclined to donate to the church.
Though the church did contact the city prior to beginning the parking project and received the police chief’s blessing, Tokajer said a later consultation with the city planner’s office revealed a zoning issue with allowing beach parking at the church parking lot or any private lot in the city.
Mayor Judy Titsworth said she appreciated what the church is trying to do, but that the church or any other owner of a private parking lot would have to submit to the city planner’s office for a site plan review. If the site plan review meets the criteria, it would go before the city commission for review and a vote. Currently, allowing parking and accepting money for it is a nonconforming use, Titsworth said.
Commissioner Terry Schaefer and resident Jayne Christenson both spoke in favor of the church being allowed to host beach parking, saying that the volunteers at the Church of the Annunciation were running a very orderly, friendly operation.
Though Titsworth said a site plan review could take time if there isn’t something immediate that the planner’s office staff can suggest, Schaefer said he’d like to keep searching for a way to help the church members continue with their parking outreach project.
Titsworth said no applications for a site plan review had been received as of May 26.
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