BRADENTON BEACH – Following the end of a March 6 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting during which board member David Bell criticized many of the agency’s methods and policies, Bell handed City Clerk Terri Sanclemente a pre-written letter of resignation.
He noted in his letter that he is leaving while the board is in a comfortable financial position but had the following comments on methods and projects:
“I never have agreed with the prioritizing of cars over people as the focus of the city,” he wrote. “To believe that day visitors to the city are a greater asset than the people who have chosen to live or rent in Bradenton Beach makes no sense to me.”
Bell is a resident of Bradenton Beach and has been a CRA board member for five years.
He wrote that there has been too much focus on parking versus circulation, accessibility, safety, environmental issues and aesthetics.
Bell went on to comment about Bridge Street development in his letter:
“Likewise, the millions of dollars in commitment to the merchants of Bridge Street to supply more business, add parking, support special events, install landscaping and provide security as well as the city’s latitude on code and contract violations has clearly not been universally rewarded,” Bell wrote. “For years, the return on that investment has been that both ends of Bridge Street and the Third Street South corridor – a huge section of our commercial district – have been an embarrassment to the city. I expected better. The CRA should demand better.”
“I’m sorry to see him leave, I really am,” Mayor John Chappie said, declining further comment on Bell’s letter.
Created on Feb. 5, 1992 by the City of Bradenton Beach, the CRA provides financial assistance to the city to create public projects.
In addition to Chairman Ralph Cole, the CRA board is comprised of Chappie as vice chair, local businessman Ed Chiles and City Commissioners Jan Vosburgh and Marilyn Maro.
