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VOL 15 No. 45
September 9, 2015
Labor Day full house
MAGGIE FIELD | SUN
There weren’t many parking places on the water Sunday as hundreds of boats anchored near the sandbar east of Longboat Pass and Beer Can Island to celebrate Labor Day. More holiday photos are on Page 24.
Amended rental ordinance adopted Commissioners cap the grandfather provision that allows for greater occupancy limits. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – To the joy of some and the chagrin of others, city commissioners adopted the amended vacation rental ordinance last week. In doing so, the City Commission unanimously agreed to alter the open-ended nature of a previously debated grandfather clause that allows occupancy levels greater than
INSIDE NEWS OPINION Sun survey turtles OUTDOORS Police reports real estate sales classifieds
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the eight-person maximum stated in the ordinance. Additional occupancy will be allowed if the property owner or representative can prove an existing rental unit sustained a greater average occupancy during a four-month period. Commissioner Dale Woodland has repeatedly opposed an exemption that could potentially allow 15 or 20 occupants, and last week he finally garnered some support from the other commissioners. As a legislative placeholder, the commission agreed to cap the grandsee ordinance, page 36
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Moratorium on hold The mayor will host a citizen’s panel discussion on Wednesday morning. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners are taking a deliberate and measured approach in response to citizens recently requesting the enactment of a building moratorium in Bradenton Beach. Last week’s City Commission meeting began with Mayor Jack Clarke informing attendees that the agenda item calling for commission discussion on a possible moratorium had been removed. Commissioner Jan Vosburgh later explained that she asked that her requested agenda item
be removed out of concern that acting too quickly could result in the city being sued. Later in the meeting, it was decided that City Attorney Ricinda Perry would conduct a preliminary legal view before the commission moved forward with the potential enactment of a six-month moratorium on the construction of residential structures containing four or more bedrooms. In order to avoid costly lawsuits, Perry told the commission the enactment of a moratorium would require a new ordinance, which in turn would require two public hearings. She said this process would take approximately a month to complete. She also referred to the Anna Maria see moratorium, page 36
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