Anna Maria's Pine Avenue Development Moving Forward Quickly...
Welcome to Anna Maria Island Life, and the story behind the Pine Avenue Restoration Project.
Recently, we have been publishing posts that outline the story behind the Pine Avenue Development in Anna Maria, and this particular post brings us to March 5th of this year, when it was reported in local media that the official site plan for the first building in phase one of the Pine Avenue Restoration project had been submitted to the city of Anna Maria for approval.
The post card image above is an artist rendition of Anna Maria's Pine Ave. back in the 40's.
Now that's very cool indeed!
First Site Plan Submitted
The site plan for the property at 315 Pine Ave being given to the Anna Maria city building department was yet another significant step in the ambitious renovation project.
The Pine Avenue Restoration Project is a vision to turn Pine Avenue, in the city of Anna Maria on Anna Maria Island, into Florida cracker-style shops and offices on the ground floor with living spaces above.
The Pine Ave. property is a double lot and was the first of three properties on the south side of Pine that had previously been purchased for phase one of the project. Contracts were also already in place for several other properties on the north side of Pine.
"We are working closely with the city," Coleman said. "It’s been a good process. The planner (Alan Garrett) and the building department (Building Official Steve Gilbert and Clerk Diane Sacca) are great to work with."
The site plan then went before the city’s planning and zoning board for a hearing. The board was to recommend approval, denial or approval with conditions, and then forward the plan for a hearing before the city commission, where the final decision would be made on the fate of this first Pine Avenue Restoration proposal.
It was expected the entire process would take several months, and in the mean time there was lots more to do. "As soon as the final approval comes in, we’ll break ground and begin construction," Coleman said.
Pine Avenue Site Plans Approved
By mid May of this year, a little more than two months after being submitted to the city, the initial site plans for the Pine Avenue Restoration project were unanimously approved by the Anna Maria planning and zoning board.
Anna Maria City Citizens and Elected Officials Work Together
"This shows how the citizens and elected officials can work together to arrive at an outcome that is beneficial to everyone," said Michael Coleman, who originally conceived of the project, which is envisioned to ultimately contain small offices or retail businesses on the ground floor with residences on the second.
Although this initial approval is for just the first two buildings as part of phase one of the project, plans ultimately are for the Pine Avenue restoration to tie Pine Ave. together from the city pier on the bay end all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
Every Concern Met
"We were able to work through every issue prior to the presentation to the cities planning and zoning board," Coleman said. "Everyone’s concerns were met."
The board met on May 6 and approved the site plans for 315 and 317 Pine Avenue. Under the provisions of the city’s new site plan ordinance, the planning and zoning board makes the final decision on site plans where no variances are requested. That was the case with this first Pine Avenue restoration project.
"We’re ready to move forward with permitting now," Coleman said. He said plans for a ground breaking for the two structures should happen by the end of the summer.
Coleman said he and partners Ed Chiles and Ted LaRoche would build two structures on those two lots, rather than postpone plans and drawings while the city commission decides whether or not to allow a single structure to be built on a double lot.
Pine Avenue Project Grew Out Common Community Vision
Coleman stated that his dream for the project grew out of what elected officials, business owners and citizens told him they wanted for the street in the residential/office/retail district. "Everyone envisions a street of small, mixed use structures, and that’s what we’re working on," Coleman said.
The project’s design consists of Gulf coast cracker style buildings with porches and rocking chairs outside the ground floor businesses and wide porches outside the second floor residential units.
"Everyone was watching to see what the Gagne building renovation would look like," Coleman said. "Once they saw that, everyone liked it." Gagne Construction now occupies a newly remodeled building at 214 Pine Ave. "We’re looking forward to getting our first two structures done so people can see that they’ll like what we’re proposing to do."
Coleman also said that he and his partners closed recently on another Pine Avenue property. The group now owns 401 Pine Ave., their first property on the north side of the street. At the time, he said they hadn't decided if they would sell or lease the spaces.
"We’ll let the market dictate that," he said.
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