Future of Anna Maria Island Bridge...
It was the final opportunity for the layman to learn the latest on available options for the anna maria island bridge, or as others put it... the last chance for bridge activist to show a preference.
We are referring, of course, to the Florida Department of Transportation's final public hearing on the future of the anna maria island bridge, held at St. Bernard Catholic Church.
The meeting was about its Anna Maria Island Bridge Project Development and Environmental (D&E) study, and what may be the last time for the Anna Maria Island general public to learn more about the future of the Anna Maria Island Bridge, ask questions, provide feedback or support for a particular option... and air their concerns about the future options for the anna maria island bridge.
There were a total of eleven people that spoke at the meeting, nine of which said they preferred a low-level drawbridge over other options, much like the one that is there now.
SAM (Save Anna Maria Island) Members
Present at Final Anna Maria Island Bridge Hearing
Members of Save Anna Maria (SAM) set up tables outside the church entrance with paperwork collected by the group some 17 years ago. That was when the Save Anna Maria Island group successfully challenged a highway department attempt to replace the existing Anna Maria Island drawbridge with a much larger 65-foot, fixed span bridge.
Former Bradenton Beach Mayor, Katie Pierola, had kept all that information for all these years.
In that first attempt, FDOT was stopped from replacing the drawbridge because it did not provide the required public notice. This latest attempt by the FDOT to replace the bridge has now held three public hearings at different times of the year with several options for the future of the Anna Maria Island bridge tabled. These bridge options include factors such as bridge height, bridge alignment, the number of sidewalks to be included and the width of vehicle lanes.
There was even a no-build rehabilitation of the existing bridge and a tunnel instead of a bridge, offered up as options. As we all know, the existing Anna Maria Island bridge just underwent a $10.5 million rehabilitation, and a tunnel instead of a bridge was ruled out by the FDOT because of cost.
Final Decision on Anna Maria Island Brige Due in June
It was reported in the local press that last Thursday’s bridge hearing attracted more than 100 people. The comments heard at the meeting as well as any written comments (due by April 9) will be put with the rest of the comments collected over the past nine months.
Once compiled and reviewed, the FDOT will make its final decision as to the future of the Anna Maria Island bridge. This final decision will be made sometime in June, according to project engineer Chris Piazza.
That decision will then be sent to the U.S. Coast Guard for its approval.
Arguments Made In Support of AMI Bridge Options
At the end of the bridge hearing, there was a public comment segment providing those attending the opportunity to present their arguments in favor of their choices for the future of the Anna Maria Island bridge... and their were several argument heard.
"Anna Maria Island has a quiet atmosphere with a small, but functional drawbridge," said Thomas Mitchell, who has owned a condominium unit on the Island for 23 years. "Now comes this potential destroyer of this way of life."
Mitchell insinuated that Longboat Key might be pressuring FDOT to build a tall bridge. He said a FDOT survey of people living on the Island and attending public hearings was full of holes while an Internet survey by the Anna Maria Island Sun was, in his opinion, more accurate.
It's been reported in local press that in the latest FDOT survey, 69 percent wanted a tall bridge and 12 percent wanted a low-level drawbridge. The results were similar to an earlier FDOT survey in which 66 percent wanted a tall bridge and 9 percent favored a low drawbridge. In The Sun’s survey, 41 percent of those responding said they wanted to rebuild the existing bridge, while 44 percent said they wanted a tall, fixed-span bridge.
Mitchell said the choice of a tall bridge would have all the earmarks of a taxpayer revolt and lawsuit.
Bib Rosis, of Holmes Beach, said while opponents of the tall bridge argue that higher winds on a high bridge would force officials to close that type of bridge before a low-level drawbridge, he feels a tall bridge would avoid flooding.
"I personally have seen waves spill over the causeway blacktop at wind speeds well below hurricane strength,” Rosis said. He also said that a 65-foot fixed-span would not be a mega bridge. A 130-foot-tall structure like the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a mega bridge.
William Wamester, of Anna Maria, said that during a hurricane, it would be better to have a low-level bridge because of wind speeds, but there is another reason, too – ambience. "Our lifestyle cries for a low level bridge," he said. "Traffic backup is not a problem, it’s part of the charm of the Island."
SAM President Ursula Stemm said it is a known fact that the Manatee County commissioners are working together with FDOT to get a tall bridge and she asked if there has been an environmental impact statement filed on the replacement project yet.
SAM Secretary Nancy Deal said she drives off the Island to work and back every work day and she has been stopped by the drawbridge maybe three times since August. She talked about other tall structures. "I agree that the new Ringling Bridge is a beautiful bridge, but it does not belong on Anna Maria Island," she said. "The Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State Building are beautiful structures, but they are not for Anna Maria Island."
The other tall bridge support came from John Cagnina, son of the late former mayor of Anna Maria, Ernie Cagnina. He said if you have to worry about the height of a bridge during evacuation, it’s too late. "When you evacuate Anna Maria Island, there should not be any wind speed," he said. "The sun should be shining."
The next step is up to FDOT.
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