HOLMES BEACH, Fla. — A controversial bill to allow the construction of a multi-story parking deck on county land in the city of Holmes Beach heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.
House Bill 947 would override existing city ordinances prohibiting parking decks within city limits. Manatee County leaders plan to build the parking garage for beach access at the end of State Road 64.
The bill would also allow them to do this without a permit from the city. The mayor of Holmes Beach wants citizens to speak out to help get Desantis to put the brakes on it and veto the bill.
"It's just picking on the city of Holmes Beach. The city of Bradenton Beach, they're not made to put in a parking garage neither is Anna Maria. It's really strange how this is a local bill and it's only affecting our city," Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said.
Florida Representative Will Robinson filed the bill as part of a fallout from a long-running feud between city leaders and county commissioners over the issue of limited parking spaces for beachgoers.
The city cut parking by nearly half from 2,400 to 1,300 due to citizen complaints and congestion.
"The county's answer to us on finally putting limits on what we could handle on our residential streets, their answer was to build a parking garage on their public beach," Titsworth said. "Instead of them coming with a plan to present to the commission on what they were looking at, they instead asked the state to craft a bill to give them what they want."
If the governor sides with Manatee County commissioners and signs the bill, the parking deck would be built in the current parking lot to access the Manatee Public Beach and would see a local signature cafe destroyed.
The deck would create around 1,500 parking spaces but many residents of Holmes Beach are hoping that the governor vetoes the bill.
Several citizens have been circulating petitions calling for a veto and one of the petitions has garnered nearly 6,000 signatures.
The mayor has called the move by the county and the potential of the bill being made law with the governor's signature a big government overstep.
"Decisions need to be made at the local government level," Titsworth said. "It's a true overreach. We are a city within a county and there should be some type of a relationship there.
"We know what's best for our community."
Manatee County commissioners were unavailable for comment due to a land use board meeting. Desantis has 15 days to either sign the bill into law or veto it. Holmes Beach's mayor said if he signs it into law, the city would likely challenge it in court.