Within a month, work on the Anna Maria Historic Green Village will begin on a site that includes four platted lots from 503 to 507 Pine Avenue. The project includes the historic Rosedale Cottage that was constructed in about 1913 and the Sears Cottage that was moved to the property earlier this month. “I’m very excited to be involved in this project that takes water quality and green construction beyond what the codes require,” Lynn Townsend, the engineer in charge of the project said. City commissioners heard from Townsend and their planner at the June 24 meeting that the project met or exceeded all city codes. There were no variances requested. “We’ll start working on the permits right away,” Dan Gagne, who will be the builder for the property, said after the meeting. “It should take about a month to get everything drawn up and approved. Gagne said the Sears Cottage and the Rosedale Cottage would be done first, with four other structures to follow. Two of those new structures will include second-story residential units.
Earlier this month, the planning and zoning board voted to recommend that the city commission approve the project. The site plan designates that all parking will be on the property. No parking spaces are planned for Pine Avenue, where a corridor plan is under discussion by the city. The Anna Maria Historic Green Village, which is owned by Mike and Lizzie Thrasher, does designate some on-site parking on Tarpon Street. City codes don’t mandate a sidewalk there, but the Thrashers opted to install one.
The original plan showed the sidewalk between the parking spaces and the street. The P&Z board’s recommendation for approval included a stipulation that the sidewalk be installed between the parking and the buildings to insure the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus stated that city codes require a 20-foot driveway to access the on-site parking. He said he didn’t think the planned driveway was long enough to meet that code. “The driveway is longer than the code requires,” Townsend said. “It’s 26 feet long. Stoltzfus called Townsend to the dais to prove to him that the driveway met codes, which she did. In the end, the vote was 3-1 to approve the site plan. Stoltzfus cast the dissenting vote. Commissioner Chuck Webb was absent.
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Tags: Anna Maria Island, Historic Green Village, Rosedale Cottage
