Thomas Seguin
808 3rd Avenue West • Unit 309
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 756-8787
diamond8@mindsprlng.com
Friends, Neighbors, Concerned Bradenton Residents:
I am writing this letter to you to make you aware of the proposed rental apartment complex on our riverfront. As you may know, Donna and I have been living in River Dance, the condo building on the Sand Pile since it was first built. We moved here because we were excited about an urban life style with a lot of things to do, including festivals, concerts, boating, dining out and just walking along the river. We have been involved in the visioning process for our downtown and have looked forward to having neighbors on the adjacent parcel of land right across the pond in front of our building.
On March 12th of 2008 the Bradenton City Council approved a luxury apartment building with 5 stories over retail and restaurant space for that parcel. We applaud their vision and agree that that would be a great addition to the neighborhood bringing people that were in our same demographic to the area and at the same time adding the retail and restaurant amenities that the people of Bradenton asked for in the Realize Bradenton workshops.
We learned a few months ago that the developer is asking for yet another change to the approved plan. Now what he is asking the City Council to approve is a 3 story apartment building with no amenities and just the bare minimum of parking required. In this proposed building, 40% of the units will be one bedroom apartments starting at 700 square feet in size. I don’t know about you but, I don’t even know anyone that lives in a one bedroom apartment.
In our building at River Dance we have had major problems with renters. In our opinion, they just don’t bring the same pride of neighborhood as owners do. Donna and I think this will be more like affordable housing and it is proposed for the most premier remaining section left on our riverfront.
As citizens and residents of downtown Bradenton we feel it is our duty to let the City Council members and Mayor Poston know our thoughts prior to the City Council Meeting on Wednesday, June 8th when Council will be asked to decide whether to allow the change to the already approved plans.
In our opinion, this new, proposed plan is not the right use for this property. It was stated that the current economy would not support commercial space. We feel that if it is not the right time to build the approved plan, then the developer should wait until the time is right. We should not forsake long term opportunity for short term gain. Remember, if this is approved then the city of Bradenton will be left with this building long after the developer has gone back to Atlanta.
In a recent meeting with other residents of our downtown, it was stated that the City of Bradenton has an excellent future vision of how we can best realize the “River City” potential. This vision must focus on multi-faceted attractions, commercial venues, etc. to bring people to this area. If we use other examples of vibrant, successful urban waterfront developments such as San Antonio, St. Pete, Baltimore, Charleston and Chattanooga for ideas to draw from, it will be clear that what works is mixed use projects.
Donna and I will be attending the City Council meeting on Wednesday, June 8th at the City Council Chambers at the City Center at 8:30 AM and we would like you to join us. We feel that it is a very important to let our city fathers know our feelings. You can do this by emailing the Mayor and City Council members or phoning and writing a letter. Another way to let our community know is to write a letter to the editor of the Bradenton Herald or the Manatee AM. We have provided the contact information for them below.
In closing, we want to thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for being an integral, involved citizen of our little town. Please, let your feelings be known on one of the most important issues to face our city in a long time.
Sincerely,
Thomas Seguin
Letters/Emails to Bradenton Mayor and City Council
Mayor Wayne Poston
101 12th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
wayne.poston@cityofbradenton.com
Councilman Gene Gallo
101 12th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
Gene.gallo@cityofbradenton.com
Councilman Patrick Roff
101 12th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
Patrick.roff@cityofbradenton.com
Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey
101 12th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
Marianne.barnebey@cityofbradenton.com
Councilman Harold Byrd
101 12th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
Harold.byrd@cityofbradenton.com
Councilman Bemis Smith
101 12th Street West
Bradenton,FL 34205
Bemis.smith@cityofbradenton.com
Phone Calls to Bradenton Mayor and City Council
(941) 932-9400
Letter to the Editor / Bradenton Herald
102 Manatee Avenue West
Bradenton, FL 34205
Letter to the Editor / Herald Tribune
P.O. Box 1719
Sarasota, FL 34230-1719
Editor.letters@heraldtribune.com
If you send an email, “Letter” needs to be in the subject line. Also, the letter needs to include your name, address, and phone number (for verification only, not to be printed) and can only be a maximum of 250 words.
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