Replacement Pier Study May Take Years to Complete

There is hope for a new pier in Holmes Beach to replace the Manatee Public Beach pier torn down in 2009 after an engineer’s report deemed the structure unsafe.

After Bridge Design Associates of West Palm Beach issued a report that the pier should be closed and torn down, county commissioners voted on March 3, 2009, for a replacement pier.

Conceptual plans were then drawn for a pier extending about 200 feet into the water with an approach ramp that would comply with the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

Unfortunately for proponents of a replacement pier, declining property values and accompanying lower revenues quickly ruled out any county funding for a new pier. The project was tabled, and county administrator Ed Hunzeker has not put a new pier in any county budget submitted to the commission since the March 2009 vote. continued...