Bradenton Beach Mayor Stops Resort’s Attempt to Restrict Public Beach Parking
BRADENTON BEACH — Mayor John Chappie swiftly intervened this week to stop a beachfront resort company from restricting access to public parking at the 23rd Street North beach access point.
The disputed location, situated between the Seabreeze at Anna Maria Island Inn and the Seaside at Anna Maria Island Inn, contains 10 parking spaces owned by the city of Bradenton Beach. These spaces are part of the public beach access and are located at the west end of 23rd Street North.
Tri Star Properties LLC owns both adjacent resort properties. According to Florida business records filed April 28, the company lists attorney Louis Najmy as registered agent, with Daniel Zoller Jr. and Shawn Kaleta serving in authorized leadership roles.
On Thursday morning, six signs were observed placed on private resort property near the public parking spaces. The blue and white signs indicated that parking was for “Seaside Resort & Spa Prime Hotels” guests only, warned that unauthorized vehicles would be towed, and included contact details for Manatee Towing.
Photos and concerns over the signs circulated on social media earlier in the week. Similar signage had previously been installed in 2022 but was promptly removed after the city reminded resort operators that the public parking spaces cannot be reserved for private use.
By early Thursday afternoon, resort staff had removed the new signage. Mayor Chappie, accompanied by Code Enforcement Officer Evan Harbus, was on site to ensure compliance. He confirmed that resort employees began taking the signs down after being instructed to do so by management.
Chappie noted that these parking spots are not only city-owned but are also included in the county's beach renourishment program, making their public status especially important. He emphasized that the city will consider installing physical barriers if necessary to prevent future misuse.
The city continues to investigate whether overnight parking is permitted in beach access locations. Residents are encouraged to report suspected public parking restrictions by contacting the Bradenton Beach Code Enforcement Department at 941-778-1005, ext. 227.
