23 minute read
REAL ESTATE
22 THE SUN REAL ESTATE
No inventory – no sales?
Remember last March - the week the country shut down - and you raced to the supermarket to stock up on food and toilet paper? My biggest shock was going to Publix on March 17 and seeing about a quarter of the usual supply of fresh meat in the store’s coolers and empty shelves for paper products. I thought, "This is America; where is all the food?" and realized then that life can turn on a dime, or, in this case, on a virus.
Thankfully, we’re coming out of the COVID crisis, but the fallout from this past year will go on for some time, changing lifestyles, work habits and in particular, the real estate market. By now everyone knows that the COVID year has been abnormally good for the housing market. The combination of the ability to work remotely, record-low mortgage rates and the desire for individuals and families to move into less densely populated areas has flooded the market with buyers racing to find a new home.
Also, working remotely was largely available to higher-income workers who generally make up the majority of homebuyers. Unfortunately, lower-income workers who may not be able to do their jobs remotely have suffered, as well as young millennials who have become priced out of buying their first home.
Florida has benefited from the migration from other states this year - particularly people moving from the northeast who were hit badly by the virus and have endured strict lockdowns. Also, the Florida Realtors Association has recently reported their agents across Florida are seeing a higher number of new clients from California looking for a less expensive lifestyle with the benefit of the good weather they’re accustomed to. Orlando is seeing a flood of buyers from California, as well as Miami attracting venture capitalists and finance companies.
The downside of all of this activity is, of course, the lack of inventory. As reported last week, the supply of single-family homes in Manatee County at the end of February was below one month at .09 compared to February 2020, which was 3.4 months, down 73.5% from last year. The National Association of Realtors reports the inventory level nationally was down 29.5% from last February, therefore, Manatee County is way down compared to the national level. The number of sales in Manatee County in February was up by 12.8% compared to the national number of 9.1%, proving that our inventory is being gobbled up as soon as homes hit the market.
Thrown into this potpourri of housing shortage and pent-up buyers is the fact that the mortgage rates have ticked up. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage has risen to 3.09% recently from 2.65% earlier this year, according to Freddie Mac. In addition, they anticipate it is likely to head higher still. Nevertheless, most economists feel this is just a blip in what will continue to be a great housing market that can tolerate an uptick in rates, which will likely remain historically low.
Economists also project that Americans have saved during the pandemic - as well as improving their credit positions - and are sitting on a nice pile of cash. As more segments of the economy keep opening and the economy improves, more buyers will be in a strong position to purchase homes even with slightly higher mortgage rates.
I personally never want to see empty shelves in supermarkets again, but I would also like to see an improvement in our level of inventory. As previously stated, prices will go up and sales will go down unless we can convince homeowners across the country that now is the time to list. Stay safe.
Castles in the Sand
LOUISE BOLGER
BY JASON SCHAFFER
SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH - The Police Department has two new Polaris side-by-side ATVs thanks to a grant set aside for COVID enforcement activities by law enforcement agencies.
“We decided to get a couple of the Polaris ATVs so we could be on the beach more, and work on social distancing and be able to educate people,” Tokajer said. The grant totaled $43,500, which was enough to acquire two Polaris ATVs, one six-seater and one three-seater. The COVID grant also provided enough money to equip the ATVs with police lights, sirens, and spotlights on the roofs, which are excellent tools for search and rescue operations, Tokajer said.
“They’re a great rescue vehicle - we’ve already used them to reunite lost children with their families,” he said. “When we were on the fourwheelers, we were unable to do that because it doesn’t have a side seat.”
Tokajer also said the vehicles will make beach arrests more efficient, since officers won’t have to walk the suspect off the beach, disrupting beachgoers. Officers can simply secure the suspect in the Polaris and drive them away from the scene, just as they would in a normal patrol car, all the while leaving a much smaller footprint.
One of the biggest advantages of the Polaris ATVs, he added, is their maneuverability and ability to go places that may be a tight squeeze for a full-sized patrol vehicle. They can go on-road, off-road, or in the case of a bad traffic tie-up, a little bit of both.
Police also ask the public to remember that these are first-responder vehicles and need the same right of way as a police car, ambulance, or firetruck to help keep everyone safe.
JASON SCHAFFER | SUN Holmes Beach Police Chief William Tokajer shows off new Polaris ATVs procured through COVID grant.
APRIL: Good inshore, offshore action
FROM PAGE 19
You’ll need to tip your leader with wire or heavy fluorocarbon when blues and mackerel are around. I prefer heavy fluorocarbon and long shank hooks whenever possible since that usually won’t affect the trout bite. Blues and mackerel usually don’t feed on the surface in the bay as they do in the open Gulf, but you may see bait showering or boils indicating fast-moving fish, feeding just below the surface. Pompano may “skip” when you run or drift past them giving their location away. When that happens, circle back upwind and drift the area. Flounder are often found in potholes, on the edges of bars or mud bottom.
There should be good action in the coastal Gulf this month with Spanish and king mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), cobia and tripletail. Look for Spanish mackerel or albies feeding on the surface. You might find tripletail or cobia around crab trap floats. Your tarpon spin or fly tackle can do double duty for cobia and medium spinning tackle or an 8 or 9-weight fly rod will cover everything else. Artificial reefs or natural areas of hard bottom may hold any of these species. When fishing these areas you will need to get your lure, fly or bait down in the water column to the level where fish are located.
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MONDAY, MARCH 29 - MODIFIED STAPLEFORD 1st place team with a score of +12 - Tim Friesen, Buddy Foy, Ken Nagengast, Earl Ritchie 1st place individual (tie with a score of +4) - Ron Buck, Ken Nagengast, Earl Ritchie
TUESDAY, MARCH 30 - LOW NET SCORE Flight A Roxanne Koche 30 Helen Pollock 32 Margrit Layh 32 Judy Christensen 32 Flight B Kay Neal 31 Pam Alvord 33 Annette Hall 34
Flight C Terry Westby 29 Peggi Clauhs 32 Jody Maleeny 33
Connie Livanos had a chip-in!
THURSDAY, APRIL 1 - SCRAMBLE 1st place -with a score of three under par, Ken Butler, Mike Gillie, Jeff Jump, Jack Lowry 2nd place - with a score two under par, Tim Donnar, Ken Nagengast, Larry Solberg
Dr. Scott Hopes will resign from the Manatee County School Board when the governor appoints his successor.
BY JOE HENDRICKS
SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
BRADENTON – It’s official: Dr. Scott Hopes is now serving as the acting county administrator for Manatee County.
During the county commission’s Thursday, April 1, land use meeting, the commissioners voted 6-1 in favor of hiring Hopes to serve as acting county administrator for up to one year. Commissioner Reggie Bellamy opposed the Hopes hiring but did not explain his opposition.
The commission approved Hopes receiving a $187,000 annual salary after previously rejecting, on March 23, the $210,000 proposed salary privately negotiated by Hopes and County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. Hopes’ contract requires county commission approval for him to terminate a department head.
It has been stated at numerous county commission meetings that Hopes will serve as acting county administrator while a search is conducted for someone to serve in that role on a long-term basis – a position in which Hopes has expressed interest.
Hopes was the only candidate of 30 applicants that were given serious consideration for the acting county administrator’s job.
At the commission’s request, Hopes will resign as a school board member as soon as Gov. Ron DeSantis appoints his school board successor. The commission wants Hopes to focus solely on his county administrator’s duties.
During his first days on the job, Hopes helped guide the county’s response to the unfolding Piney Point reservoir crisis – a crisis that began getting more serious the same day Hopes was hired.
Having served as interim acting county administrator since Feb. 23 – when Cheri Coryea’s tenure as county administrator ended – Deputy County Administrator Karen Stewart has returned to her primary duties, which include the oversight, administration and distribution of CARES Act and American Rescue Plan funds to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Dr. Scott Hopes was the only candidate given serious consideration for the job.
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528 74th Street Victoria Sperounes 941-960-3773A4469255$2,550,000
HOLMES BEACH PENDING
307 57th Street Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358A4493970$1,000,000
TIDY ISLAND
73 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767A4477926$650,000
TIDY ISLAND CONDO
10 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Marshall 941-900-9777 A4491987$575,000
FAIRWAY ACRES
5106 8th Avenue Drive W Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767A4494953$499,000
HOLMES BEACH SOLD
97 52nd Street Hannah Hillyard 941-744-7358A4468151 $2,350,000
BAY PALMS PENDING
512 68th Street Hannah Hillyard 941-744-7358A4484565$985,000
SARABAY ESTATES
2708 Bay Drive Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450A4494263 $2,750,000
SUTTON PLACE
600 Sutton Place 205 Terri Derr & Rita Holbrook 941-356-6694A4493723$539,500
NORTH POINT HARBOUR SOLD
605 N Point Drive Hannah Hillyard 941-744-7358A4469001 $1,799,000
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410 Clark Drive Johann Bertram & Hannah Hillyard 941-779-3856A4494849$800,000
CAPE TOWN VILLAGE
2302 63rd Street W Maria Christenson & Karla Davidson 941-920-3583A4495556$350,000
GRAND BAY
3010 Grand Bay Boulevard 482 Michael Nink & Sandi Layfield 941-914-2805 A4495388 $1,295,000
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201 67th Street A Hannah Hillyard 941-744-7358A4490405$725,000
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PINEY POINT: Working to avert catastrophe
FROM PAGE 1 where the temperatures indicate there is water intrusion into the wall at that point,” he said, noting a third area also is being monitored.
“There is an area at the top of the berm, around the middle of the eastern wall, that they recognized an extrusion of that wall pushing out about 10 feet,” Hopes said.
Late Monday, The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued a press release saying news reports about a second area of seepage referenced at the press conference are unsubstantiated.
Manatee County emergency management officials have projected a worst-case scenario in which a total collapse of the stack could send a 20-foot wall of water across adjacent property.
County officials issued a state of emergency order on April 1, followed by a state of emergency order issued on April 3 by Gov. Ron DeSantis that he later extended to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Evacuation orders were issued for residents and businesses in the areas surrounding Piney Point. Those evacuation zones also have since been expanded.
According to Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur, 305 households remain under an evacuation order and the American Red Cross and the county are assisting displaced residents in finding accommodations. On Monday, Saur said approximately 30 people and their pets had taken shelter at local hotels.
CRISIS UNFOLDING
Located in Palmetto, near Port Manatee, the Piney Point property is owned by HRK Holdings, which purchased the property in 2006. A phosphate processing plant operated on the property from 1966 to 1999. Phosphorous and nitrogen are primary ingredients in commercial fertilizer.
The Piney Point property contains three, lined phosphogypsum stacks that serve as large retention ponds. The gyp stacks, surrounded by berms made of rock, soil and other materials, have recently held about 880 million gallons of water, which contains high levels of phosphorus and nitrates.
On Monday, March 29 – in anticipation of an impending crisis – FDEP issued an emergency order that allowed HRK to begin siphoning water from the leaking stack and transferring it through a pipeline to the deepwater channel at Berth 12 at nearby Port Manatee at a rate of 22,000 gallons per minute, Hopes said. The pipeline was originally used to transport saltwater and dredging sediments from Berth 12 to the Piney Point containment area that is now breached, he said.
At a Sunday morning press conference at the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center, DeSantis said the water currently being discharged into Tampa Bay at Port Manatee is not radioactive but does contain higher-than-desired levels of phosphorus and nitrogen. According to DeSantis, the ongoing siphoning efforts commenced on Wednesday, March 31.
There is concern among local fishermen, county commissioners and others that the increased levels of phosphorus and nitrogen being dumped into Tampa Bay could create a marine environment that is more susceptible to algae blooms, including red tide. Port Manatee is located less than 20 miles from Anna Maria Island.
About 33 million gallons of water are being pumped into the port waters daily, DeSantis said. That will increase with the National Guard’s scheduled delivery of 20 additional pumps to help lower the water levels in the failing gyp stack in hopes of preventing a total breach and collapse, he said.
On Saturday, Hopes estimated it would take 10-12 days to empty into the bay all 480 million gallons of the water contained in the breached gyp stack, but those estimates changed as more pumps were put in place.
Hopes said the retention pond (gyp stack) is currently inhabited by ducks, snook and other wildlife. He said the water in the other two non-breached gyp stacks on the Piney Point property contains high levels of ammonia and is acidic.
During Sunday’s press conference, Noah Valenstein, FDEP secretary, said the water being discharged into the bay primarily
Will Robinson, State Representative
SEE PINEY POINT, PAGE 28
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ANNA MARIA
209 South Bay Boulevard $2,950,000 Shellie Young 941.713.5458
BRADENTON
10327 Bayview Drive $1,500,000 Jason Skowronski 941.812.6090 BRADENTON
39 Tidy Island Boulevard $1,800,000 Vittoria Rutigliano 941.962.5867
LOOP OF NW BRADENTON
9641 18th Avenue Circle NW $949,900 Martha Marlar 941.812.0455 HOLMES BEACH
3716 Gulf Drive #C $1,699,000 Laurie Mock 941.232.3665
RIVERVIEW LANDINGS
2432 Landings Circle $740,000 Martha Marlar 941.812.0455
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FROM PAGE 26 consists of previously relocated saltwater from the port, “legacy process water,” or previously collected wastewater from fertilizer processing, and stormwater runoff.
Valenstein said the only uncontrolled discharge he’s aware of has been the “small amounts of water” discharged into nearby Piney Point Creek. He said flooding was currently the greatest danger posed to the public.
Hopes said the predictive model for a full breach of the partially breached gyp stack would result in about 340 million gallons of water descending on the surrounding areas in less than an hour, with the potential for a wall of cascading water 20 feet tall.
But Hopes was optimistic that a total breach could be prevented.
“We feel much better than we did three days ago with these additional assets being deployed. We’ve got a good plan in place,” he said.
DeSantis acknowledged a full breach was still possible and he said that’s what prompted the emergency response from the state.
Hopes said the nearby Manatee County Jail, which is located in the evacuation zone, had been sandbagged and staff and inmates were being relocated to the second floor. On Monday, it was announced that 345 inmates were being relocated to an undisclosed location, and approximately 720 inmates were to remain at the jail after being relocated to an upper level of the facility.
MOVING FORWARD
During Sunday’s press conference, Hopes said the liner from the breached retention stack will not be repaired and all of the water contained in the breached stack will be depleted. After the retention area is emptied, it will likely be filled in and capped to prevent future water accumulation, he said.
“This could have been resolved over two decades ago,” Hopes said, regarding the lack of previous preventive and corrective actions that resulted in the current crisis.
In 2013, county commissioners debated using deep well injection to transport the water in the Piney Point gyp stacks deep into the earth and below the underground aquifer, which feeds into Lake Manatee and serves as the primary source of drinking water in Manatee County.
According to former County Commissioner Betsy Benac, the commission never pursued that solution, in part due to public opposition to deep well injection. In December, the current county commission discussed deep well injection as a potential means to clean up Piney Point before a crisis ensued.
During Friday night’s press conference, State Rep. Will Robinson (R-Bradenton) stressed the need to address the Piney Point crisis and solve the problems once and for all.
“Obviously, our top priority is getting through this emergency that we have today,” he said.
Regarding a permanent solution, Robinson said, “This is our top legislative delegation priority for at least a year now. This quartercentury debate on what to do with this property needs to come to an end. It’s frustrating to all of us, and to the residents. Hopefully, everyone can realize now that this has got to end. We have got to stop and clean this property up. I don’t care if it’s private property. I don’t care if it’s been in bankruptcy and foreclosure. Now this property has to finally be cleaned up so we can get this off the minds of our residents, and we’re committed to doing that,” Robinson said.
State Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) said, “We’re keenly aware of the situation. It’s a legislative priority with the county commission that we deal with that this year. Sadly, tonight, we’re at a point where there is a problem. We’re going to work hard to come up with solutions and get the funding that we need to finally fix this.”
During Sunday’s press conference, DeSantis and Valenstein said the state intends to hold HRK fully responsible for any environmental damages associated with the Piney Point crisis.
According to the FDEP order issued March 29, “This Emergency Final Order does not preclude the department from enforcing any criminal or civil liabilities which may arise under Florida law as related to matters herein, nor does it relieve HRK of the need to comply with applicable federal, state, or local laws, rules or ordinances.”
WATER QUALITY CONCERNS
On Monday, Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-Bradenton) toured the Piney Point area by helicopter before participating in an early afternoon press conference.
Saur said state and county drone teams are flying over the site every hour on the hour and providing decision-makers with real time aerial views of the site. Saur said the drones can detect temperature changes within the berms, which indicate penetration by the contained water.
Buchanan said he asked the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to join the response efforts. Buchanan said the EPA and FDEP are now jointly in command of the situation. The Florida Department of Emergency Management and Manatee County also remain involved in the response efforts.
Buchanan shared his concerns about the water being discharged into Tampa Bay.
“It’s very concerning to me. I know they’re making some progress, but to see the water spewing out, it looked pretty contaminated to me,” he said, noting the Piney Point crisis impacts the entire Tampa Bay region.
“I am concerned about the threats to public safety, homes as well as businesses, and of course marine life. I’m very concerned about the impact on that. We know what that does to our communities. I really hate to see what’s happened in terms of the algae bloom and red tide, not just here, but across the state. When I see water flowing into Tampa Bay, frankly, it makes me sick,” Buchanan said.
“I want to be hopeful and optimistic, but just the fact that we’re running water into Tampa Bay is not a great thing, but the reality of it is it seems like the right thing to do right now,” he added.
“I’m not an expert, but you can see in and around where the water’s spewing in there. Around the port – I hate to say it – if you go a couple miles in each direction to me it looks like algae bloom or something, but that’s something for the scientists to determine,” Buchanan said. “I’ve been following red tide for 20 years and that could have a big impact on all of Florida.”
Regarding the unaddressed Piney Point environmental concerns that lingered for the past 20 years or so, Buchanan said, “This is something that’s being going on for too long and we’re going to come together collectively between the county, the state and the federal government to make sure we get this resolved quickly. We’re going to make sure we’ve got the resources to fix this permanently – not a patch. The company, HRK, needs to be held completely responsible.”
After thanking Buchanan for bringing the EPA and the Army Corps in to assist, Hopes addressed the failing retention area and the breaches in its outer berms.
Hopes estimated there were nearly 300 million gallons in the breached reservoir at that time. He said public officials will have a much clearer idea of that status of the reservoir now that the Army Corps is on the scene.
“Up to this point, we have been relying, and DEP has been relying on HRK’s third party engineering team. Now we have the Army Corps of Engineers in here with their engineers and we will have an additional independent evaluation,” he said.
“If we go from (pumping out) 35 million gallons a day to 100 million gallons per day, within 48 hours we will be at a situation where we will no longer have that risk of that full breach which would send that 20-foot wall of water across,” Hopes said.
“The only pool that’s at risk is that southernmost pool where we have identified breaches where we do have some uncontrolled release of water. Regarding the breaches on the eastern wall, the most visible is at the southeast corner where you see the water coming out of the side and then flowing to the north,” he said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at Sunday’s Piney Point press conference.
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