One bad apple can ruin the bunch.
Just like how one night of “disrespectful” and “belligerent” behavior led to the temporary limitation of public parking at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, according to the Rev. Ed Moss.
Moss told The Islander Feb. 22 the change was made after a Feb. 17 incident involving a large number of young people in the church lot.
He said some of the youths parked at the church that night left litter in the lot and in neighbors’ yards, were loud after quiet hours and disrespectful when confronted.
“Some of them have to show off to each other and a part of that is yelling and screaming and acting a fool,” Moss said. “It makes it scary for the neighbors.”
Holmes Beach police found a gathering of more than 100 youngsters on a nearby beach that night, including some who had been drinking alcohol, according to an incident report.
HBPD made one arrest when a juvenile who was holding a beer bottle resisted law enforcement without violence.
Moss said the church did not want its neighbors to be negatively impacted by people parking at CrossPointe.
“Folks didn’t sign up for this to be the public beach,” Moss said. “If it was about us, we’d leave it wide open, but it’s not. It’s about our neighbors.”
As a result of the incident, Moss said he spoke with Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, as well as the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, about options for the parking lot, situated at the border for the two cities.
Moss said the MCSO, which polices Anna Maria, suggested the church limit parking through spring break, which ends in late April.
Moss agreed, saying public parking at the church would be shut down or mostly closed Fridays-Sundays until the end of spring break.
Barricades blocked the parking lot’s entrance Feb. 24 with an attached sign that read, “Due to the high volume of disrespect for our neighbors parking is limited.”
Moss said, “It isn’t that complicated: Show respect. It’s a quiet community, be quiet.”
He encouraged people to call him at 941-778-0719 to provide feedback about parking at the church.
Titsworth told The Islander Feb. 22 that she was concerned such an incident would discourage other churches and island businesses from opening their lots to beach parking.
But she also said the incident was an example of how beach parking negatively impacts residents when allowed in a residential area.
“They are residing next to a church, not a public beach parking lot,” Titsworth said. “It’s just another reason that parking needs to be more focused at these public beaches.”
Murphy, in a Feb. 24 email to The Islander, wrote that the incident was an outlier.
“I believe this incident was an anomaly caused by some unruly students from Hillsborough County. When issues such as these arise, law enforcement needs to be notified immediately,” Murphy wrote.
MCSO Lt. Louis Licata, in a Feb. 24 email to The Islander, wrote that the MCSO has a zero-tolerance policy for underage drinking and other criminal acts on the island during spring break.