“There’s a lot of disappointment here,” Holmes Beach Commissioner Jean Peelen said Nov. 16 at the end of a city parking meeting.
City leaders met with members of the congestion committee at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, to discuss the creation of a unified parking plan.
But, after more than an hour of discussion, they were unable to reach agreement.
Mayor Bob Johnson opened the meeting by proposing a plan created by Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer.
Tokajer proposes to reduce public parking on residential streets and congestion by limiting parking to one side of a street. The limit would be enforced 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily by zones.
The Phase 1 zone encompasses neighborhoods closest to the beach, a 20-block segment of streets bordering the Gulf of Mexico, west of Gulf Drive, from Manatee Avenue to 52nd Street.
The plan would reduce available parking in the area from 331 to 127 spaces during the restricted times and the plan calls for 270 available spaces during the non-restricted hours.
However, parking committee chair Jaynie Christenson said Tokajer’s plan failed to address residents’ concerns. Issues from public parking in residential areas identified by the committee include public urination, trespassing, vandalism, littering and privacy.
The committee plan would provide for parking by residential permit in Phase 1. Full-time residents and rental property owners would be allowed to purchase two passes and each residence would be allowed to obtain visitor passes on an as-needed basis. Contract workers in the area, such as pool and lawn companies, would be required to have identifying signage on vehicles.
“Going to one side of the street isn’t going to change it,” Christenson said. “It will just push it down the road. We have no privacy.”
Christenson lives on Second Avenue near the beach in what would be Phase 1 in the parking plan.
Tokajer reasons that reducing available parking spaces daily by about half will reduce the problems proportionally.
“It’s going to get worse; it’s not going to get better,” committee member Renee Ferguson said. “I don’t see why we can’t try what was suggested by the committee. This is what the residents want.”
“So the solution is to not allow people to come on the island and park?” Johnson asked.
“Not in our neighborhoods. Not where I live,” Christenson said, adding that she believes public parking should be allowed only in marked spaces and not in the city rights of way.
Tokajer said his plan is easy to start with minimal cost to the city and there would be no added burden on residents or city staff. It eliminates the necessity for permits, fees and record-keeping and allows residents who don’t live near the beach the freedom to park and use the beach accesses.
Tokajer said he traveled to St. Pete Beach to review its residential-permit initiative. He said the city parking manager, Dan O’Conner, described the effort as a “parking monster” and the city is considering revising the plan.
“The bottom line is what you propose is simpler, cost-effective and easier to enforce, but good things aren’t always cheap and easy,” Christenson said.
Both plans use Phase 1 as a test area, however neither plan incorporates an end date before moving to Phase 2. Christenson said she didn’t care if the permit-parking plan was moved to Phase 2, as long as it was enacted in Phase 1.
“What we want to do is reduce impact in the simplest way possible without totally changing the character of the island,” Johnson said, comparing the committee’s Phase 1 permit parking plan to gated neighborhoods.
Commissioner Carol Soustek stepped in from the audience to clarify the direction given to the city and committee from commissioners. “It was the consensus of the commission that the staff and the congestion committee meet to develop a unified position, not bicker,” she said.
“All I’ve seen at this table is ‘we’re right,’ ‘we’re right,’” Peelen said. “There is no right or wrong solution.”
With no compromise on the table, both parking plans will go before the commission at a December work session.
May I suggest the free market solution to the parking problems in Holmes Beach, that I believe addresses all concerns. I propose that all control of right of way be given to property owners whose property fronts on the right of way. Property owners then have the right to prohibit or allow parking in front of their residence. Residents who wish to allow parking, may determine the number, size,a price, and rules for parking on their right of way. Free market rules will determine the availability and cost for parking within the city. Of course all federal and state laws must be respected, so no parking in front of mailboxes would be allowed. The property owner would be responsible for enforcement of his rules and prices. If somebody should park not in conformance with rules, or not paying for the privilege, it would be up to the property owner to retain a towing service or other method of recourse. Of course disputes over revenue, towing fees and any other issues could be taken to small claims court since ones rights and responsibilities regarding one’s right of way would be legally
conveyed to the owner. Further, if public urination is a problem one would have the opportunity to install and charge for porto-potties in the right of way.