Zunz pushes for resident-only Village parking

Residents say the time has come to make a decision on their neighborhood.

By Eric Garwood
| 9:40 a.m. February 19, 2020

Parking on Broadway Street remains a contentious issue in Longbeach Village.

Longboat Key
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Vice Mayor Ed Zunz has seen a lot of changes in his neighborhood of Longbeach Village, and he’s come to a conclusion.

When the Chiles Group finishes building its 98-spot parking lot and a small office near Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive, which is currently under construction, it will be time to restrict the neighborhood to resident-only street parking.

Timeline

Here's a look at parking and traffic issues through the years:

June 2013: 33 residents of Longbeach Village write a letter to town officials, complaining about parking and congestion during peak season.

February 2019: MarVista Dockside completes a $2 million renovation.

March 2019: Village residents raise the issue of traffic and parking along Broadway Street and other neighborhood streets. Discussion focuses on valet use of street parking. Town considers new no parking zones and lower speed limits.

May 2019: Town initially votes on measure that reduces speed limit on Broadway to 20 mph, bans valet services from using public street parking, extends no parking zones, including spacing from street corners; Operators of the still-under-construction Shore restaurant seek to add onsite parking with a right of way vacation. Proposal is rejected by the town.

June 2019: May proposal for parking, speed limits gains final approval. Commissioners say they will monitor effects through coming season; Builders begin work converting empty gas station into Whitney’s Roadside.

September 2019: Shore opens on east end of Broadway.

October 2019: Chiles Group seeks permission to build a small office and a parking lot for 98 vehicles on vacant land near Gulf of Mexico Drive and Broadway.

November 2019: Town sets up a portable radar device on Broadway to alert drivers to 20 mph speed limit.

December 2019: Residents begin formally asking for residents-only parking arrangements: Planning and Zoning Board OKs Chiles’ plan for parking lot and office.

January 2020: Whitney’s opens with parking deal with adjacent property; Shore makes deal with Whitney Plaza for employee parking; town commissioners finalize three adjustments to town code making it easier – and in one case, possible – to enforce parking restrictions. The most visible is a change in wording that prohibits parking within 15-foot exclusion zones on either side of private driveways, marked with a diagonal line.

February 2020: Residents' poll indicates support for residents' only parking arrangement.

That assertion Tuesday at a Town Commission workshop drew applause from residents in the Town Hall Commission Chambers, but it’s an idea that isn’t his alone. Following the opening of The Shore and the renovation of MarVista Dockside in the past 12 months, it’s been working its way toward the forefront as town officials have added new parking restrictions, cut speed limits and made other changes to traffic circulation.

“The restaurants themselves are well aware of the problems that have been created here,” Zunz said.

Zunz said the Chiles lot and parking arrangements made by the Shore with Whitney Plaza should allow plenty of space for patrons’ self-parking, valet parking and workers without occupying street parking.

“By any measure, the two restaurants represent less than 1% of the Village,” Zunz said. “Their parking need not strip residents of their parking needs in front of their houses. There is no place in Longboat Key where such an intrusion would be permitted.”

Commissioners asked town staff to look at a variety of options in response to residents’ pleas to do something to address speed and parking. Among the other proposals were the addition of stop signs and deeper analysis of transportation and parking in the Village following a series of changes made to parking regulations and reduction of the Broadway Street speed limits from 25 mph to 20 mph.

“It makes sense to have an overall look at speeding, traffic, safety overall in the Village,” said Allen Parsons, the town’s Planning, Zoning and Building director. “Resident parking might settle some of that, but depending on which direction we head in, rather than dealing with things on a complaint-driven basis, they’ll be evaluated overall.”

Parsons said there are numerous components to resident parking, such as how to identify residents, how many permits would be allowed for each residence, guest permits, possible fees, enforcement and administration. A survey of Village residents showed strong support for such a program that encompassed the entire neighborhood.

“They’re not uncommon in places that have impacts from tourism, places that have colleges,” Parsons said.

Resident Gene Jaleski said the changes brought on by parking on streets is ruining the way of life in the Village.

“No one who likes the ambiance of the Village is going to buy into a parking lot,” he said. “It’s going to destroy property values.”

Commissioners signed off on asking town staff to further review what a resident-only program would look like and also asked for research into the town’s ability to require the restaurants to use their off-site lots for staff. The Chiles lot was approved in December by the town's Planning and Zoning Board with the provision restaurant staff be required to use the lot.

Commissioners also asked town staff to look into more safety additions, such as stop signs equipped with either alert flags or a light-up apparatus to grab drivers' attention.