Old Florida has come and gone on Longboat

If you know anything about Longboat Key, you know that it offers a slower pace and a glimpse into Old Florida, which has essentially come and gone. 

Residents and visitors are reminded of this each time they pass over the bridge that announces the north end of the Key. Thriving mangroves and playful dolphins, as do the residents of Northgate, call the crystal blue waters surrounding the bridge home.

While Northgate offers a charming, unassuming condo association, it is not without the impacts of a highly traveled tourism destination. 

We live by a beautiful bridge, but that bridge has steady traffic due to an already overdeveloped Coquina and Bradenton beach. We start stirring around 4:30 a.m. when the traffic starts trickling in. We’re familiar with the noise it brings in the morning, as well as the vessel and motor vehicle noise that arrives later in the day. 

On Sundays, we prepare for raucous boat activity on Beer Can Island, which, unfortunately, seems to be underregulated. We encounter trespassing and not only does it feel like a violation, it often feels like danger. When belligerent drinking goes unregulated, neighborhoods suffer. 

We’re asking you, the town, to support the neighborhoods you represent. We’ve been fortunate enough to meet Commissioner Sarah Karon on our property. I ask that you all come experience for yourself the vulnerable air, land and sea that FDOT is threatening by ignoring organized, thoughtful neighborhood recommendations.

— Amanda Gray, Longboat Key