HOLMES BEACH – Residents who live near beach access points have noticed something strange happening over the past week – some permit parking only and no parking signs have been disappearing from the side of city streets.
While the disappearance of these signs may seem mysterious, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer has an explanation.
The sign disappearances are due to the removal of signs due to sign pollution, he said.
In 2022, city commissioners passed an ordinance making side street parking only available in places where all four tires can be safely parked off the road. Tokajer said the sign removals are only occurring in places where all four vehicle tires cannot safely be parked off the side of the road. If all four tires cannot be parked off the side of the road, then it’s automatically a no-parking zone, Tokajer said.
City employees are working to remove unnecessary parking signs in an effort to reduce sign pollution in the city. Signs noting that side-of-street parking requires all four tires off the road are located at the southern and northern city limits boundaries. With Holmes Beach city leaders adopting and enforcing all four tires off the road, the city came in line with regulations already passed by the cities of Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach.
Any residents who feel that permit parking only or no parking signs were removed from their streets erroneously should contact city staff to have the area measured to make sure that no vehicles can legally park in the area.
Despite some theories circulating on the Island, Tokajer said the removal of the signs was actually a planned initiative and has nothing to do with the ongoing issues among city leaders, Manatee County commissioners and state legislative representatives over beach parking for the public.
Rep. Will Robinson Jr. began leading the way during a recent Manatee County legislative delegation meeting to initiate a state bill to undermine city ordinances to construct a four-story parking garage at the Manatee County-owned Manatee Beach. The proposed bill, which is highly contested by Island city leaders and residents, is expected to be presented during the upcoming state legislative session.
