HOLMES BEACH – Two speed tables are now in place in the 500 block of Key Royale Drive between Marina Drive and the Key Royale Bridge.
Key Royale Drive is the only road that leads from Marina Drive to the Key Royale residential community and golf club on the other side of the bridge.
The speed tables were installed on Oct. 31 as part of the city’s previously approved $194,632 multi-location street resurfacing project. Key Royale Drive was not resurfaced as part of the project.
One new speed table is located near the southwest end of the Key Royale Bridge and the other is about halfway between the bridge and Marina Drive. The speed limit along that road is 25 mph and on Friday afternoon, orange safety cones surrounded each speed table to make approaching motorists aware of the newly installed speed control devices.
This new speed table is located near the Key Royale Bridge. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The speed tables were installed in response to concerns expressed by some 500-block residents about vehicles frequently speeding in the 500 block of Key Royale Drive.
By a 4-1 vote, city commissioners approved a $194,632 work order with Superior Asphalt on April 22 that included the Key Royale Drive speed tables. At the time, three speed tables were proposed. Commissioner Carol Whitmore cast the only opposition vote that day and she still opposes the speed tables.
After that April funding decision, several subsequent and spontaneous city commission discussions ensued regarding the need for the speed tables, the design of the speed tables, the number of speed tables and the community support and opposition for the speed tables.
When giving general public comment during the Aug. 26 commission meeting, Key Royale resident John Dentz said 15-20 people complaining about speeders on one side of the bridge are going to negatively impact the 500-600 people that live on the other side of the bridge.
On several recent occasions, Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer said they’ve received complaints about speeding along Key Royale Drive for many years.
During the Oct. 28 commission meeting, Tokajer provided commissioners with detailed Key Royale speeding data he obtained using the Urban SDK software that uses cell phone pings, GPS readings and satellites to compile traffic and speed data.
The highest Key Royale Drive speed recorded in May was 60 mph. The speed limit is 25 mph. – City of Holmes Beach | Submitted
Tokajer provided the commissioners with a color-coded summary sheet for each month from January through August. The monthly summaries included the speed limit, the average speed traveled, the maximum speed traveled and more. During that recent eight-month period, the average monthly speed was 21-22 mph but the highest speeds recorded each month ranged from 42-60 mph – with a high speed of 50 mph or more for six of the eight months.
“I still don’t support the speed tables. I support law enforcement giving tickets,” Whitmore said.
“Based upon these facts, I think we should move forward with these speed tables,” Commissioner Dan Diggins said of the speed tables already scheduled to be installed a few days later.
HOLMES BEACH – The pending installation of three speed tables along the 500 block of Key Royale Drive remains a topic of debate even though an executed work agreement is already in place.
On April 22, Holmes Beach commissioners voted 4-1 to approve a $233,000 agreement with Superior Asphalt for the multi-street street resurfacing project presented by Public Works Director Sage Kamiya. The commission-approved work agreement includes approximately $24,000 for three asphalt speed tables to be installed along Key Royale Drive between Marina Drive and the Key Royale Bridge. Key Royale Drive is not among the streets to be resurfaced. Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposed the inclusion of the speed tables.
In recent weeks, the mayor and commissioners received several speed table-related emails, some expressing support and some opposition.
Key Royale resident Mary Kate Scott suggested installing a temporary speed table first. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The speed tables were not on the June 10 city commission meeting agenda, but a speed table discussion ensued when Key Royale resident Mary Kate Scott mentioned the speed tables after expressing her support for the city’s proposed purchase of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property. To date, Scott is the only resident to provide public comment on the speed tables during a city commission meeting.
“I’m personally not in favor, but I’m also not a traffic engineer and therefore may not be the best person to opine,” Scott said. “However, given it was not unanimous, and there is some discussion on these speed bumps, maybe we could consider an implementation adjustment. What if we could have a temporary speed bump installed and see if that has the desired impact? See what the community thinks and if it’s going as planned make it more permanent.”
Mayor Judy Titsworth supports the Key Royale Drive speed tables. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Mayor Judy Titsworth referenced a temporary speed table installed along Key Royale Drive several years ago when Carmel Monti was mayor.
“It was noisy, it was terrible and nobody liked it,” she said.
Titsworth referenced the permanent asphalt speed tables more recently installed along Sixth Avenue. She said those speed tables work well at the posted 25 mph speed limit.
The speed table debate started as a streetside parking debate. In February, the mayor, commission and city staff discussed limiting streetside parking only to the north side of the 500 block of Key Royale Drive due to complaints received about work vehicles and other vehicles parking in the street, creating visibility issues and narrowing the travel lanes. The mayor, commissioners and city staff later concluded stricter enforcement of the existing parking regulation that requires parking with all tires off the pavement would sufficiently address those streetside parking concerns.
On March 20, Titsworth, Kamiya and Police Chief Bill Tokajer met with a group of 500 block residents who expressed concerns about speeding rather than parking and that led to the proposed speed tables.
“Ever since I’ve been the mayor, people on that street have been complaining about the speeding,” Titsworth said during the June 10 meeting.
She noted the speed limit signs that indicate how fast a vehicle is traveling have not curbed speeding on Key Royale Drive.
“The neighbors keep saying it’s not working. You have to do something for us,” she said. “It’s a long straight stretch of road and a lot of people use it.”
Regarding the speed tables, Commissioner Terry Schaefer said, “This decision was not made quickly.”
Schaefer said he and the other commissioners rely on the insights provided by Tokajer and Kamiya as the city’s traffic experts. He also shared his belief that passing over a speed table at 25 mph won’t cause stress on a vehicle.
“I know it’s not what you had hoped to hear, but I think this is a worthy and rightful approach,” Schaefer told Scott.
“I 100% don’t support this action,” Whitmore said.
In response to a question from Whitmore, Scott said there are 344 homes in the Key Royale community. Represented by the Key Royale Resident Owners Association, that community lies entirely north of the Key Royale Bridge and the bridge is the only way in and out of the neighborhood that’s surrounded by water. The homes along the 500 block of Key Royale Drive are not part of the Key Royale Resident Owners Association.
Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposes the Key Royale Drive speed tables. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Whitmore said she understands why some residents want speed tables, but she also understands why some Key Royale residents don’t, and she doesn’t feel the Key Royale residents were given an opportunity to share their speed table concerns at a city commission meeting.
Titsworth said the president of the Key Royale Resident Owners Association sent an email to association members encouraging them to email the mayor and commissioners about the speed tables.
“He also has a sports car that’s about 6 inches off the ground. He’s concerned about that,” Titsworth said. “Everybody has their concerns, but I have to look at public safety.”
Titsworth said the 500 block residents requested the speed tables and that was also the case with the Sixth Avenue speed tables
“Now we have residents on Second Avenue that are also asking for it,” she said.
“52nd Street too,” Tokajer added.
Commissioner Steve Oelfke said he recently drove down Sixth Avenue to experience those speed tables.
“It’s uncomfortable at 25 miles per hour,” he said.
Regarding the Key Royale Drive speed tables, Oelfke said, “I would hope that if speed tables are put in that it’s not quite as aggressive as those because that was pretty significant. Sixth Street is a cut-through. I wouldn’t consider it a thoroughfare, whereas this is a thoroughfare.”
Whitmore said she’s not aware of a serious or fatal accident ever occurring along Key Royale Drive.
“I think we’re overreacting. We’ve got to have some data. We can’t just do it because some neighbors are asking for it,” Whitmore said, bringing the impromptu speed table discussion to an end.
When contacted later about the anticipated speed table installation date, Titsworth said, “We have executed the contract for the speed tables along with other asphalt work throughout the city and we are waiting on a date from the contractor.”
HOLMES BEACH – Homeowners and city officials believe they have found a solution to the Key Royale Drive parking issues that will not require the clearing of city-owned right of ways or the relocation of an existing sidewalk.
In February, concerns were raised about landscaping, construction and other work vehicles and trailers being parked on Key Royale Drive between Marina Drive and the Key Royale bridge that provides access to the Key Royale community, where the roads are wider and there’s more space for streetside parking.
Mayor Judy Titsworth, Police Chief Bill Tokajer, Public Works Director Sage Kamiya and city commissioners recently discussed, then rejected, a proposal to limit streetside parking to the north side of Key Royale Drive only, between Marina Drive and the Key Royale bridge.
To create more space for parking along both sides of the street, city officials then discussed and rejected requiring property owners to clear landscaping and other objects from the city rights of way along that stretch of the road before the city removed the existing sidewalk and installed a new sidewalk 3 feet further to the south to create more space for parking along the south side of the street.
At the request of one potentially-impacted homeowner, Titsworth, Tokajer and Kamiya met with several potentially-impacted residents at the city commission chambers on March 20. On April 8, Titsworth provided city commissioners with a recap of that meeting.
“They love Key Royale Drive the way it is and they feel their houses are already pretty close to the road; and if we take back the right of way, they feel they’re going to be on top of the road,” she told the commission.
Titsworth said some attending residents volunteered to go house to house to remind their neighbors about the existing citywide streetside parking restrictions that include Key Royale Drive.
City code prohibits parking on a city street and requires vehicles to be parked with all tires off the pavement.
“Park Parallel With All Tires Off The Road Where Permitted” signs have been installed along that portion of Key Royale Drive and Tokajer’s officers are more strictly enforcing the existing parking restrictions. Tokajer said service providers are now doing a good job of not parking in the street.
“As long as they’re staying out of the road, we have no issues,” Titsworth said. “The group that talked to us, they just want the cars out of the road. We didn’t really take action, we’re just enforcing the code. We addressed it and we are doing what they asked. We are not going allow cars parked in the road anymore and they will be ticketed.”
Work vehicles parked on Key Royale Drive create safety and visibility concerns. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Titsworth said residents are also concerned about motorists speeding along that stretch of Key Royale Drive.
“The majority of the meeting was taken up with their concern about the continued speeding and they would like speed tables added,” Titsworth said. “One’s not going to do it. It’s going to take two or three.”
Titsworth said the property owners are happy the current sidewalk will not be relocated and they’d rather see some of that money spent on speed tables instead.
Tokajer said his officers issued eight speeding tickets to Key Royale Drive speeders since the March 20 meeting with homeowners.
“I believe that every one of them was a resident of Key Royale,” he noted.
HOLMES BEACH – Parking along Key Royale Drive from Marina Drive to the bridge will not be limited to the north side of the street as previously discussed by city commissioners on Feb. 25.
When discussing the issue again on March 11, four of the five Holmes Beach commissioners expressed support for an alternative approach proposed by Public Works Director/City Engineer Sage Kamiya and supported by Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer.
“It looks like the best way maybe to handle some of our parking issues is to move the sidewalk on the south side of the road so folks can park on either side,” Kamiya said when initiating the follow-up parking discussion on March 11.
To create enough space for legal parking along the south side of Key Royale Drive, the existing sidewalk will eventually be removed and a new sidewalk will be installed 3 feet further to the south. The new sidewalk will still be located in the city-owned right of way and not on privately-owned property.
The sidewalk on the south side of Key Royale Drive will be replaced with a new sidewalk located 3 feet further to the right. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The city’s code of ordinances already requires vehicles to be parked with all tires off the roadway and moving the sidewalk will create more space to park in accordance with that city law. City code also prohibits parking on a sidewalk and currently there’s barely enough space, or not enough space, to park with all tires off the sidewalk and the road along the south side of the street.
During the March 11 meeting, Titsworth said the latest proposal would provide the space needed for landscaping and construction vehicles to legally park alongside Key Royale Drive with all tires off the pavement.
To create more space for parking along both sides of the street those who own property between 506/507 and 532/533 Key Royale Drive will receive letters from the city asking them to remove any landscaping or other obstacles placed in the city right of way. Mailboxes and driveways do not have to be removed from the right of way but other items left in the right of way can be removed by the city.
Existing landscaping elements may be impacted by the right of way clearing and the sidewalk relocation. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Dan Diggins said the proposed solution would impact 28-29 properties and Kamiya agreed with that estimate.
Titsworth said city commission approval isn’t needed to maintain and enforce the current parking allowances and regulations but the sidewalk installation contract will be brought to the commission for future approval of the proposed expenditure.
Kamiya estimated the new sidewalk would cost approximately $107,000. He said funds previously budgeted but not spent on a proposed Sixth Avenue sidewalk project could be used to pay for a new Key Royale Drive sidewalk.
The parking proposals stem from complaints received from Key Royale residents concerned about the safety hazards posed by landscaping and construction vehicles parking in the road or partially in the road. Those commercial parking activities narrow the travel lanes and force drivers into the other lane and into oncoming traffic. Titsworth said Key Royale Drive serves as a main thoroughfare for hundreds of homeowners and can no longer be viewed as a side street in terms of how it’s used and regulated.
Drivers are forced into the oncoming travel lane to avoid commercial vehicles parked in the street. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Carol Soustek said, “I like the fact that they’re doing it on both sides. I heard from at least one member from Key Royale that likes it very much. I had nobody come to me and say ‘I don’t like it.’ ”
As she did during the Feb. 25 discussion, Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposed the proposed parking solution.
“It could be a potential safety issue but that could be anywhere so why wouldn’t you do it citywide?” Whitmore said. “And now we’re paying for a sidewalk, to move it, which makes no sense fiscally because it’s perfectly fine, so I won’t support this.”
HOLMES BEACH – City officials have come up with an alternative to prohibiting parking along the south side of Key Royale Drive between Marina Drive and the bridge.
The alternative solution to be discussed at the Tuesday, March 11 Holmes Beach City Commission meeting proposes enforcing an existing parking requirement, removing the sidewalk along the south side of Key Royale Drive and installing a new sidewalk approximately 3 feet further to the south. This would provide enough space for vehicles to legally park along both sides of the street with all tires off the pavement and off the new sidewalk.
Public Works Director and City Engineer Sage Kamiya proposed the alternative solution in a March 4 memo that he sent to Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer. He issued the memo in response to the city commission discussion that occurred on Feb. 25 when he proposed limiting parking to the north side of Key Royale Drive.
During the Feb. 25 discussion, Kamiya, Tokajer and Titsworth said the city received numerous complaints about landscaping and construction vehicles parked in the road and restricting travel lanes and access for passing motorists and emergency responders. Kamiya said that Key Royale Drive serves as a main thoroughfare for approximately 340 residents and Tokajer noted city code requires vehicles to be parked with all tires off the roadway. City code also prohibits parking on a sidewalk.
The Feb. 25 discussion ended with the city commission majority expressing tentative support to have a city resolution drafted that would establish the proposed parking restriction. The commissioners wanted the resolution, or some other solution, presented for further discussion at a future meeting that would allow potentially impacted property owners to express their views before any formal action is taken. Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposed the parking restriction.
Alternative solution
In his March 4 memo, Kamiya wrote, “After further discussion, and in coordination with the chief of police, we recommend enforcing the requiring parking along this section of roadway to have all tires off the roadway. This is consistent with and pursuant to the city’s code, Sec. 62-31.”
According to Sec. 62-31 of the city’s code of ordinances, “For any vehicle parked in a right of way, all tires are required to be located fully within the right of way and no tire or part of a vehicle may be located in the roadway, except for on Key Royale Drive between Crestwood Road and North Point Drive.”
Vehicles parked on Key Royale Drive impact passing motorists. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In his memo, Kamiya said relocating the sidewalk further to the south would create the space needed to accommodate legal parking in the city rights of way along both sides of the street.
“Signs will also be erected stating ‘Parallel parking only with all tires off the road.’ Further, the city will require all landscaping rocks, tree plantings, landscaping borders to be removed from the right of way along both sides of Key Royale Drive,” according to the memo.
The memo references properties located between 506/507 and 532/533 Key Royale Drive and says, “This area needs to be clear of any planting or structures. Residents are not being asked to move mailboxes or driveways. It will be requested that this right of way be cleared of any plantings and structures by April 28.”
The proposed parking solution would require the removal of trees and other landscaping elements placed in the city right of way. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Kamiya’s memo also says, “There is no action required by the commission for this enforcement. In the event the commission would like to consider allowing for the continued parking in this roadway, this would have to be accomplished by an ordinance change.”
When contacted by The Sun on March 8, Titsworth said, “Being that the law is already on the books, the commission doesn’t need to act. We just need to enforce the laws that are currently in the code. We will bring forth a contract to relocate the sidewalk so both sides of the street can accommodate landscaping and construction vehicles. There isn’t ample parking space until we get people to move their landscaping out of the right of way and we are going to start notifying homeowners that have encroached into the right of way.”
The Key Royale Drive sidewalk would be removed and replaced with a new sidewalk located 3 feet to the left. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted the same day, Tokajer said, “After reviewing this with Sage and the mayor, we decided that instead of all the impact being on the north side of the road we have the opportunity to move the sidewalk and allow parking on both sides of the road, with all four tires off the road. This would leave the roadway completely open while allowing lawn maintenance and construction workers to legally park along both sides of the road.”
Tokajer said the current sidewalk has been in place as long as he can remember and the “all tires off the road” parking requirement was enacted about a year and half ago. Tokajer believes the proposed alternative addresses the parking and public safety concerns along Key Royale Drive without placing all the burden on the property owners on the north side of the street.
“We will advise the commission as to what our plan is,” Tokajer said of the Key Royale Drive parking discussion included on the March 11 meeting agenda.
HOLMES BEACH – Parking along Key Royale Drive between Marina Drive and the bridge may soon be restricted to the north side of the street.
Holmes Beach city commissioners discussed the proposed parking restriction on Feb. 25. Public Works Director/City Engineer Sage Kamiya, Mayor Judy Titsworth, Police Chief Bill Tokajer and the majority of the city commission support the parking restriction while Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposes it.
Per commission consensus, the Key Royale Drive parking restrictions will be set forth in a city resolution to be presented for final adoption at a future city commission meeting that will allow for public input. Due to ongoing safety concerns, Tokajer suggested the parking restriction be imposed sooner rather than later.
Kamiya memo
Kamiya also serves as the city’s traffic engineer and on Feb. 14, he sent Titsworth and Tokajer a memo about the Key Royale Drive parking concerns.
Public Works Director Sage Kamiya also serves as the city’s traffic engineer.
“During a recent homeowner’s meeting it was brought to the city’s attention that the parking of vehicles along Key Royale Drive from Marina Drive to the bridge is becoming a concern for residents,” the memo says. “After investigation with the chief of police, we’ve determined that the significant use of the street for parking on both sides of the streets is causing a safety concern. The majority of parking is being done by landscape and construction companies, which is limiting, even prohibiting, to emergency vehicles.”
Vehicles parked along both sides of Key Royale Drive create potential safety issues for passing motorists. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The memo notes that Key Royale Drive serves as a main thoroughfare for approximately 340 residents.
“We recommend prohibiting parking on the south side of Key Royale Drive from Marina Drive to the bridge and requiring any parking in this area to be along the north side of the road,” the memo says.
The memo states that ‘No Parking’ signs would be installed along the south side of the street and rocks, plantings and landscaping borders would need to be removed from the city right of way along the north side of the street from Marina Drive to 532 Key Royale Drive.
“Residents are not being asked to move mailboxes or driveways,” the memo says.
Commission discussion
When addressing the commission, Kamiya said the city’s code of ordinances already restricts parking on major roadways and landscaping and construction vehicles should not be parked on that portion of Key Royale Drive. He said prohibiting parking on one side of the street would help ensure two open travel lanes remain open for motorists; and at least one lane would remain open if the other lane is occupied by one or more emergency vehicles.
Work vehicles parked along Key Royale Drive can alter traffic patterns. – Joe Hendricks | Suun
Whitmore opposed taking any formal action until residents are given more time to respond to the proposed restriction. She said similar issues occur along several other city streets where parking is allowed on both sides.
Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposes the Key Royale Drive parking restriction. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Whitmore said she would be “really ticked off” if she lived along the north side of Key Royale Drive and was told she had to remove landscaping elements installed and maintained at the homeowner’s expense.
Although Key Royale Drive is not heavily used by beachgoers and tourists, Whitmore said the parking restriction would eliminate existing parking spaces.
Tokajer disagreed and said, “There is no parking on the south side of the road because there’s a sidewalk there. You can’t park there because you can’t get all four tires off the road.”
A sidewalk runs along the south side of Key Royale Drive. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Tokajer said he recently received a call from a resident who almost got hit head-on because two vehicles were traveling in the same lane. Tokajer said motorists can’t see around trucks and trailers parked on the street and that forces them to blindly enter into those restricted travel lanes.
“We need to take some type of action. It’s a safety issue,” he said.
Police Chief Bill Tokajer supports the proposed parking restriction. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Terry Schaefer noted that Key Royale Drive expands to divided lanes on the other side of the bridge. He suggested every potentially impacted homeowner between Marina Drive and the bridge be individually notified of the proposed parking restriction. City Attorney Erica Augello advised against mailing notices to each potentially impacted property owner because that’s only done for rezoning requests and other major development matters.
Newly-appointed Commissioner Steve Oelfke said his concern pertains to homeowners on the north side of the street bearing the burden of the proposed parking solution.
Due to public safety concerns, Commissioner Dan Diggins supports the parking restriction but he wants it implemented in a methodical manner that makes potentially impacted residents fully aware of the city’s intentions. He noted the city could remove the right of way obstacles at no expense to the homeowner, but the removed items would be discarded, and if a homeowner wishes to relocate and preserve those items, they could incur personal expenses.
“At some point, we have to let them know because they think that property is their own,” Diggins said.
“And they maintain it,” Whitmore added.
Titsworth acknowledged the proposed parking restriction will surprise homeowners on the north side of the street, but she noted the city has the authority to use and preserve city-owned rights of way.
“Unless we need it, we pretty much let people enjoy the use of it. This is one of those cases,” she said of other right of way obstructions that go unaddressed.
Commissioner Carol Soustek said homeowners on the south side of Key Royale Drive were impacted by a previous sidewalk installation and now those on the north side of the street will share the public safety impacts.
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