BRADENTON BEACH – A new parking trend at Cortez Beach is not only making it difficult for legally parked vehicles to maneuver, but is leaving Bradenton Beach police no choice but to write tickets until their hands cramp.
On Mother’s Day, May 8, drivers parked their vehicles along Cortez Beach on Gulf Drive from north to south behind cars that were legally parked in east-west spaces. Bradenton Beach police say they aren’t sure why this is happening now, after the height of tourist season in March, but on May 14, what they hoped was an isolated problem due to a busy Sunday repeated itself, resulting in plenty of tickets.
“We wrote over 100 tickets on Mother’s Day, and wrote at least 60 today,” said Officer Charles Marose of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, speaking of the May 14 repeat of the Mother’s Day parking pattern. Both Marose and Lt. Lenard Diaz said it probably started with a couple of people, then when others saw the new lane of cars, they just followed the pattern, resulting in a snowball effect.
The penalty for illegal or double parking along the beach parking lots, as well as parking in grassy areas along Gulf Drive at Coquina Beach, is $75.
“I really don’t care; there are no spots available and they’re not towing, so we’ll just pay the ticket,” said Tom, who requested his last name not be used. Tom and his wife were on the Island for a three-day weekend May 14-16, visiting from Orlando.
Diaz also said the department had to tow several cars on Mother’s Day that were parked in the trolley turn-around area at Coquina Beach, an area that has clearly posted signs stating that cars aren’t even allowed to turn around there, much less park.
There are several options for beachgoers to avoid tickets and tows, yet still enjoy a day at the beach. The Anna Maria Island Trolley makes regular stops both north and southbound along Gulf Drive. The Old Town Tram, a golf cart shuttle, and the Monkey Bus can both be reached by phone for an arranged pickup.
BRADENTON BEACH – In anticipation of Easter weekend, the city of Bradenton Beach has issued a public service announcement regarding parking enforcement.
“Parking to be strictly enforced. Barricades and closed municipal parking lots. While under a declared local state of emergency, law enforcement will be strictly enforcing illegal parking and unauthorized vehicles in barricaded areas. C.O.B.B (city of Bradenton Beach) will be issuing tickets and may use the services of authorized towing companies,” the city’s public service announcement says.
“Please do not park your car illegally. Please do not disturb any barricades. Please do not park in the First Street North municipal parking lot or the Coquina and Cortez county beach parking lots. If you have been towed, call the C.O.B.B Police Department at 941-778-6311,” the public service announcement says.
The city of Bradenton Beach issued this public service announcement Thursday afternoon. – City of Bradenton Beach | Submitted
Island-wide concerns
Earlier in the day, the Holmes Beach Police Department issued a public service announcement pertaining to parking enforcement.
During Thursday afternoon’s telephonic Anna Maria City Commission meeting, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy referenced that announcement that he said he had only recently been made aware of.
At 11:27 a.m. on Thursday, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer emailed Murphy a copy of the Holmes Beach Police Department’s public service announcement.
“Wanted to give you a heads up on our plan for parking. We are hearing that people are planning to come to the beach for Easter Weekend willing to take a $50 parking ticket,” Tokajer wrote in his email to Murphy.
On Wednesday evening, an informal message that originated from the city of Holmes Beach was shared with city officials in Bradenton Beach. That informal message addressed concerns about the possibility of “people planning on filling up cars with people and taking the parking ticket to go to the beach this weekend.”
That shared information contributed to the city of Bradenton Beach issuing its public service announcement Thursday afternoon.
In response to what was happening elsewhere on the Island, Murphy told the Anna Maria commissioners he would be devising a contingency plan that afternoon with Sgt. Brett Getman from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria Unit.
Murphy said that contingency plan would address any potential impacts the parking enforcement efforts taking place in Holmes Beach might have on the city of Anna Maria and its residents.
As a last resort, Murphy said he could consider establishing a checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Anna Maria that would limit access to the city and result in some vehicles being turned back toward Holmes Beach. Murphy said he does not want to take that action, but would consider it if absolutely necessary.
In 2017, Murphy briefly limited access to the city during the initial cleanup efforts associated with Hurricane Irma.
The parking lot at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria remains closed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Beaches closed?
On Thursday, March 19, Manatee County issued a press release that said, “County and municipal officials today announced that the beaches of Anna Maria Island will close tomorrow, March 20, at 6 a.m.”
The county announcement resulted in the public parking spaces at Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach being closed. It also resulted in the public parking lot at Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach being closed.
However, local law enforcement agencies in all three Island cities are still allowing people to gather on the Island beaches in groups of less than 10 people and gather at least six-feet apart from other beachgoers and groups.
Local law enforcement officers conduct regular patrols of the beaches, but they have not been ordering people off the beaches or issuing citations to those on the beaches, many of which are located near street end beach access points.
The Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach remains closed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
