Island Parking Structure Will Not Solve the Problem
Posted
While Holmes Beach commissioners seek to ban multi-level parking structures, apparently Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge seems to believe a three-story parking garage built at the Manatee public beach will address beachgoers’ needs.
It will not.
City commissioners stated the reason for the ban was the negative impact of an increase in beach vehicular traffic as well as implying the Manatee beach is either currently at capacity, or close to it during peak days. It is. I did a beach ride-along with the Chief on July 4. The umbrellas were nearly touching each other.
That’s with only 400 parking spaces.
Building a 3-level parking facility at the Manatee beach would nearly triple the number of parking spaces and exceed the number of spaces at Coquina Beach.
In a stretch of beautiful beach, slightly less than a mile in length, Coquina has 15 individual changing stations, 3 separate restroom facilities and 6 lifeguard stations. The Manatee beach has 1 restroom facility, 4 changing stations and 1 lifeguard station – all centrally located.
To match the length of Coquina, the Manatee beach would extend from 30th St to 48th St, with the facilities in the middle.
If a parking garage is constructed, where do all these folks go? And, how do they get there? And, avail themselves to what amenities?
Certainly, matching or exceeding Coquina parking capacity with a third or a quarter of available facilities seems like a bad way to treat visitors.
Also, non-residential Coquina beach has its parking spaces stretched out - evenly spaced over the entire beach.
We don’t have that option, as our beach is mainly in residential neighborhoods.
Also, if a parking garage is built at the Manatee beach - where will the 400 beachgoer vehicles park during construction?
Where will beach workers park their dozen or so vehicles?
There will have to be some type of accommodation made for all these vehicles during construction.
Certainly, street parking for more than 400 additional vehicles is not a reasonable accommodation during the construction phase.
If the county wants to build a parking garage the above issues have to be addressed. But, by then, most likely our planned ban will prevent construction.
Dan Diggins
Candidate
Holmes Beach City Commission
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