Parking woes put Broadway in a jam

Longboat Key resident Samir Ragheb feels that parking in the Longbeach Village has crossed the line.
Ragheb spoke about parking issues during the April 2 Longboat Key Town Commission meeting.

“The parking is untenable,” he said. “If both sides of the street (Broadway) are parked on, which is a fact at the moment, then the street is only good for one way.”

During evenings, the street often fills up with cars belonging to diners at Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub. But Ragheb said that some cars parked along Broadway belong to people going to Jewfish Key from the town dock. Ragheb said that a boat essentially acts as a ferry, transporting people to and from the island, which is considered a part of the town.

“The public dock at the foot of Broadway is the ferry embarking point,” he said.

At the Monday meeting, Ragheb said that two cars had been parked on Broadway for the past several days.
Ragheb told the Longboat Observer that parking issues in the area have increased over the past year and are especially pronounced on weekends and holidays. He said he often sees people parking in the Village and taking luggage to the dock before boarding a boat bound for Jewfish Key.

Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle told the Longboat Observer that he and Public Works Director Juan Florensa are considering an update to signage that would reflect an ordinance passed last year by the commission stating:

“All persons and vehicles are prohibited from being present on any public beach or bay access or the public beach from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., unless otherwise marked by signage.”

Ragheb believes the ordinance should be enforced.

“I think overnight parking is only for the residents,” he said.