No more patience for Main Street miscreants

Merchants hope new policy leads to better behavior by children on Main Street.

By Pam Eubanks
| 8:40 a.m. July 12, 2017

Two couches at the Starbucks at Main Street Lakewood Ranch burned. The July 1 fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damages.

East County
News

Mike and Debbie Driscoll know a change in policy may hurt their Lakewood Ranch business, The Fish Hole Miniature Golf.

But they are OK with it.

POLICY

“For the safety and enjoyment of all Main Street visitors, Main Street security will work with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to coordinate and enforce the ‘Parent on Site’ policy. Our policy requires all visitors under the age of 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult after 6 p.m. This includes all Main Street events and concerts. Any unaccompanied visitors younger than 16 on the property after 6 p.m. will be asked to leave the property or wait with a security officer until their parents arrive.”

THE SPARK?

A fire broke out approximately 11:10 p.m. July 1 at the Starbucks at Lakewood Ranch Main Street after three juveniles allegedly started setting things on fire.

Information provided by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office states the juveniles were hanging around the northeast corner of the Starbucks location when they started lighting items on fire with a cigarette lighter. A juvenile lit a newspaper on fire and tossed it onto a sofa, which started another fire.

One of the juveniles attempted to put out the fire, but failed to do so and suffered a second-degree burn to his right ankle. The three juveniles fled the scene as the fire grew out of control, but a witness contacted emergency services and followed and detained the youths at the Mobil gas station in the 6200 block of Lake Osprey Drive. They were interviewed and arrested by the State Fire Marshall’s Office and booked into the Manatee Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

After juveniles reportedly set fire to couches at the Starbucks at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch July 1, the plaza’s property manager implemented a new “Parent on Site” policy requiring parents to accompany youths under age 16 after 6 p.m. when at Main Street.

“It’s unfortunate the actions of a few affect everyone,” Mike Driscoll said. “We know from the kids we get here, the super-majority are great kids, so as merchants,
I worry that may hurt my business. But as a parent and an attendee (of events here), something has to be done.”

Property manager Amanda Zipperer said the policy has been in the works for several months and was not specifically a result of the fire. The new policy went into effect July 5, in time for the July 7 Music on Main event, which attracts thousands of spectators from throughout the region.

“We listened to the concerns of our patrons and merchants, as well as witnessed bad behavior, and we feel this is necessary,” Zipperer said. “We want to give the community a fun, safe place to go and often the kids are disrespectful to individuals and the property, and we won’t allow this behavior any longer.”

Zipperer said Main Street loves the patronage of kids and their families, but the policy has become necessary to protect people and property.

“We appreciate the community’s support, and we hope everyone understands our stance on the matter,” she said. “At the end of the day, our goal is to provide an enjoyable experience for our guests. This is why we will not tolerate profanity, blocking of walkways, disorderly conduct and fighting.

“There is an issue,” she added, noting the policy simply brings awareness to it. “Everyone is welcome here. It is not a ban. It is not a curfew. It is a policy.”

Lakewood Ranch Main Street is privately owned. The plaza provides on-site security and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies are on-site regularly, particularly for large events such as Music On Main.

Main Street has participated in the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s trespass program, but Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dave Bristow said the program is limited to after business hours. It allows deputies to trespass someone at a business at the deputy’s discretion.

Bristow declined to comment specifically on the policy and how it will be enforced but said the Sheriff’s Office will enforce state and local ordinances and respond to calls for service. He said the number of disturbances at the Lakewood Ranch plaza is virtually untrackable because nearly all have been handled by security. There are no records of disturbances available over the last month, for example, besides the Starbucks’ report.

Merchants at Main Street expressed mixed feelings about the policy — mostly with concern about how their businesses may be impacted — but said measures to improve behavior are warranted. They reported juveniles blocking walkways and parking lots, fights behind buildings, property damage and other problems specifically attributed to middle-school-aged youth.

Theresa Barion, owner of Arts A Blaze Studio, a pottery painting store, said during Music on Main, kids will knock on the back door to her store and throw “poppers,” a type of small novelty firework sold as a noisemaker, inside when she opens the door. They also distract her from customers and try to sneak in to use the bathroom.

In once instance last year, a girl danced on top of a table outside a restaurant on the street, broke the table and injured herself, Barion said.

“I’m OK with it,” she said of the policy. “You can’t expect Main Street to babysit your kid.”

The Driscolls, who owned Main Street Bazaar until selling it in December 2015, said when they owned the Bazaar, they hired security to man the front door during Music on Main Fridays because of thefts and broken merchandise, and to help make sure their young staff members felt safe.

“You put that many kids in an unsupervised area and things happen,” Mike Driscoll said.

Debbie Driscoll added: “Even good kids do stupid things in group situations. It’s peer pressure.”

The public offered mixed reviews of the policy, some calling the rule “ridiculous” and lamenting that kids have nowhere to go or equating Lakewood Ranch to “Stepfordville” on Facebook posts. Others are thankful for measures to improve the customer experience, particularly at crowded events.

“If we are policing other people’s children and making policy, it needs to be fair,” said Sarasota’s Kari Knell, who attended the July 7 Music on Main. “I’m not a fan of unsupervised children roaming anywhere, anytime, which is why I’m more upset by the fact there aren’t activities, events and businesses that are directed at youth.”

Braden Woods’ Van Balam doesn’t like additional rules. “Typical Lakewood Ranch,” he said. “Rules, rules and more rules. If they’re so worried about it, hire off-duty police officers to patrol the areas of concern instead of ruining it for others.”