Shell Road closure drives beachgoers to new street

The residents of Roberts Point Road are fed up with sharing their street.

About seven families recently signed a petition asking the County Commission to approve the installation of enforceable no-parking signs on their street. Their targets are non-residents who park on the road to walk down to Shell Beach because North Shell Road is closed for construction. However, Tre Michel, a Roberts Point Road resident, said the problem began during the spring season.

“We laugh about it because they’re building parking spots on Shell — 16 — but I’ve counted 50 cars parked on the street,” Fred Wade, a Roberts Point resident, said.

Teresa Bencie, another resident, said weekends are the heaviest days in terms of parking problems.

“It’s going to get worse and worse,” Bencie said.

It’s not just space that’s an issue. Bencie and Wade both said there has been some property damage.

Bencie’s neighbor installed a security camera and a chain to rope off his driveway ramp to prevent people from parking on his property, she said. Both of his new installments were destroyed. Wade said if he had not put up a barricade of palm stumps and large rocks, people would have parked on his lawn. Other neighbors have had their sprinklers damaged because people drive up onto the grass, he said.

Wade’s main concern, however, is that emergency vehicles could have a difficult time navigating the crowded streets if the current parking conditions continue.

Some residents installed barriers, like Wade, while others posted no-parking signs.

“A lot of residents put posts up, and it makes it impossible to park at the right of way,” County Commissioner Nora Patterson said. Patterson said she visited the street at 3 p.m. on a Sunday, which she said was a popular hour for beachgoers, and did not see any cars parked on the street.

“For the moment, there’s not an issue,” she said.

Michel said there were no problems with parking last week, and she was interested to see if the no-parking signs residents put up helped deter parking on the street.

The residents’ petition will go to the Traffic Advisory Council before the County Commission can approve any signage.