Subcommittee ready to present to P&Z Board

Before members of the Planning & Zoning Board Property Maintenance Code Subcommittee could officially shift into parking gear at the group’s final meeting, they wanted to discuss an issue that’s trailed the Longboat Key Town Commission off and on in recent years: parking and trailers.

Subcommittee members recommended Tuesday, Feb. 12, that the commission consider regulating the type of surface material that can be used for parking. Ultimately, members opted not to make a recommendation that the commission consider restrictions on the number of cars that can be parked in a driveway.

The group recommended limiting the number of boat trailers that can be parked to one per house in an open area.

Code Enforcement officer Amanda Nemoytin said she rarely receives complaints about parked cars but frequently hears concerns about boat trailers, particularly during season.

Currently, the town restricts house campers, trailer homes and motor homes to no more than five days in a location within a 30-day period. The group recommended the same restrictions for storage trailers and pods.

“You don’t want to eliminate all possibility of storage parking because who’s going to mow your lawn, and if you’re moving, you’re going to need a truck parked for a couple of days,” Town Planner Steve Schield told the subcommittee.

The subcommittee met for four consecutive weeks to discuss whether town codes should be strengthened to address issues such as peeling paint, caving rooftops, ripped screens and broken doors, windows, stairways and railings. It formed after the Jan. 15 P&Z Board meeting, during which board members discussed whether restrictions could improve the Key’s appearance without encroaching on property rights.

The subcommittee will present its recommendations at the P&Z Board meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19.