St. Armands stakeholders lob complaints at valet service

Marty Rappaport, a longstanding advocate for St. Armands, takes pride in the image the upscale shopping district projects.

That’s why he was concerned when he says he witnessed a valet attendant cursing at a patron for not giving a tip.

“I was mortified by it,” Rappaport said. “This is ridiculous.”

Rappaport, a board member of the St. Armands Business Improvement District, notified the city of Sarasota about the incident. It’s one of a string of complaints the city has received about Southwest Parking Co., the operator of the valet stand on St. Armands Circle.

That’s why city Parking Manager Mark Lyons was at a BID meeting Dec. 8 in a quest to gather more feedback on the Circle’s valet operation.

In addition to Rappaport’s allegation, St. Armands stakeholders say the valet service has contributed to traffic congestion. Located directly on the Circle in front of Café L’Europe, cars stack up and creep out of the parking area into the roadway, they say.

As a result, Lyons said, the city has issued a formal warning to Southwest. If the city notes further issues, it could revoke Southwest’s permit. Although the operator wasn’t popular among BID meeting attendees, Lyons stressed the need for balance when addressing the issues.

“It’s tricky to navigate,” Lyons said. “We know that valet service is a benefit to the community, and we need to have that benefit there.”

Southwest owner Rodney Tregembo says the complaint details two isolated incidents — one in which a customer was upset with the standard $5 fee and another in which an illegally parked car impacted valet operations during a special event weekend. He said he wasn’t aware of the incident Rappaport described.

"We know that valet service is a benefit to the community, and we need to have that benefit there." — Mark Lyons

Tregembo, who oversees other valet services in the city, thinks there have been relatively few issues at the St. Armands location considering the longevity of the operation.

“We’ve been out there for 15 years,” Tregembo said. “You’re going to have your challenges.”

Although just two specific complaints were noted in the complaint, Lyons said the city has observed several other violations of valet ordinances on the Circle.

BID meeting attendees suggested the valet stand be moved from its current location. Café L’Europe used to subsidize the service, which made St. Armands stakeholders willing to accept a less-than-ideal location. Now that the valet charges for its service, some stakeholders suggest a change is in order.

Tregembo disagreed with the idea the location is a problem. He said a majority of his customers come from Café L’Europe, which still signs off on the valet operation’s application with the city despite not offering a financial contribution.

“I really don’t understand what the issue is with this staging area,” Tregembo said. “I think it’s the best location, right there in front of Cafe L’Europe.”

He did suggest one change: In the past, Tregembo said, the city offered the valet service designated parking spaces in the nearby public lot on North Adams Drive. Now, it takes about twice as long to park cars along Boulevard of the Presidents.

“I think the location of not only the staging area but where we’re allowed to park our cars is something that needs to be considered,” Tregembo said.

"Where we’re allowed to park our cars is something that needs to be considered." — Rodney Tregembo

Lyons said Southwest is bound by the same regulations that apply to any other valet service.

“We leave public parking spaces to the public, and a valet that’s charging for parking has been tasked with finding their own parking,” Lyons said. “That goes for every valet in town, except under unusual and extreme situations.”

A new operator could also be necessary, several attendees said. In addition to the congestion, residents and merchants reported valet attendants were parking cars on residential streets and in other restricted areas.

Lyons is hopeful that problems will subsist following the warning, but others believe the issues warrant a search for a new valet company.

“I think the city has the responsibility to put that out for bid,” Rappaport said. “It’s hurting the businesses that are there and impeding traffic.”