GMD renaming would require homework from residents, businesses

The Florida Department of Transportation’s removal of street signs on Longboat Key’s main road has led to an avalanche of opinions from residents — and questions.

Not a diverse range of opinions, they can be broken down into two categories: change the name or keep it the same. Initial tallying of input from town staff shows the latter is much preferred.

Town Mayor Ken Schneier said Friday that resident sentiment remains about five to one in favor of keeping the name of the road Gulf of Mexico Drive, and that recent discussions with FDOT have confirmed to him that the decision on what to name the road is a town decision.

“They can decide what the body of water is called, and they have, but they can’t decide what our road is called, and they haven’t,” Schneier said.

A change of address would certainly require a lift from residents. Documents, identification cards, banking statements and insurance policies all have addresses on them. 

Residents may wonder what documents they need to change, who to contact and what to do if their address were to change. 

Audrey Bear, a 17-year resident of Longboat Key, said she is concerned about older residents on the Key having to navigate those questions alone. Though she doesn’t live on the road, she has been vocal in her opposition to the idea of renaming Gulf of Mexico Drive, which she calls a vanity project by the state.

“Who knows how long it’ll take,” she said. “People who are 80 or above, when they worked, they didn’t use internet.”

According to Census Data, 20% of Longboat Key’s population is 80 or above, and 34% are in their 70s.

Schneier said the hassle of an address change for older residents is something the commission will consider when they hold a workshop to discuss the topic on Oct. 20.

“We have an older population here, and I know from personal experience, meaning my own, that we’re not as all tech savvy as the younger crowd,” Schneier said. “So if the name of the road is changed, and there is whatever you would consider a material amount of work and/or cost involved in a name change, it adds to the cons of considering a name change.”

Bear said those receiving Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security benefits would likely have trouble navigating the website or reaching the correct line by telephone. 

Going to an office in person also poses challenges for some older residents. 

Medicare is run by Social Security, and federal cuts to the department could cause additional headaches, Bear said.

Financially, the impacts to residents will likely be minimal. But the time and effort could overwhelm residents, Bear said.

“Time when you’re old can become emotional,” she said. “I worry that some residents will have to hire people to help them. I think it’s a royal, royal pain.”

What would it cost residents?

Replacing a drivers license is not free. 

But residents wouldn’t need to shell out any money if the road they are living on changes its name, unlike a change of address due to moving.

“When an address change is Post Office directed, there is no fee to replace a driver’s license or identification card for an address change only,” said Sarasota County Tax Collector Director of Customer Offices Wendy Montgomery in an email. “However, to process this transaction at no cost, the current driver’s license or identification card must be surrendered at time of service and a letter from the Post Office or local jurisdiction directing the address change is required.”

If the municipality notifies the post office of a road change and the USPS updates its databases, it is considered a Post Office directed address change, meaning the drivers license replacement would be free of charge, Montgomery said.

United States Postal Office spokesperson Carol Hunt said the Post Office plays no role in assigning or designating street names. Counties or municipalities make determinations on what to name streets, roads or highways, and the Post Office updates its databases when it is notified of said changes.

“There is no need for customers to submit a change-of-address request form and there is no cost incurred as it relates to the Postal Service or to mail delivery service,” Hunt said in an email. “However, we do encourage customers to update their personal contacts and records to reflect their new address.”

When a county notifies the USPS of an address change, USPS forwards mail from the old address to the new address for 12 months from the county’s notification, giving a year for changes to be made with vendors.

To help residents navigate address changes, Sarasota County put together an “address change resource guide” which explains what residents do and don’t need to do when the county changes the name of a road they live on.

According to the guide, Sarasota County sends memos to eight county departments (Emergency Services, Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department, GIS, Property Appraiser, County Utilities, Waste Management and Voter Registration), USPS, FPL and Verizon notifying them of the address change when there is a county-initiated change. 

“Although these agencies receive official notification from Sarasota County regarding address changes, it is recommended that the property owner also contact these agencies to make sure the changes have been made,” the guide reads.

Municipalities would be tasked with notifying departments about any change to a local road, including the renaming of Gulf of Mexico Drive, a county spokesperson said.

Property deeds would not need to be changed as the legal description would remain the same, and the address listed on the deed “only serves as additional information,” according to the guide.

Wills, too, would not need updating, said attorney Roger Lutz of the lawfirm Lutz, Bobo & Telfair. He said it’s very common for wills to be written 10 or 15 years before a person dies, and addresses listed on wills are commonly out of date and irrelevant to the content of the will. If there were a challenge due to the address, which Lutz said is unlikely, then the legal principle known as judicial notice would come into play.

“If someone said ‘hey that’s not a real will he lived on Gulf of America not Gulf of Mexico,’ then the judge would say I give judicial notice that the name of the road changed,” Lutz said. “It’s for things that are abundantly clear beyond dispute. Like that, it’s hot in Florida in the summer time.”

‘A headache’ for businesses

Gulf of Mexico Drive is the main road on Longboat Key. The only way on and only way off the island by car. Strategically, it’s a smart place to locate a business.

Photo by S.T. Cardinal

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill general manager Wil Stutzman said a road name change would be “a huge headache” for his restaurant.

Stutzman said it’s hard to even quantify the amount of work or the cost it would have.

“I mean, think about it. You have your mortgage. You have all your electric, all your bills, all your purveyors. Your banking, financial. Every aspect of everything has to be changed out,” Stutzman said. “Is it a pretty big job? Yeah, it is. It’s not just a matter of ordering new business cards. We have to change our address with every single company we do business with. That’s a pretty large job for us.”

Stutzman is against changing the name of Gulf of Mexico Drive, calling it an unnecessary hassle for businesses on the Key.

“Just because the Gulf has changed, why does that mean the street signs have to change? It’s a part of our history,” Stutzman asked. “It’s affecting every single person that has businesses or residents that have businesses on Longboat Key. It’s impacting a huge portion, if not 90% of the residents that live out here.”