Unkempt lots a town concern in Longboat

Weeds, overgrown grass and litter have attracted the attention of residents and town staff.

By S.T. Cardinal
| 5:00 a.m. January 19, 2026

A vacant lot on N. Shore Road has some weed growth and is littered with debris from a fallen fence.

Longboat Key
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After a post-hurricane year of leniency in 2025, Longboat Key code enforcement is beginning to crack down on lots with overgrown vegetation.

Town Manager Howard Tipton told commissioners at the Monday, Jan. 12 town commission meeting that the town had taken a less-strict approach to lot maintenance in the aftermath of Helene and Milton in 2024.

“Not that we need to be reminded, but we had a pretty significant storm impact in 2024, and so we have been lenient in working with property owners who have gone through some difficult times and in the process of tearing down or elevating or whatever they’re doing to their property,” Tipton said. “So there has been a little more leniency than you would typically see, but it’s been over a year now. The time is right.”

Longboat Key North co-chair Maureen Merrigan said she had noticed lots near her North Shore Road home becoming overgrown and littered with garbage. That led to her reaching out to town leaders with her concerns. Commissioner Debra Williams brought up the issue at Monday’s commission meeting.

“A couple days ago I had the opportunity to do a little drive around the north end, Longbeach, the Village, North Shore Drive, and there’s a lot of empty lots there. A lot of them gone through redevelopment, and some of them look like they’re just kind of neglected,” Williams said. “I was just wondering if we could get code enforcement out there and just enforce what needs to be done. Obviously, some of them are currently in transition, but I think a lot of them are just sitting the way they are with a lot of landscape debris on them, silt fences that have seen better days. I’m just wondering if we could get code enforcement out there and get the stuff cleaned up.”

A commercial lot near Whitney Plaza, also on the north end, has gotten some attention from town leaders as well. At-large commissioner BJ Bishop said she had heard concerns from Whitney Plaza business owners regarding the state of the lot, which she said had 2-foot-tall grass growing on it. Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman said code enforcement was aware of the issue and they were working with the property owners to bring the lot into compliance.

When asked why the town did not simply fine the property owner, Brownman said that option is still on the table but signaled that working amenably with the property owner is preferable. That strategy mirrors how the town generally approaches code violations, Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons said.

“The overall goal of code enforcement is compliance with whatever the town code requirement is. In some cases, the property owner may not be aware that there is a certain requirement, so we start first with awareness and education,” he said. “We’re not after fining people. We don’t start with that.”

What Town Code says

In March of 2023, the town passed an ordinance which established new property maintenance standards (town code Ch. 104) that follow the International Property Maintenance Code, with locally specific amendments added. The IPMC regulates the height of weeds or plant growth, allowing municipalities to define what that height is: for Longboat Key, that’s 12 inches, according to a page on the town’s website.

Other relevant regulations include town code Ch. 104.04.A.1, which states that “Premises shall be maintained free from overgrowth of trees and shrubs which interfere with vehicular traffic or boat navigation, create a hazard to vehicular traffic or boat navigation, or which tend to create a nuisance or other unsightly condition.” Unsightly condition being a subjective term means the town’s code enforcement department may make decisions on a case-to-case basis.

Chapter 95, section 16 of town code describes unlawful deposits, saying it is unlawful for “any person to place or deposit garbage, garden trash, brush, or rubbish on the premises of another, whether the premises are improved or vacant.”

Town code 95.25 also prohibits the accumulation of “junk,” which is defined specifically as wrecked or abandoned cars; abandoned mattresses, beds or bed frames; rags; abandoned iceboxes, refrigerators or stoves; and obsolescent machinery or metal objects. Accumulation of “junk” within town limits is unlawful and can lead to fines by code enforcement.

Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons said code enforcement usually follows a process for violations which start with a courtesy contact, then a notice of violation. After that, the issue could either head to a special magistrate hearing or a citation. If the issue still persists, the last resort is to place a lie on the property, which imposes a fine that can accumulate on a daily basis. Parsons said property owners are given the opportunity to come into code compliance in between each of these steps.

author

S.T. Cardinal

S.T. "Tommy" Cardinal is the Longboat Key news reporter. The Sarasota native earned a degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando with a minor in environmental studies. In Central Florida, Cardinal worked for a monthly newspaper covering downtown Orlando and College Park. He then worked for a weekly newspaper in coastal South Carolina where he earned South Carolina Press Association awards for his local government news coverage and photography.