Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/102968
A TOE IN THE WATER Sarasota city parking officials still are trying to remedy parking problems on St. Armands Key. Photo by Norman Schimmel VISITORS' PARKING PASSES TRIAL RUN UNDER WAY ALONG SOUTH WASHINGTON DRIVE ON ST. ARMANDS KEY By Stan Zimmerman City Editor Big-city residents know them well — the little bind. Situated on South Washington Drive, its windshield stickers that say, "Resident," and parking area is often swamped by employees exempt the car from tickets for violating time of St. Armands' businesses. restrictions. "We've been testing for the last month or so," Sarasota is sticking a little toe in that water Lyons said. The visitor passes allow cars to for visitors along St. Armands' South Wash- remain without tickets. ington Drive. The venture is the first attempt by the city to Parking Manager Mark Lyons told the Downuse parking passes for specific groups. The town Improvement District on Jan. 8 that he is testing the idea of a visitors' sticker at the drivers could be visitors, residents or workers Kingston Arms Apartment Complex on St. Ar- in a specific area. mands Key. Lyons says, "We've been on a rollercoaster Kingston residents were hit hard when the ride over parking for the past 18 months." City of Sarasota instituted uniform regulations The ride is not over. DID member Tom Manfor parking, because their guests could not esnausa said he had seen, while walking around cape parking tickets under the new regime. "It's an impossible situation," Jim Morrison, a lower Main Street, "visitors didn't know its resident of the complex, said in late October. three hours." Although the city dropped its one-size-fits-all "Just to clarify: It's two hours downtown," said parking regulations, Kingston was still in a Lyons of the current parking time limit. %