Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/115375
Sarasota News Leader March 15, 2013 Page 46 I'm not sure who put them there, to be honest, the stretch of Avenida de Mayo from Canal Road to Avenida de Cortez. sir." When Domingo then questioned Montague about whether the curb was too high for vehicles to get over it easily, Montague responded, "It looks like a high-back curb." Instead of a parking prohibition, Weiss suggested more traffic enforcement. "There's not enough parking for Siesta Key," he added, noting some residents charge people to park in their driveways. A second petitioner, Pat Conti, who lives at 339 Avenida de Mayo, told the TAC, "To get "I'm all for entrepreneurial spirit," Domingo out of my driveway — it's almost impossible." said, but he added he did not believe it is legal for anyone to lease a driveway for vehicle She added that she almost struck two children parking. on skateboards last week because vehicles along Avenida de Mayo prevented her from Weiss also pointed out that once the municipal spotting them when she was trying to pull into lot becomes full, people park at its entrance and exit, leaving only one lane of traffic open. the street. Furthermore, she said, children getting on and off a school bus that stops on Avenida de Mayo are in danger because of the vehicles blocking the line of sight. "It's really, really quite bad," Conti added. "When there's a festival, there's parking everywhere," Weiss continued. After Domingo closed the public hearing, Swartz pointed out, "Parking is certainly always an issue in an area that's heavily congested with business." He characterized a vote on BUSINESS REPERCUSSIONS the petition as a "toss-up situation," because When Swartz then asked Montague how many it involved both residential and commercial vehicles would be prevented from parking interests. along Avenida de Mayo if the TAC approved Swartz made the motion to deny Merkle's rethe request and the County Commission conquest; Seckendorf seconded it. curred, Montague told him, "We've not done an analysis …." Domingo and Capt. John Donavan of the Florida Highway Patrol voted against the motion. Domingo pointed out that parking issues on Siesta Key are "a big deal," more so than in "I was a little surprised," Merkle said of the other areas of the county. vote. Still, she is happy she will have another chance to make her case. Then a third speaker asked to address the council. "We may have lost the battle," she continued, "but we haven't lost the war." Stefan Weiss, the general manager of the new Eat Here restaurant on Avenida Madura, told In the meantime, she said, she is taking more the TAC members he estimated as many as 50 photos, which she plans to submit to the vehicles at a time on a weekend day park on County Commission. %