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Sarasota News Leader September 6, 2013 Page 60 sioner Joe Barbetta voiced agreement. No other board members offered a comment. Marlene Merkle, the Avenida de Mayo resident who petitioned the county's Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) last year to address the parking problem, told The Sarasota News Leader this week she was pleased with the action. No one representing the county had notified her of it, she added. "Oh, that would be wonderful," she said when the News Leader relayed the board decision to her on Sept. 3. Asked if the parking problems had persisted since she appeared before the County Commission in May as a follow-up to the TAC meeting, Merkle said, "Sometimes it's not as bad, but [Labor Day weekend] was a mess." The municipal lot in Siesta Village — which has an entry/exit onto Avenida de Mayo — was full by 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, she continued, and cars again were parked all along Merkle's street. A MONTHS-LONG PROCESS Cars are double-parked on Avenida de Mayo near the Canal Road intersection. Photo courtesy of Marlene Merkle Merkle explained that residents on the street where she has lived for 25 years occasionally had experienced problems with parking, but the situation has grown worse over the past few years because of the street's close proximity to Siesta Village and beach accesses. "I don't know if [fire trucks and rescue squads On March 11, Merkle appeared before just would] be able to get down our street if there four members of the eight-person TAC who were a true emergency," Merkle added. were present to hear her request a parking She provided photos showing vehicles douban at least on one side of Avenida de Mayo. ble-parked, parked next to a fire hydrant and Because the advisory board had so few memblocking the line of sight of drivers trying to bers in attendance, TAC Chairman Frank Do- turn onto Avenida de Mayo from side streets. mingo recommended forwarding the matter to the County Commission after a 2-2 vote on The commissioners split 3-2 on a vote to deny Merkle's request. However, the motion Patterthe request. son put forth that day called for county transOn May 21, Merkle told the commissioners portation staff to work with Tobias' office and she was seeking a ban on parking on the south the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office on a recside of Avenida de Mayo, which connects Ca- ommendation regarding routine parking vional Road to Avenida del Norte just outside Si- lations along the street that might hamper the esta Village. passage of emergency vehicles.