Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/215277
Sarasota News Leader November 22, 2013 Page 124 Siesta Seen that people will be charging visitors to park Just two days earlier, Sgt. Steve Leavitt of the in their yards again once season begins in ear- Sarasota County Sheriff's Office told SKVA nest, even though that is prohibited by law. members at their meeting how much busier "We'll do our best to enforce what we can on the beach has been in recent weeks. Officers it," Lally pointed out of Code Enforcement have seen quite a number of students from staff. "It's kind of a shame for our tourists to northern states who apparently had two come here and can't find a parking spot. … weeks of fall break, he noted, for one example. We spend millions of dollars to get our tourists here," he pointed out, but they have a lot "I've seen a lot more activity here in the of trouble finding parking spaces they can Village," he added, "and we're starting to see the snowbirds come back." lawfully use. While he spoke early this year of his own proposal for a Gulf-side structure housing a parking deck with a restaurant on top, he continued, he keeps hearing that is not a viable option. And even though the improvements planned at Siesta Public Beach include 130 new parking spaces, he said, "they really need about 450 new spots." "It's cold up North already," Gaddie responded with a laugh. "It is getting cold up North," Leavitt concurred. After Lally completed his report to SKA members (see more details in the Nov. 15 Siesta Seen), he bid them goodbye, saying, "I'll go give my parking space up to somebody." % A week before the opening of the 2013 Crystal Classic, plenty of visitors were spread across the wide swath of Siesta Public Beach. Photo by Rachel Hackney