Letters: The Island is fragile
To the Editor:
The State of Florida recognized the environmental sensitivity of our island by establishing it as a State Conservation District in the Gasparilla Island Conservation District Act of 1980.
The Boca Grande Community Plan was adopted by ordinance into the Lee Plan in 2005. The primary Objective, 22.1, is as follows; “to preserve the traditional character, scale and tranquility of the historic village and residential areas of the Boca Grande Community by continuing to limit densities and intensities of use and development to sustainable levels that will not adversely impact the natural environment, overburden the existing infrastructure or require additions to the present infrastructure”.
Gasparilla Island is a fragile, environmentally sensitive barrier island. It is only about seven miles long and 1/2 mile at its widest point. Our only access on or off is a two-lane road that can’t be widened.
We are seeing the increasing degradation of our Historic District and its residential beach street neighborhoods, which on many days, are completely overrun. Parking is chaotic and overflowing into areas that cause safety issues. Trash, noise, security and sanitary issues have been a terrible problem in our residential neighborhoods for some time and are getting worse. Our little island simply does not have the physical capacity, especially in the Historic District to accommodate the large crowds from off island who are coming here now, and there is no sustainable way to deal with them in the future.
Now it is particularly urgent to deal with this problem because of the unprecedented, rapid development occurring not only in Cape Haze, which has over 87,000 platted lots, but also in south Sarasota County and North Port which has been named the fastest growing area in the nation! Numerous subdivisions and thousands of residential units are well underway along Winchester Boulevard and River Road out to I-75.
A structured parking plan will preserve the ability of the churches to park on the Gilchrist median on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (even though there is abundant, legal parking available on Sundays within a short walking distance.) For other church functions and special community events parking will be allowed by an easy to obtain permit. This is the only legal way to prevent the Gilchrist median from becoming a beach parking lot all day, every day which it soon will be, to the exclusion of all local needs. The small beach accesses on residential streets in the Historic District should be reserved for island residents, renters and hotel guests.
South of the village, are large four State Park beaches which are beautiful, wide and have parking and restroom facilities. They are where the off island visitors should go to spend a day at the beach.
Lynn Seibert
Boca Grande
