Quiet Gilchrist, but overflowing Gasparilla Island State Park
This weekend on Gasparilla Island was not a major holiday, just a plain old summer weekend. The weather was clear, and visitors came, while so many of our regulars have gone home. The tarpon crowd kept restaurants busy Saturday night.
In the story of parking, it was a tale of two places, one Gilchrist Avenue, and another the parking areas of the Gasparilla Island State Park.
Gilchrist Avenue, which over Memorial Day was bustling with parked beach cars, was completely, and utterly empty, except for a few attendees at island churches on Sunday morning where there are fewer people in the seats over the weekend. Numbered side streets were half full with cars, at best.
It was a different story at Gasparilla Island State Park, where all of their parking lots were overflowing, with signs out front. Ditto at the Range Light parking lot, and at the Sea Grape parking lot.
Above, 3 p.m., Sunday, June 9. The packed parking lot of Gasparilla Island State Park at the south end.
Photos by Dusty
But while the parking availability was different, there was a common denominator. In both places, there were raucous people on the beach. Very large parties, with louder music, and obvious hidden alcohol. Toward the end of the day, things were not as wholesome as we have seen in previous years. There were some tough crowds, both at 4th Street and at the Lighthouse beach. These crowds have been a chief issue of those who wish to control parking on Gilchrist. But this weekend, that parking availability made not one whit of a difference on what was happening on the beach, in any location. The groups gathered were also larger, with less children and grandparents, which had been sort of typical in previous seasons.
These gatherings were adult parties, with adult beverages and adult music. A certain amount of this is to be expected at public beaches, but in this situation, whether there was plenty of parking, or not, did not affect what the beach felt like.
That is an issue we can all deal with now. The Sheriff’s Department would like to have volunteer Civilian Support Unit, for instance. This would be eyes and ears for our full-time deputies. This system works in other areas of Lee County, and Charlotte County has a similar team, often seen at Placida Park. Perhaps a sort of turtle patrol for human problems, we guess?
Whatever the issue, the parking is merely a symptom; the problems are far more complex.
Garland Pollard is the editor of the Boca Beacon. Email editor@bocabeacon.com.
