A small bayside park in Key Largo remains closed through Labor Day as county commissioners seek solutions to parking and overuse issues.
At a July 22 meeting, Monroe County Board of County Commissioners decided to keep the park on Bay Drive closed through at least Labor Day while alternative options are still being discussed.
Complaints by residents of the Bay Harbor and Sunset Point subdivisions, which surround the county-owned park, led to the park’s closure before the Fourth of July weekend. During a special meeting in June, the board approved a resolution to prohibit parking on county rights-of-way in the subdivisions. They also closed the area between Bay Harbor Drive and the water while alternatives are investigated for safe use of the park and its eventual reopening.
Users frequently exceed the limited parking by leaving vehicles and boat trailers on the shoulder of the narrow neighborhood roads, which causes traffic problems, safety issues and difficulty for residents entering and leaving driveways.
To mitigate some of the issues, roads in the Bay Harbor and Sunset Point subdivisions are designated as a no-parking, -standing, or -stopping area. “No Parking” signs were posted that will include the noncriminal civil penalty set at $200.
At the Bay Drive property, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is authorized to issue trespass warnings and can arrest any person who is found at the park. The area will remain closed until the commission approves an alternative management plan for the site at a future board meeting. Sunset Point Park remains open with limited parking.
Commissioners do not plan on divesting the property, as it allows all residents access to the water. However, limiting access to weekdays or implementing user fees are being considered as possible solutions.
A once hidden gem, the park on Bay Drive has evolved into a popular spot, known by visitors and day-trippers. It’s located next to a larger private park that members of the local homeowners association use.
“It’s a short-term solution for a long-term problem that needs to be addressed,” County Commissioner Mike Forster told the Weekly. “For now, these no-parking signs on the right-of-way will definitely stem the amount of traffic and quantity of boat trailers and trucks.”
