Lido residents again plead for help to stop weekend partying at county park
In response to pleas from South Lido Key residents — and a formal request of the Sarasota County Commission — the staff of the county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department (PRNR) has reported that “multiple options” exist in regard to county regulation of motorboats and watercraft at Ted Sperling Park on South Lido.
However, the April 24 staff document does caution, “It is important to note that there are some pros and cons to each of the options …”
The commissioners had voted to seek the report following discussion during their regular meeting on March 26.
As The Sarasota News Leader has reported, in May 2024, residents who live on Lido Key, close to the county’s Ted Sperling Park on the southernmost portion of that barrier island, complained to the county commissioners about a multitude of safety issues on weekends, especially, with numbers of people on jet skis threatening wildlife and the environment with what speakers described as “dangerous and unsafe” behavior.
One Lido resident — David Rayner — told the commissioners that he had learned through a public records request that, “Over the course of 2022 and 2023, there were 320 police incidents of accident, nuisance or crime reported at the park. … “No other park in the county has this poor a record.”
Rayner was back before the County Commission during its regular meeting on May 19, voicing his support for “the proposed prohibitions and restrictions at Ted Sperling Park related to motorized watercraft.”
Another Lido resident, Celine O’Connor, who had addressed the board on March 26, also appeared during the May 19 Open to the Public comment period. She showed the board members a series short videos that she took within the park on Sunday, May 18, she said, apologizing for the shakiness of some of them by explaining that she was trying to take the footage “while being verbally abused …”
Video scenes showed jet skis lining the park’s shoreline, as well as swimmers in the water, even though swimming off the park is a violation of a county ordinance, O’Connor stressed.
Referencing shots of jet skis in the water, she explained, “The larger the wave, the faster they’re going.”
Yet, in an email exchange she had with a county staff member last week, O’Connor stressed to the commissioners, the staff member maintained that the launch of jet skis from Ted Sperling Park “rarely occurs.”
She also talked about stereo equipment in multiple vehicle trunks that she noted was “electronically connected,” so the music could be broadcast loudly on the beach.
“I live three blocks from the park,” O’Connor pointed out. “I can hear that music inside my condo.”
A few quiet months before the crowds return
Because of extensive damage during the 2024 storm season, Ted Sperling Park ended up being closed from the latter part of September 2024 until March 17 of this year. That prompted O’Connor and a second Lido resident, Gina Vutera, to appear before the commissioners on March 26. That day, both women implored the board members to impose stricter regulations on activities within the park, to safeguard the public as well as wildlife.
Later on March 26, Commissioner Mark Smith brought up the remarks and suggested a “board report” on the issues — building upon an analysis that the PRNR staff undertook in 2024.
County Administrator Jonathan Lewis proposed that Smith include in his motion the direction to staff to look specifically at Chapter 130 of the county’s Code of Ordinances; Smith took Lewis’ advice.
The motion seeking the board report won unanimous commission approval.
Potential hazards to visitors and boaters
Completed on April 25, the county staff report explains that Ted Sperling Park encompasses more than 150 acres. It consists of two primary areas, the report adds: Ted Sperling Nature Park and Ted Sperling Park at South Lido Beach. The latter area, the report notes, “is located at the meeting point of the Gulf, Big Pass, Sarasota Bay, and Brushy Bayou.”
Then it points out that, because of “the strong currents from these converging waters,” South Lido Beach “is not designated as a swimming or bathing area. However, the inland waters along the bayside of the park are very popular for motorized and non-motorized boating activity.”
Further, the report says that the accessibility of South Lido Beach “to downtown Sarasota, marinas, boat ramps, retail shops, and restaurants makes the park a very popular destination for local and visiting boaters.”
At times, the report continues, the number of watercraft and the level of watercraft activity “and anchoring or mooring in the waters just off the park can pose a hazard to park visitors and other boaters.”
The report also acknowledges county residents’ and visitors’ growing demand for boater access to county-managed beaches and parks with water access. Thus, all of those sites have the potential for the types of mooring and anchoring issues that occur at South Lido Beach. “However,” the report points out, “for various reasons,” including environmental conditions, the amount of available open space and ease of access, “many other similar sites have not received the same level of mooring and anchoring pressure.”
In fact, the report says, the PRNR staff anticipates that the reopening of Siesta Key’s Midnight Pass by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 likely will increase mooring and anchoring activities at the county’s Palmer Point Park.
The County Code and the options for more enforcement
The report does explain, “Section 130-33 of the [County] Code includes restrictions regarding the operation of Motorboats and Watercraft near the Gulf shore and marked areas as well as the associated enforcement and penalties.” Those regulations are found in Sections (k) and (m) of that part of the Code, the report added.
Section (k) reads as follows:
- (1) “No Person shall Operate any Motorboat or Watercraft within a swimming /bathing area which has been clearly marked by duly authorized buoys or other distinguishing devices.
- (2) “No Person shall Operate any Motorboat or Watercraft within 500 feet of any public beach on the Gulf of Mexico customarily used for swimming /bathing.
- (3) “Notwithstanding language in subsections (1) and (2) above, [t]his section does not prohibit the use of inflatable rafts and inner tubes within such areas.”
The following is Section (m):
- (1) “The provisions of this section shall be enforced by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. A violation of this section shall be treated as a misdemeanor as provided by [Florida Statute] 125.69.
- (2) “Pursuant to [Florida Statute] 327.22, noncriminal violations of [that law] relating to the careless operation of a vessel likely to cause injury or damage to any Person or property within any area designated under subsections (f), (g), (h), (i) and (k) of this section may be enforced by citation mailed to the registered owner of the vessel.”
Subsections (f), (g), (h) and (i) are below:
Further, the April 25 report notes, Chapter 90, Article II, of the County Code “governs the use of parks, beaches and public land. Specifically, [Section] 90-33 lists the prohibited conditions, activities or uses.” No restrictions related to the operation of motorboats and watercraft near public beaches or the Gulf shore are included in Chapter 90, the report points out.
Moreover, the report continues, since Ted Sperling Park is located within the City of Sarasota’s jurisdiction, “[I]t is important to consider the municipal code as well.” Then the report includes the following from Division I, Section 10-22 of that code:
“No person shall operate any motorboat or other vessel in excess of idle speed within three hundred (300) feet of any land in the city fronting on the Gulf of Mexico except in areas designated by the [City Commission] as a corridor for shore access, after public hearing, and when such access corridors are marked by distinguishing devices.”
The pros and cons
The report provides the following tables showing the pros and cons of options that the county commissioners could consider:
Finally, the report points to “[a]dditional considerations and potential staff action items associated with this assignment.” Those are as follows:
- “Coordinating with the City of Sarasota would be essential for enforcement and consistency.
- Amendments made to Chapter 130 in the County Code could have an impact on Chapter 90, which “governs the use of parks, beaches and public land,” the report notes.
- PRNR staff will continue to collaborate with its law enforcement partners to provide park rule enforcement within PRNR-managed parks.
- A committee comprising representatives “from applicable County departments and partner agencies” could conduct a full review of Chapter 130.
- An interlocal agreement between the county and the municipalities, regarding regulation of motorboats and watercraft use in public waterways within the county, could be developed.
Further, the report indicates that the commissioners should consider updating the hours of use in Section 130-43(2) of the County Code “to match those listed in Chapter 90,” which calls for county parks to be closed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. every day.
Additionally, the report suggested that the commissioners could call for the PRNR staff to consult with the staff of the City of Sarasota, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) “on enforcement capabilities of proposed amendments and other options.”
Finally, the report pointed out that the county might have to shoulder expenses “associated with the installation, maintenance and monitoring of new regulatory signage and required permitting,” adding that “community engagement and education” would be necessary if the commissioners approved County Code changes.