Right-of-Way Town Hall Summary
Our impression of the Right of Ways Town Hall Meeting.
By most accounts, it was a disaster. Nearly everyone walked away angry and for different reasons. Many felt that the head of Public Works did not seem well informed. So how did this happen?
Let’s start with the facts.
- There is an ordinance that requires a permit or variance to work within the right of ways.
- ROW encroachment without a permit or variance is a code violation that is complaint driven. However, the County stopped allowing complaints to be anonymous. Some residents felt uncomfortable identifying themselves in complaints, so they went to the R&B committee. The chair filed the complaints on their behalf.
- Why were there complaints? Because most of the violations impeded parking near the beach easements. Islanders want to be able to park their golf carts near the accesses. Other issues involved safety, road maintenance and drainage.
So, why was there a meeting?
The County stopped enforcing the ROW ordinance and would not resume until they felt they had “guidance” from the community. Many Islanders did not know there was even a problem. But early on in the meeting, it was clear that there were two separate issues that were being merged together.
- Parking. Beach renourishment funding is contingent on a fixed number of parking spaces available near the public beach accesses. Download a PDF of those parking spaces. This is a clear, shelled area on both sides of the road that was established and mapped when the funding was first approved.
- Safety. A clear ROW provides a place for a vehicle or pedestrian to get off the road if suddenly needed. Things allowed in an ROW must yield on impact, such as low vegetation.
What was controversial?
- Parking primarily impacts beachfront owners. Some feel they are being singled out for code enforcement when there are violations Island-wide.
- Many homeowners inherited landscaped ROWs and don’t want to clear them.
To complicate the safety issue, the head of Public Works acknowledged that narrower, winding roads with vegetation on the sides is a “traffic calming” technique that slows down speeders.
Was there a resolution?
Not really. Someone called ROW encroachment “an insoluble problem that needs a solution.” The County’s solution is to hold two town hall meetings and gather input from the community. They will then present their recommendations to the County Commissioners who will then vote on the action to be taken.
The first town hall was held on August 18th. There will be another public meeting organized by the County in the Fall.
