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PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — FDOT crews are exhausting at work in Pinellas County making modifications to Gandy Beach, the bayfront space along Gandy Boulevard in St. Petersburg simply earlier than the bridge into Tampa.
It’s a sizzling spot for weekend gatherings, however FDOT leaders who’re accountable for sustaining the realm say beachgoers are wreaking havoc on the atmosphere.
So, FDOT crews at the moment are drilling into the sand and placing up 880 wood bollards, or posts, to forestall drivers from parking on and in the mangroves, and stop in a single day tenting and different unlawful actions.
The $70,753.20 undertaking additionally contains including a gate in the open sand space closest to the bridge. This will forestall vehicles from pulling up on the sand however will nonetheless enable folks to stroll up.
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FDOT stated drivers will probably be ready to park along Gandy Boulevard on the opposite aspect of the posts and gate and will probably be ready to entry the waterfront by strolling.
Dawn Christopher and Mark Gilleski go to Gandy Beach continuously. They stated on a weekday, the realm is paradise, however by the weekend, all the pieces modifications.
“People just come down here, and they’re cutting up the trees so they can park and party. There’s trash all over the place,” defined Christopher as she identified locations on the mangroves the place branches have been clearly severed off.
“People destroy it on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and then they try to clean it up Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and then they do it all over again,” Gilleski added.
FDOT instructed ABC Action News that they’d had experiences of individuals chopping the mangroves, burning them, and even parking underneath them and tenting out in a single day. Those are all issues they hope the brand new posts will forestall.
“We’re not taking any of the waterway activities away. We just want people to be respectful of the environment out there,” defined FDOT spokesperson Kris Carson. “The parking is still there. What we’re taking away essentially is where people can drive their cars up to the mangrove area which is going to protect people from damaging them.”
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Carson added that FDOT can be planning to put in extra trash cans and signage about littering.
“Last Labor Day weekend, we picked up over 10,000 pounds of trash. Every weekend it’s between 5,000 and 8,000 pounds of trash,” she elaborated.
Gilleski helps the undertaking and stated he hopes it’ll preserve Gandy Beach clear, secure, and guarded.
“Maybe this will teach people a little bit more respect for what’s here and what is offered for us for free. It’s still free. Go to the beach. You’ll pay $20 in 3 hours just to park. Respect where you live and love where you live,” he stated.
The work on the posts is predicted to wrap up inside just a few days. From there, FDOT will plant new mangroves, which they hope could have a greater likelihood to develop and flourish.
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