Garrison Bight parking problem to be resolved for charter boats

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

Christmas came early for charter boat operators at Garrison Bight.

After years of requesting a solution to the confusing traffic pattern that makes it difficult for customers to get to their charter boat, the city will spend $67,000 to create a new driveway cut off of Palm Avenue, reversing the current flow of traffic that forces drivers to enter on the opposite side of Palm Avenue from where the charter boats are actually docked.

The new 30-foot driveway cut will be located on the east side of Palm Avenue and provide a new entrance off of Palm Avenue. The driveway can be used by drivers going to both Charter Boat Row and the residential section of Garrison Bight where 109 residents live on their boats and floating homes. Currently, drivers enter the Bight parking area on the west side of Palm Avenue, then have to drive several blocks on an access road parallel to the avenue, pass under the Palm Avenue bridge and retrace their drive on another access road to get to the charter boats and parking.

Often, frustrated drivers park in the Bight residential parking area because they don’t know where to go.

“It’s very difficult for them to get in,” said Key West Charter Boat Association President Brice Barr. “They run into a one-way [street] or do not enter, then they have to exit the marina and they can’t get back in.”

“At the end of the day, you have 26 family businesses that you can’t legally get to using the address of the marina,” said charter boat operator Gill Scott.

There were a few concerns about reversing the traffic pattern from some of the liveaboard residents, changing from counter-clockwise to clockwise. Vehicles towing boats could become a “major source” of congestion, said vessel resident Colleen Hough, because they will have to encroach into the left lane of Palm Avenue in order to swing wide enough to make the new right turn into the marina. In addition, she said in an email to City Commissioner Sam Kaufman, who represents the district, the new traffic configuration may bring more people walking on the liveaboard side of the marina who are not residents.

“I don’t favor that all the commercial traffic will be funneled into the residential side.  It seems like a lot of noise and exhaust, especially for residents of Dolphin Pier,” Hough wrote.

But Doug Bradshaw, Key West Director of Port and Marine Services, said the new driveway cut will be wide enough to allow trailers to easily make the turn. And added congestion for drivers trying to exit the marina through the new cut may occur “once in a while” but the new traffic flow will be greatly improved, he said.

“The majority of the time, it shouldn’t be an issue,” Bradshaw told commissioners.

While there has sometimes been friction between the charter boat owners and the liveaboards on a variety of issues, many of the vessel residents supported the new driveway cut.

“The logic for those businesses is obvious. Let their customers have direct access to their docks,” said Mark Slater. “That will reduce much of the business traffic through the residential area and their customers will not get lost and park in a residential space.  If the new system does not work, then it may be reversed.”

Commissioners voted unanimously to fund the $67,000 driveway. It was not announced when the project will start or be completed.

“The Charter Boat Row is iconic for Key West. It has a long history of the fishermen there going back generations,” said Mayor Craig Cates.

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