Parking on N and S Blvd of Presidents

When the St. Armands Parking Garage was being debated, merchants were asking for more parking for their customers and employees, and residents were having a problem with parking abuses on residential streets (e.g. driveways were being blocked, mail carriers couldn't reach mailboxes, and emergency vehicles couldn't pass). The Residents Association agreed to support the parking garage in exchange for restricting on-street parking on the residential streets.

However, not all houses on St. Armands are mansions: many are smaller, single story houses on small lots with small driveways that can only accommodate one or two vehicles. Additionally, residents in the 50-unit Kingston Arms condominium building lost the free spaces used by their care-givers, service providers, contractors, and daytime guests. Adding metered parking there, and restricting on-street parking in general, inconvenienced many residents. The City keeping the parking free along N and S Blvd of Presidents was done in part to accommodate these residents.

2022 Annual Member Survey

The parking spaces on the ends of N and S Blvd of Presidents are free. Should they remain free, or should they be converted to paid parking?

86% These parking spaces should remain free

14% These parking spaces should be converted to paid parking

2025 Annual Member Survey

Currently on St. Armands Key, there is free, all-day parking along the residential sections of N and S Blvd of Presidents. Which of the following would you prefer? (n=167)

45% These parking spaces should remain free all-day

32% There should be a 2-hour limit on these spaces (free, but you can't park longer than 2 hours)

14% These should be paid parking spaces with meters as used around St. Armands Circle

9% Don't know / Not sure

Note: 82% of respondents residing in or owning St. Armands condos (not houses) indicated that these parking spaces should remain free all day. When the St. Armands Parking Garage opened, and on-street parking was restricted to one hour, the city parking director at the time kept the parking spaces on the residential portions of N and S Blvd of Presidents free all day at least in part as an accommodation to St. Armands Key condo owners/residents.

St. Armands Residents Association

P.O. Box 2482, Sarasota, FL 34230

e-mail us at: st.armands.residents.assn@gmail.com