TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. (WFLA) – The small coastal town of Treasure Island is currently divided over no-wake zones.
While some want to see changes, others think things are fine as they are.
Boats, paddleboards and swimmers are often seeing going up and down the channel just south of the Blind Pass Causeway Bridge, a 1-mile stretch of waterway between Treasure Island, Sunset Beach and St. Pete Beach.
Right now, the area is a no-wake zone on the weekends and holidays, but on other days, there is no regulation.
Some residents have asked city leaders to consider making the zones seven days a week.
“You have boats plowing through here like it’s the autobahn. I mean it’s a narrow stretch that many have to use to get into the gulf,” said Hendrik Bisanz who lives in Treasure Island.
There is also concern over manatees and dolphins that swim in the waterway adjacent to Blind Pass.
People who live near water say they’ve seen increased boat traffic, and the speed at which some boaters are traveling has some of them concerned for their safety.
“They’re [my daughters are] really strong swimmers, both on the swim team, they’re good paddle boarders. They both grew up on the beach, but when a fast boat goes by and throws up a wake, it gets too close for comfort,” said Bridget Bisanz who lives in Treasure Island.
City commissioners met to debate the issue last week and are expected to discuss it again at a meeting Tuesday. There could even be a vote.
LATEST STORIES:
