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County rejects effort to close island road
By JENNIFER FARRELL
© St. Petersburg Times, BROOKSVILLE -- For the second time in two years, Hernando County commissioners have voted to remove barriers from a road on Pine Island put there by homeowners to limit public access. In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the board denied a petition by Bill and Cathy Sarchet to vacate Harbor Drive near the Gulf of Mexico, where the couple owns four pieces of property, including two waterfront lots. During the last year, Cathy Sarchet, citing concerns about erosion, has filled her yard with native plants and wildflowers in an effort to increase soil retention. Along the edge of her driveway at the end of Harbor Drive, she planted a row of oleander that blocks the right of way to help cut down on wind blowing in off the water. Near the end of the narrow road that dead-ends just shy of the gulf, Sarchet put a sawhorse on the grass that carries a "no parking" sign -- the better, she has said, to protect turtles that nest there in spring and summer. But the two barriers, which block a public road, have drawn the ire of neighbors and citations from county officials. On Tuesday, the Sarchets, through their lawyer, Charlie Luckie, asked commissioners to vacate the road and divide the land among property owners while still leaving it open to pedestrians. A few dozen residents appeared at the meeting, most of whom opposed vacating the road. Jamie O'Neal, who owns property nearby and said she had taught her three children to swim on the beach and also scattered the ashes of an infant son there after his death, said she objected to any form of restriction of the road. In an emotional address to commissioners, she said access to the beach is vital. "I am not going to be thwarted by people who are just doing a land grab for their own personal gain." Other residents spoke on behalf of the Sarchets and gave them credit for not blocking pedestrian access to the gulf. "They're not asking to cut the beach off to anyone," said Gary Gibbs. "All they're looking for is a little privacy." In the end, commissioners decided to keep the road public, meaning the barriers will have to go. Under the board's ruling, the Sarchets have 30 days to remove them or face having them removed by the county. "It's a county road," said Commissioner Nancy Robinson. "This is public property. It belongs to the people." This is not the first time gulf access on Harbor Drive has been an issue. In 1998, the previous owner of the Sarchets' home, Hunter Rogers Jr., also pushed for a barrier on the property. The county erected a 30-foot guardrail at the end of Harbor Drive, but removed it in 1999 after residents complained that it discouraged people from using their favorite access point to the beach just north of Alfred McKethan Park. For O'Neal, Tuesday's decision was a victory. "This is our future retirement home," she said. Cathy Sarchet declined to comment after the hearing. - Staff writer Jennifer Farrell covers Spring Hill and can be reached at 848-1432.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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