City Commissioners Vote To Ban Open Containers In Treasure Island, Florida Again

For years, the draw of Treasure Island, Florida

, particularly the area of Sunset Beach, was an open container policy. Patrons of the popular Caddys Waterfront Bar could buy a beer and take a stroll on the beach with it, or they could tote their own coolers to adjacent beachfront land and drink all day in the sand.

In May, that all changed when Treasure Island voted to limit open containers, meaning spring breakers could no longer drink alcohol on the public beach. The seasonal ban ended Oct 2 but already City Commissioners have voted to ban it once again February 2012 through September 2012, on Saturdays, Sundays, and select holidays between the hours of 8 am to 6 pm.

The vote came on Oct 4, 2011 in a unanimous decision by Treasure Island city commissioners. The decision comes as a big sigh of relief for some residents, particularly retirees and families, although not everyone is in favor of it.

While some residents are in favor of continuing the ban, which has curtailed spring break-type behavior, and making Sunset Beach a more enjoyable place to live, some local bar owners such as Caddys are complaining about losing 30% of their business because of these new rules. These rules also affect tourism, with young people traveling to the

Treasure Island - St Pete Beach area for weekend getaways. Even people from Tampa, who would make the 30+ mile commute, have stopped visiting on weekends.

The only changes that may come in 2012 are lifting restrictions two hours earlier, and banning open containers from 8 am to 4 pm, instead of 8 am to 6 pm. The geographic area this ban encompasses includes the beach immediately south of the Island Inn Resort to the southern property line of Sunset Chateau Condominiums.

Violators will be forced to pay a $500 fine per day or could spend up to 60 days in Pinellas County jail. The city employs a large staff of undercover police offers and on-duty police officers to enforce these rules during the season. Bar patrons can still enjoy alcoholic beverages on-premises but cannot leave the premises and walk off to the beach with their drinks.

So in the mean time (October to February) Treasure Island beachgoers can enjoy their alcoholic beverages. Sure the beach will be colder than the scorching summer months, when youre really craving an ice cold beer, but if youre a vacationer visiting the area and looking to score a cheap deal on a vacation rental, this is the time to do it. Just dont expect it to get too crowded.

by: Laine McKenna

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