What Do You Think About “Van Life” in Gulfport?
The Gabber Newspaper
In this week’s Gabs, we asked people “What do you think about ‘Van Life’ in Gulfport?” Here’s what they told us!
What Do You Think About “Van Life” in Gulfport?
“Van Life,” which is just another term for homelessness, is a symptom of larger forces at play. Instead of more NIMBY [“not in my back yard”] whining from our fellow Gulfportians, why don’t we focus on what can be done to help middle and lower class homeowners and renters? Lower trim rates, insurance reform, and housing prices in general are just a few items we can address right now. Or not. Putting a bandaid on it and complaining on facebook as much as humanly possible is clearly not helping anything.
Cue the “let them park in your driveway” crowd in 3, 2, 1.
—Connie Dritsos, Gulfport
I’m all for it! Why not?
—Shelley, St. Pete (displaced from Gulfport)
I own a residence in the city of Gulfport and pay taxes. I do not support overnight parking in Gulfport and the beach area at all. We are a community, as well as a tourist and local area visitor destination. Overnight parking attracts a group of people that need to seek help and support for their needs and lifestyle through social services, the Salvation Army, or park in interstate overnight parking, etc.
I no longer walk in the mornings or late at night and do not invite visitors to see the area or to spend their money in the area. I have worked all my life, with quite a few life challenges, and do not rely on others to pay their taxes to support me, my needs and my lifestyle. We need to immediately stop overnight parking, warn and give tickets, and refer people to the options mentioned above. Property values are dropping and people are moving out of Gulfport. The beachfront and community safety and look are a necessity for Gulfport residences and businesses.
The homeless community will continue to grow unless overnight parking is stopped. As a resident, I am begging you to quit studying the problem and do something to immediately eliminate the overnight parking, except for Gulfport residents with stickers.
—Hightower, Gulfport
If Gulfport wants to be a tourist town the waterfront and Beach Boulevard should be a priority.
It is hard to believe that an ordinance can’t be passed about beach parking. How can you justify studying it for eight months? It is easy. No overnight parking unless you are a Gulfport resident. Resident stickers should be available. Tax paying residents don’t want to see people living in cars and vans using public facilities loitering around at night, etc.
It is easy to be kind-hearted until you step in it or realize that your property values are plummeting or you cannot even sell your property or the foot traffic diminishes at your business.
—Attila Zsedely, Gulfport
I love Gulfport and hope to relocate there soon. Until then I visit often. I am from California and can testify as of how bad the homeless population can be. If Gulfport cannot get a Handel on this issue. We will all regret band the correction will not be pretty. Please clean it up now? Now overnight parking would be helpful. Overnight camping anywhere should also not be allow. Parking spots should be for visitors. Visitors should not be afraid to park and walk around the many businesses.
—Kermit Atkinson, Tarpon Springs
Much ado about nothing by a very few people in the community and some on the City Council. According to Police Chief Mary Farrand, there have been a limited number of complaints and no laws have been broken. Further, pictures that were presented and shown at the City Council meeting purportedly were very dated. Shame on whomever didn’t clarify the date of the pictures.
What is wrong with someone, facing hard times, sleeping in their car? I would suggest that it probably bothers the person in that unfortunate position more to do so than it bothers most of the residents nearby. On another note, while I can understand not cooking on a grill in the beach lot or in Shore Boulevard parking spaces, I have to wonder if a tourist came through and opted to visit our beach for a couple hours and park their large RV home or even small one in the beach parking lot, it’s my understanding they couldn’t even cook in that RV to perhaps prepare a lunch and take it to a pavilion to enjoy the sites and sounds of the water while enjoying their meal. Is my understanding correct? Have we gotten that nit-picky and think that we’re so bougie, that we’re going to judge people in such fashions? If so, that’s about as unlike Gulfport as I’ve ever witnessed in my 67 years (since age 6) of calling Gulfport home. What happened to keeping Gulfport weird? What happened to live and let live?
—Margarete Tober, Gulfport
Editor’s note: We ask for all answers to remain less than 250 words. Due to this, we have capped this letter at 250 words.
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