ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg City Council will soon consider an ordinance that would create a vessel exclusion zone in the lagoon at Coquina Key Park, aiming to make the area safer for paddle boarders and non-motorized boaters.
The ordinance would prevent boats with motors from entering the cove. Its first reading is scheduled for Oct. 15.
St. Petersburg Councilwoman Gina Driscoll said boats in the lagoon have created concerns.
“It creates an atmosphere that’s really not very safe,” Driscoll said. “Also, you have environmental issues with leakage and things like that when the boats decide to hang out for a while.”
Robby Thurston, CEO of Jack’s Shack St. Pete Paddle Board Rentals, said Coquina Key Park is already a popular place for paddlers because of its access and setting.
“It’s got great entry points, free parking. It’s pretty excluded, not too much traffic for boats, and it’s a peaceful time on the water,” Thurston said.
Thurston said his business does about 20 rentals a weekend. He said paddleboards offer people a convenient way to get outside and spend time on the water.
If the ordinance passes, Driscoll said the cove would become a safer place for people of all skill levels to paddle. The ordinance would be suspended during a state of emergency, allowing boaters looking for a safe place during a storm to use the cove.
Thurston said he supports the proposed change.
“I think it’s fantastic,” he said. “It really gives paddlers a place to launch from that’s safe and secure, and it kind of gives them that distance.”
The second reading for the ordinance is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2026.