STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
There is a good bit of irony embedded in the issue of changing the name of Longboat Key’s primary thoroughfare that runs the entire length of the 10-mile island.
After all, the nation has recently entered an era where self-fashioned and desired pronouns are falling to the wayside and the world has suddenly become more binary and less of “What would you like to be called today?”
In this context Longboat Key residents and the Town Commission on October 20 will have a soul-searching conversation over what we would like to call our defacto Main Street on Longboat Key.
The entire issue leaves Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton in the role of bringing a staff report and possible recommendations to the October meeting.
Will Tipton bring a report on the financial impact? Will he analyze how it could affect our relationship with state government if we do not change the name to Gulf of America Drive? Will he bring alternative names since the Town can name the road anything it wants?
Tipton said on Friday, ”Our role is to bring a little of the history of the roadway to the Commission. How it started as “Ringling” and changed in 1947 and then there were different road names as well. We will try and lay it out and we will lay out FDOTs position.”
Tipton explained that the new law removes all references in state government to Gulf of Mexico and renames everything to Gulf of America. He added that the State labels Gulf-front roads with numbers and municipalities can additionally adopt local names such as Gulf of Mexico Drive on Longboat or Gulf Drive on Anna Maria.
And from there politics has taken over.
Obviously, it was the edict of Donald Trump and by proxy, Ron DeSantis, which led to the State of Florida adopting Gulf of America as the official name and required all State work and documentation and contracts and designations abide.
Last month, the State FDOT took down the large green road signs on Longboat Key that said Gulf of Mexico Drive. They will be replaced with SR789 signs to comply with the new State law.
In short, the Town will have to decide in October to Keep Gulf of Mexico Drive as the name, or, switch it to Gulf of America Drive, or, pick a third name altogether such as Longboat Key Drive.
A Town Hall poll of Longboat residents was trending 10 to 1 in favor of keeping the name, but the momentum has shifted according to Tipton. Tipton said a recent push to rename the road to Gulf of America Drive has moved the needle to 60% wanting to keep the roadway name as is and an increase to 40% looking to change it to Gulf of America.
As Tipton said, “We have been inundated with emails; now it’s down from 90% to 60% in favor of keeping Gulf of Mexico Drive.”
Enter politics
The issue has been a shape shifter politically.
There is the eternal principle of self-rule and self-governance, which have traditionally been Republican edicts. But in this case, the top-down initiative seems to have Republicans pushing hard for Gulf of America Drive and those against Trump firmly opposed saying, “We don’t need to change anything.”
Perhaps the decision will not be completely pure. Town Manager Tipton alludes to the fact that there’s a $40 million Gulf of Mexico Drive roadway project that is FDOT-funded coming up and how we are perceived can play a factor. We do not want to have a Disney-sized imbroglio with the State taking umbrage with our naming decision over a roadway.
Tipton waxes pragmatist when it comes to financial repercussions.
“The official answer is that it is possible that our funding partners (the State) could look at funding different. It is possible. We have our Complete Street Project, a $40 million dollar project, we are relying on state funding to accomplish. This is potentially a sticking point,” said Tipton.
Then there are the pragmatic repercussions: The list of what needs to be changed in resident’s and homeowner’s paperwork, licenses and ownership documents. Tipton says this is not the biggest factor or issue and it is not very difficult — changing some paperwork.
Others in the community want a third path that they say is less politicized but recognizes Longboat Key and makes it central to itself. In other words, these folks would rather have the road renamed Longboat Key Drive or Longboat Key Boulevard. Part of their argument is that in Google searches and in online searches and indexing our Island remains primary in the center of its own universe and not part of a politicized impulse.
Tipton has this perspective on the matter: “For all of us it is the first oceanic name change in our career. We have folks around the state watching. We will do what is right and we will present on October 20.”
I am all for leaving it as Gulf of Mexico Drive. It will take a long time and a lot of work for people who have to change all their bills, credit cards, mail, etc. It is not worth the time.
If you do have to change it, I WOULD TOTALLY NOT CHANGE IT TO GULF OF AMERICA!!!!
It should be changed to Longboat Key dr. something very neutral.