VERO BEACH — A not-so-new group of retailers came together a little more than a year ago, galvanized over the issue of hotel workers occupying valuable customer parking spaces in front of their stores along Ocean Drive.
Now, the organization, Vero’s Beachside Retailers Association, is tackling other issues besides the need for improved Ocean Drive parking, said association President Caesar Mistretta, co-owner of the J.M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art on Ocean Drive.
The group of about 20 or so retailers – separate from the bigger 200-member Oceanside Business Association – organized because some of the retail store owners believed they can deal with retailer-oriented issues such as parking better than the umbrella Oceanside Business Association, which includes a broader group of members such as banks.
Mistretta said Vero’s Beachside Retailers Association is more than just a one-issue group focusing on parking issues. He said the group’s agenda includes three other topics, including rowdy behavior by beach-goers, obnoxious noise and Ocean Drive aesthetics.
Mistretta said some drunken beach-goers have thrown beer bottles on business properties. “We’re trying to deal with affluent customers and you see this type of behavior,” he complained.
He said some bars and restaurants play loud music, which annoys retail business customers and even nearby residents.
On beautification, Mistretta said beachside retailers would like to see more decorative pots and planters along Ocean Drive, and more holiday decorations.
One of the group’s strategic goals is to lean on the city to have a greater police presence in the beachside business area to enforce two-hour parking and bad beachgoer behavior.
“We’re not against people having a good time, but you have to keep the flavor of what is Vero,” Mistretta said. “What’s so special is the low-key, quaint atmosphere which doesn’t exist in other beach towns around Florida.”
Vero Beach Police Chief Currey said he has talked with Mistretta about the parking and noise issues, though he said he hadn’t heard about the beachgoer problems.
“If they’re concerned, then I’m concerned,” Currey said. “Is that the concern of the majority? I don’t know. But I won’t turn a cheek and we will address it.”
Currey said the city does enforce the two-hour parking limit, but the parking enforcement employee has to cover mainland parking lots and downtown Vero Beach too. The police chief said reducing the parking limit to two hours from three hours has helped enforcement.
Mistretta said Melinda Cooper, owner of the Cooper and Company women’s clothing store next door to his gallery, and Nancy Cook, owner of the Twig store, also are leaders in the retailers’ association.
Georgia Irish, president of the Oceanside Business Association, said her group is aware of the issues that are the focus of the retailers group.
“Our groups work together well. They feel they can get more done being their own retail group, but we work with the same city, we work with the same county, we work with the same bus system,” Irish said.
Irish said her association was already working on parking and beautification issues even before the new retailers’ organization was created.
City Manager Jim O’Connor, who, like Curry, has met with Mistretta, said the retailers should contact police if they believe noise is too loud or behavior out of hand.
