Atlantic Beach moves to tighten enforcement on cars parked on lawns in older neighborhoods

Mayor Ford opened discussion after a staff presentation on residential parking and inoperable vehicles in older neighborhoods, focusing on Royal Palms and similar areas where single-width driveways now serve multiple vehicles. Amanda Askew, director of the neighborhoods department, told the commission the city code (cited in the presentation as section 24-1614) requires routine parking to occur on paved or otherwise stabilized surfaces and prohibits routine parking on grass or landscape areas.

The issue matters, Askew said, because many older lots were built for a single car and have been modified by homeowners over time. "Vehicles shall not be routinely parked within the grass or landscape areas of a residential lot," she said, summarizing the code language. She showed photos of driveways, converted carports and vehicles regularly parked on yards as examples of recurring violations.

Why it matters: commissioners said inconsistent enforcement has frustrated neighbors and complicated neighborhood rehabilitation. The mayor and several commissioners asked staff to produce a consistent enforcement policy that balances equity for long-term residents with community goals for stormwater and neighborhood appearance.

Staff direction and enforcement options Killingsworth, the city manager, told the commission staff will draft policy options. He emphasized the need for legally defensible approaches. "We have the discretion to enforce, but we have to be consistent. We can't be capricious or arbitrary in how we enforce," he said. Commissioners discussed two enforcement pathways: enforcing the existing prohibition on parking on grass (which staff said is easier to defend) and pursuing inoperable-vehicle determinations (which require additional evidence, such as flat tires or registration status).

Commissioner input and equity concerns Commissioners pressed for clear, consistent metrics that apply across neighborhoods. One commissioner suggested allowing a reasonable compliance window—six months to a year—for residents who lack resources to install stabilized parking pads; Mayor Ford asked staff to consider providing assistance such as mulch. Others warned a heavy-handed approach could prompt many complaints to the commission, and called for outreach and phased implementation.

Next steps and timeline The commission asked staff to return with a recommended policy and an enforcement plan. Killingsworth said staff will map problem locations and bring ordinance or policy language back for discussion; commissioners signaled consensus to proceed with drafting but emphasized neighborhood sensitivity and consistency.

Ending The commission did not adopt a new ordinance at the meeting but directed staff to develop enforcement procedures and to present formal recommendations to the commission at a future meeting.