PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Steven Hunter came to Pass-a-Grille Beach on a mission.
“Do a little boogie boarding. Do some surfing. Get in that water. Spend all the time in the water,” said Hunter.
On a cloudy Wednesday morning, it’s usually not too busy here. But on the weekends and holidays, you’ll find a different story.
“Just trying to find a spot is half the battle,” Hunter said.
Three years ago, city leaders in St. Pete Beach teamed up with a tech company called Conure to install sensors in parking spots in Pass-A-Grille.
They even added more last year, bringing the total to 741.
Those sensors connected to the city’s website and an app so users could see how many parking spots were available and where to find them.
But this week, those sensors are getting pulled out.
“There was less adoption of the use of the app than I think the community anticipated. And with feedback that was received from the residents, the commission decided it was best to remove the sensors,” said St. Pete Beach Communication Manager Marc Portugal.
People we talked to at the beach said the sensors seemed like a good idea when I explained their purpose.
“I would use it for sure. It’s a great idea to look ahead,” said Bob Langdon.
But no one we talked with said they knew they existed.
“It’s embracing all the modern technology but how convenient is that for somebody that’s just coming up to a new beach and trying to download the app and all that just to park?" said Hunter.
The city said the sensors were part of a pilot program so they didn’t pay for installation.
I asked what they’ve spent on the sensors, but I was told the person who ran the program is no longer with the city, so costs will be difficult to track down.
I also asked if any repairs would be done to the small divots left behind, but the city said they couldn’t tell me that information either.
