With spring training up and running on the Sun Coast, local law enforcement is concerned about a type of public safety issue that we don’t usually see during the rest of the year: mass illegal parking. In Charlotte County, deputies say many fans are opting to skip paying to park and are leaving their cars instead on county right-of-way beside streets in the area of Charlotte County Sports Park. This is becoming a major safety issue, they say, on days when the Tampa Bay Rays are playing. And while county ordinances say you can’t park anywhere that’s labeled NO PARKING, they specifically identify streets near the ball park – Torrence Street from S-R 776 to Ester Avenue and Ester west approximately 525 feet — as no parking zones – with a 118-dollar fine.
