Longboat Key makes new rules that ban boats from parts of popular Beer Can Island
Boats and other motorized vessels will be banned from certain areas near Greer Island, according to new rules approved by the Town of Longboat Key.
Greer Island, also known as Beer Can Island to locals, has long been a popular hangout spot for boaters, but town leaders say it’s time to make room for other visitors trying to enjoy the beach.
The new rules, which went into effect earlier this month, prevent boats and other motorized vessels from “operation, anchoring and beaching,” in two different areas.
Speaking with the Bradenton Herald on Monday morning, Town Manager Tom Harmer explained that the decision frees up space for kayakers and paddleboarders.
“We don’t have a history of accidents or injuries, but when you have non-motorized vessels in there with boats, we wanted to create a little bit of space for people to pull up,” Harmer explained. “It’s one small section of Greer Island. We’re not trying to restrict the whole island, just one piece.”
The congregation of boats at Beer Can Island could also make it difficult for residents to enter or exit the canal on the west side of Gulf of Mexico Drive, Harmer said.
Buoys will be placed to mark the areas where motorized vessels are banned later this summer. The ban will be enforced by the Longboat Key Police Department’s marine unit. Boaters could face fines of $250 for a first offense and $500 for later offenses, according to a town announcement.
Harmer stressed that the non-motorized vessel areas are small parts of the island, but the decision to restrict it at all drew mixed reviews from local residents in a popular Facebook group.
“It’s just an ordinary beach now,” one commenter wrote, expressing concern about the removal of the driftwood that made Beer Can Island a popular photo spot. “They literally ruined Beer Can Island and now they’re restricting it? Beer Can Island was one of the only beaches left that mainly only locals knew about.”
“What happened to our city? We have been taking boats to Beer Can for generations,” another person responded.
Others were sympathetic to the change, noting that the tides have shifted the beach sand on Greer Island closer to the homes in the area and the two banned areas are only about 50 feet wide.
Harmer said Longboat Key worked alongside Manatee County Government and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to come up with the new policy.
Buoys will be installed in the designated areas following the completion of a dredging project in July.
