Longboat Key decides not to rename 'Gulf of Mexico Drive'

Longboat Key votes to keep 'Gulf of Mexico Drive'

Commission chambers were packed Monday for the most hotly-watched issue the Town of Longboat Key has confronted in decades. Evan Axelbank reports.

Longboat Key, Fla. - Commission chambers were packed Monday for the most hotly-watched issue the Town of Longboat Key has confronted in decades.

What they're saying:

Should the town rename its ten-mile signature street, from ‘Gulf of Mexico Drive’ to ‘Gulf of America Drive’? That was the question being decided Monday.  "The name change will not cost anyone in this room an ounce of blood," one speaker who was in favor of the change said.

FDOT took down signs that referred to the ‘Gulf of Mexico’, in reaction to the president's executive order calling it the Gulf of America. "This would be a disaster for us in many ways," said a speaker who was opposed to the change. "As my dad says, if it's not broke, don't fix it."

Dig deeper:

Town officials began wondering if the town had to follow suit in the name of uniformity, practicality and to remain in cohesion with state law. "'Gulf of Mexico Drive' has been a very well-known, well-established roadway since 1957," said one town official.

The controversy took the town by storm, with city leaders saying they got 423 emails from residents, with 83% saying they were in favor of keeping the name as is, ‘Gulf of Mexico Drive’. 

PREVIOUS: Gulf of Mexico Drive signs on Longboat Key yanked by FDOT as town considers changing road’s name

Many wondered why they should change more than 5,000 addresses and require businesses to update reams of paperwork.  "It would be a nightmare if we had to change our address for all our vendors," said one business owner. 

But politics was unavoidable, with some accusing the town's residents of bringing a distaste of President Trump, and thus his Gulf name change, into this debate. "Many among us simply hate America," one speaker said.

Most of the public speakers were against the name change, which led board members to simply table the matter. ‘Gulf of Mexico Drive’ will remain as such, which means it's now a nod to the past.

"The time this will take can easily put them over the edge," said one speaker who was worried about the impact a name change would have on senior citizens. "It will cause them to stop healthy activities, and focus on the frustrating process of reaching people inside bureaucratic agencies. This is so unhealthy for all of us here."

‘Gulf of Mexico Drive’ had its day in court, and is here to stay in Longboat Key.