BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – During a special meeting of Brevard County commissioners Thursday, leaders voted to start removing the barriers that have blocked county-operated beach parking lots for several weeks.
In a 4-1 vote, Commissioner John Tobia backed reopening parking Friday to boost beachside business.
"I'm very concerned about the unemployment rate, the businesses that are struggling right now," Tobia said.
Commission Chairman Bryan Lober was the only commissioner in opposition to reopening Friday.
"I agree we shouldn't be punishing our residents, but I do think we should be protecting our residents," Lober said.
Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey gave his support to Commissioner Tobia's stance on supporting the local economy.
"Our businesses, they are out there. They are thirsty for business. They are dying," the sheriff said.
Ivey's views differed from what the mayor of Indialantic told county commissioners.
Mayor Dave Berkman said he was speaking in unity with all six beachside municipalities when he said the cities would prefer to keep their parking lots closed at least another week.
"In no way are we ready to start this again," Berkman said.
Reopening the county's beach parking lots would start four weeks ahead of the biggest rocket launch in a decade.
Commissioners Thursday did not address managing crowds, which under normal circumstances would be expected in the hundreds of thousands, as NASA and SpaceX prepare to return human spaceflight from Florida's Space Coast on May 27.
Dale Ketcham with Space Florida said the situation is setting up to be, "a most unusual event".
"Who will be allowed to be where on the Space Coast - that's a decision to be made by the local authorities, but then you'll have the people that won't follow rules regardless of who makes them," Kethcam said.
The vote from commissioners will be forwarded Friday morning to the county’s special emergency policy group made up of ten county officials who will decide on whether or not to give it final approval.
The county said work to reopen parking on its beaches starts Friday and should be complete by Saturday.
Reopening parking lots will not occur until at least next Thursday on county-run beaches where beach renourishment projects are taking place.