JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville leaders are speaking out about the ongoing controversy involving large car clubs around the city.
These car clubs usually meet up in large parking lots late at night and do things like peel out and do doughnuts. Many times the activities leave tire marks and are so loud that residents can hear them from miles away.
In one case, a parking lot near Beach Boulevard and Parental Home Road was left with approximately $60,000 in damage due to these car meet-ups.
Sometimes crowds can number in the hundreds.
News4JAX spoke with one of the clubs ‘904 Banditz’ over the weekend at a meet-up. Organizers said they don’t want to cause problems and hope the city can find a way to provide an outlet for these drivers. Many of whom are younger in age.
RELATED: Local car group speaks following street takeover complaints
“There are cities like up in Atlanta, Detroit, even Orlando, that has their own racetrack-burnout pit where it is safe for the people, it is legal for the city,” said Lukas Lopez with ‘904 Banditz’. “If we could get the property taxes signed over to us and have people sign liability waivers, put up concrete barricades to make everything safe for the people, make everything legal for the people, I don’t see how they can complain off that then.”
News4JAX spoke with Councilman Kevin Carrico whose district represents a large chunk of Beach Blvd.
Several property owners along Beach Blvd. complain the car clubs have been using their lots. Carrico said it’s not the city’s responsibility to find a lot for clubs like this.
“Tearing up private property is not legal, so if they, that’s what they want to do, I don’t think there is a resolution. Unless they buy their own property which they can do whatever they want with. But doing it on public property is certainly not an option in my mind,” said Carrico.
News4JAX has also reached out to the office of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry for comment on this issue but did not get an immediate response.