BOCA GRANDE, Fla. — Lee County commissioners are proposing tighter parking restrictions on Boca Grande, including two-hour limits downtown and no parking on several streets, raising concerns among local business owners who say the changes could hurt their operations.
The proposed restrictions would limit parking to two hours in downtown Boca Grande and prohibit parking on the Gilchrist Avenue median and along 5th Street East and East Railroad Avenue.
"Any restriction like that is going to have a negative affect on their business," said Gary Cross, Executive Director of the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce. "I think outside of season there doesn’t need to be any restrictions."
Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp explains how people are feeling about the proposals:
He believes the two-hour limit isn't practical for visitors.
"It's kind of hard in two hours to go to the restaurant, have lunch, rush out of there and be able to stop and visit the shops downtown," said Cross.
Nikki Heimann, operations and property manager of The Pink Pony, expressed concern about how the changes would impact customer flow.
"Having a few cars parked here for hours would really just make our flow different on the island," said Heimann. "There are just so many different aspects to look at."
During an April 1 meeting, County Commissioner Kevin Ruane said the two-hour limit would prevent people from staying too long, but Cross suggests a more flexible approach.
"During season, three hour parking would be an OK solution, in my opinion," said Cross. "A seasonal time would be ok whether that would be from December, January to March, April."
The parking challenges extend beyond downtown. Riley Ward, a server at South Beach Bar and Grille for nine years, received a $35 ticket, plus a $10 process fee, for parking on the right of way on their property.
"Never had any problems there. Never warnings. Never any reach outs to let us know we can’t park there," he said. "There are some days where we are forced to park here and honestly, at the end it’s worth getting that $45 ticket than another being able to go to your job."
Most people who go to the restaurant park at the Gasparilla Island State Park next door because space is limited.
"There's just not enough parking for the peak season when it's here," said Ward.
The proposal would also increase parking violation fines to between $150 and $300.
"I think it’s just them trying to get more stern," Ward said, also describing it as a punishment.
Marco Meola, co-owner of South Beach Bar and Grille, worries about losing parking spaces they've used for decades.
"We have a right of way here that we've been parking on for 30 years, and to take that away, it limits our parking," said Meola. "It’s more than one issue and they both affect each other."
Meola believes the restrictions could have broader impacts on the area's businesses.
"I think would really hinder the downtown and the local businesses down there," said Meola.
Cross remains hopeful continued discussions will lead to a better solution.
"I think a little bit more time we can find a reasonable solution that would benefit everybody in some way," said Cross.
The Boca Grande Fire Chief also weighed in on the ordinance. Here's a letter obtained by Fox 4:
Commissioners will discuss the proposal on Tuesday morning. However, a Lee County spokesperson told Fox 4 there could be a potential vote to defer the discussion of the proposal. If it passes, it will be on the June 17 agenda.
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