BOCA GRANDE, Fla. — Lee County commissioners will vote Tuesday on whether to formally create a Boca Grande Parking Committee, tasked with evaluating parking conditions on Gasparilla Island and recommending changes to the county’s new parking ordinance.
Commissioner Kevin Ruane first proposed the committee at the August 5 meeting where the ordinance passed. He named seven initial appointees, five of whom had spoken in favor of the restrictions earlier in the same meeting.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the upcoming vote:
Ruane listed Richard Ganong, Mark Spurgeon, Barbara McLaughlin, Louis Sarkes, Boo Gemes, Hugh Sullivan and Richard Weber as nominees.
The proposal was tabled while county staff drafted the administrative framework, but the same seven names are now set to come back for a vote. Under Administrative Code AC-2-27, the Boca Grande Parking Committee would meet publicly, take input from residents and businesses, and make recommendations on possible amendments to the ordinance. Members would be subject to Florida’s Sunshine Law and ethics rules.
The ordinance, approved last month, removes public parking from 1st through 19th Street and limits downtown spaces to three hours unless drivers have a resident, employee, or guest permit.
Critics say the ordinance unfairly restricts access to Boca Grande beaches and fear the proposed committee will be stacked against them.
“It was like he was stacking the deck, in my opinion,” said Robin Wilkins, a Charlotte County resident and member of the Boca Community Access Alliance.
She added that many opponents would like the chance to serve on the committee: “I think they definitely would apply, especially some of the business owners who would apply to be on the group. I’m not sure if that opportunity has come for the business owners or even other residents of Boca Grande.”
Lee County told Fox 4 that the names came from Ruane’s initial motion, but that commissioners are free to amend them at Tuesday’s hearing. “Individuals may request to be on the committee by contacting the commissioners,” a spokesperson said.
Fox 4 attempt to reach Ruane for comment on the committee on Friday, but has not heard back yet.
On Sept. 9, Charlotte County Commissioners passed a resolution urging Lee County Commissioners to reconsider the ordinance, “to restore reasonable public parking access to beaches, preserve tourism and economic vitality, and maintain equitable access to Florida’s coastal resources.”
The vote is scheduled for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
