BOCA GRANDE, Fla. — New parking restrictions on Gasparilla Island go into effect Monday, eliminating several public parking spots at beach access points in Boca Grande and leaving some visitors grappling with what they say is a loss of public resource.
Lee County Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that removes public parking from 1st to 19th Street and limits downtown parking to three hours unless drivers have a resident, employee, or guest permit. Fines for violating the rules go up to $200, and $500 for vehicles blocking driveways.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the new ordinance:
“I was stunned, completely caught off guard,” said Hank Henry, a military veteran who said he moved to Charlotte County specifically to be near Boca Grande’s beaches.
Henry says he and his wife visited the beach multiple times a week, and the new ordinance has caused them to pause building their new home in the area, and to rethink their future in Southwest Florida altogether.
“It’s a place that we go to where we really find peace, it’s really soul healing peace for a lot of people but especially for me,” Henry said. “We were just about to break ground when we found out that this was up for discussion, and now that this is passed, we are looking for a reason to build that house. And it’s likely that we won’t stay here if we can’t go to Boca Grande Beach.”
To Henry, the restrictions are not just inconvenient, he says they undermine the very freedoms he served to protect.
“As a veteran, but I'm sure citizens feel the same way, it's shocking. It's stunning that someone could say here's a public road and a public beach, you can't park there, you can't sit there. It doesn't compute,” he said.
Nicole Killian, founder of Sup Englewood, said the changes are also affecting small businesses.
“Having the parking removed for the public is extremely disheartening. It’s sad for me,” she said. “I can’t tell you how many times I would do a paddle tour and just walk across the street and enjoy the beach.”
Killian said while her usual launch spot remains open, the elimination of parking nearby limits its usability.
“It’s still going to be something that impacts us in the sense of now it’s the only open space for so many miles,” she said.
Killian and other residents say their fight against the new rules isn’t over, and that they plan to raise the issue with state leaders.
“I think that the community needs to stay engaged, I think that everybody needs to come together and be reasonable,” she said.
While the ordinance takes effect Monday, county officials say enforcement will begin after signage and permitting systems are in place.
During Tuesday's meeting, Commissioner Kevin Ruane motioned to create an advisory committee called the Boca Grande Parking Panel. He nominated seven people to the committee to oversee issues with the ordinance and potential changes to the rules.
County officials say they are still in the process of developing the administrative framework to establish the committee and will bring it back for formal approval at a future board meeting.
