Letters: Need for parking permit plan
To the Editor:
Since this season began, we have been experiencing the increasing degradation of our Historic District and its residential beach street neighborhoods, which on some days, are completely overrun. Beach parking has been chaotic and is overflowing into adjacent areas causing visibility and safety issues. This is the direct result of the unprecedented, rapid development occurring not only in Cape Haze, but also in south Sarasota County and North Port which have been named the fastest growing area in the Nation! Numerous subdivisions and thousands of residential units have been built and more are planned along Winchester Boulevard and River Road out to I-75. It is an easy drive down River Road and Winchester Blvd. to Placida Road and Boca Grande.
Boca Grande is primarily in Lee County. We have no obligation to provide free, unrestricted beach parking for Sarasota and Charlotte County residents. (There are no beach accesses in the Charlotte County portion of Gasparilla Island.) Illegal and chaotic parking has recently been occurring on the triangular median near the entrance to Boca Bay and on both sides of Gulf Blvd. right under clearly marked no parking signs. The day after Christmas, there were so many (20-30) illegally parked cars that the one Deputy on scene could not write the tickets fast enough! This was apparently overflow from the Range Light beach and parking area
Trash, noise, security and sanitary issues have been a problem in our residential neighborhoods for years! Our little island simply does not have the physical capacity, especially in the Historic District, to accommodate the large crowds from off island who are coming to use our beaches now, and there is no way to accommodate even more of them in the future. South of the village, the four State Park beaches which are beautiful, wide and have parking and restroom facilities are where the off island visitors should go to spend a day at the beach. Parking there is on a “first come” basis as it is with any other park or beach.
As we all know, Gasparilla Island is a fragile, environmentally sensitive barrier island. It is only about 7 miles long and 1/2 mile at its widest point. Our only access on or off is a two-lane road that can’t be widened. Emergency access in bumper-to-bumper traffic already is a concerning problem on some afternoons with the combination of construction and beach traffic leaving around the same times.
The State of Florida recognized the environmental sensitivity of our island by establishing it as a State Conservation District in the Gasparilla Island Conservation District Act of 1980.
It is long past time to initiate a structured, permit parking plan that will protect the residential character of our Historic District. This is the only legal way to prevent the Gilchrist median and the rest of our island streets from becoming a beach parking lot all day every day, which they soon will be, to the exclusion of all other local needs. The small beach accesses on residential streets in the Historic District should be reserved for island residents, renters and hotel guests. There needs to be a sign off-island or an App. to indicate when the State Park beach parking lots are full. A similar program has been in effect on Sanibel for years and is working quite well. Commissioner Ruane is ready to help with this. Let’s all give him our support. Email: dist1@leegov.com
Lynn Seibert
Boca Grande
Lynne Seibert is a 30-year, full-time resident of Boca Grande with a background in planning and real estate development.
