Commissioners visit to talk parking

Tuesday, May 13, over 200 community members gathered in the Lighthouse United Methodist Church to discuss parking regulations. Lee County Commissioners David Mulicka, Cecil Pendergrass and Brian Hamman were in attendance. 

The meeting, which was moderated by Larry Hannah, began with Peter Soderberg telling the group that the churches and the residents on Gilchrist Avenue had reached some sort of agreement on the parking issue. (See story)

Bruce Carbonari, president of the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association, spoke, beginning by saying that the association cannot take a position as it is a 501(c)(3), but citing various off-island development statistics, including the growth of North Port, and the overall growth across Charlotte County. 

Co-owner of South Beach Bar & Grille Bart DeStefano was one of a few business owners who spoke at the meeting. He spoke against the proposed parking restrictions as businesses will suffer, he said. “You want an island with no services?” he asked. “That’s probably what you’re going to end up with.” 

Commissioner Mulicka spoke to the enforcement of parking. “We want to make it manageable,” he said, “respectful of small business, the residents, the homeowners and business owners, the Inn, the churches.”

Several residents, including Boo Gemes and Julie Sullivan, shared negative experiences with visitors being disrespectful of their home or properties. 

“You should feel safe in your home,” Commissioner Pendergrass said. “The men and women that we have today in green they should have the right and also legal authority to tow that vehicle or ticket that vehicle. If we don’t have the structural part done right, we cannot enforce that.”

Pendergrass also briefly addressed the proposed two-hour parking in downtown Boca Grande.

“We keep talking about two-hour parking downtown. It’s not enforceable. Our Park Rangers cannot enforce downtown Boca Grande,” he said. “They’re here for beach parking in the parks. They cannot get jurisdiction. So, we ask the men and women at Lee County Sheriff’s Department to go down with a clock and check each car? That’s not going to happen. What about the shareholder? They cannot do that. So, I want to provide something that’s enforceable, that’s going to fix this problem.”

The full video of the meeting is online from the church. Visit our website at BocaBeacon.com/parking for a link to the video.