Roundup: Parking, beach access in Boca Grande and on Gasparilla Island
June 19, 2024
By Garland Pollard
On Aug. 5, 2025 Lee County passed an ordinance restricting town parking to three hours, and restricting beach parking to the State Parks. The final ordinance is HERE. The Beacon has compiled a page to show how the issue has evolved over the years, including public documents and positions.
- Parking Committee and other contacts. Emails to the committee are sent to the whole committee.
- Parking Committee email
- Videos of the Boca Grande Parking Committee meetings
Chronology of the parking issue
Below, a list of some stories on the issue, both recent and historical, in addition to official documents and letters relating to parking on the island. In addition are our editorials, which shared concerns about the issue. News stories are in reverse chronological order:
2026 Selected Stories
- Oct. 29: Lee County to vote Nov. 3 on parking miss
- Oct. 29: Boca Grande parking suit to move to Nov. 20
- Oct. 15: Parking Committee Comes Together for Gilchrist Churches
- Oct. 9: Ordinance Discrepancy at Lee Meeting
- Oct. 9: Bridge traffic down two percent for year; 13 in July;
- Oct. 9: Parking lawsuit at Zoom hearing; case delayed
- Oct. 2: Retail sales plunge 50 percent, $8.5 to $4.1 million
- Oct. 2: Methodist Church and golf cart regs on parking agenda
- June 19: Parking Group votes 8-4 for relaxed rules
- June 11: Reviewing the Sales Tax Revenue for Boca Grande
- June 4: Letter from the Bridge Authority regarding parking
2025 Stories and Earlier
- Nov. 28: Lee County releases administrative code
- Oct. 20: Lee County adds email for Parking Committee
- Sept. 26: Charlotte adds parking to legislative agenda
- Sept. 26: County map shows 441 new island parking signs
- Sept. 18: Lee Commission creates 15-member parking panel
- Sept. 16: Lee County to recast parking committee (Video)
- Sept. 11: Charlotte passes resolution on beach access
- Aug. 22: Parking steps outlined by Lee County
- Aug 8: Parking not enforceable without signage on island
- Aug. 5: Boca Grande beach parking restrictions pass unanimously
- Aug 4: Details for Lee County meeting, including video and in person
- July 31: Renourishment shortfall with parking ordinance
- July 25: Lee County releases final parking ordinance (includes agenda, ordinance)
- July 11: Parking petition now has over 3,000 respondents
- July 11: Surfrider Foundation: Prioritize public parking solutions
- June 27: Responses to parking survey
- June 27: Beacon obtains supporter signatory list of over 1,000
- June 19: Boca Grande Chamber parking survey
- June 19: Details of proposed parking ordinance
- June 16: Ordinance (video) regarding Boca Grande parking
- June 6: Parking draft differences in Men’s Club email
- June 6: Lobbyists to Lee County on Parking Ordinance
- May 31: A chronology of parking in Boca Grande
- May 16: Maps detail island parking
- May 13, 2025: Public forum on parking at Lighthouse United
- April 25, 2025: Beach parking may change beach renourishment formula
- April 17, 2025: Parking code change allows Health Clinic project
- April 4, 2025: Boca Grande takes parking discussion to Ft. Myers
- April 1, 2025: Video of Boca Grande Residents Addressing Parking Issue
- March 30, 2025: Details on Proposed Boca Grande Parking Ordinance
- March 28, 2025: Parking Ordinance on April 1 agenda
- March 21, 2025: Parking ordinance delayed after promise for hearing
- March 21, 2025: Newest draft version of parking ordinance
- March 19, 2025: Boca Grande residents, attorneys, speak at Commission meeting (video)
- March 7, 2025: Draft Gasparilla Island Parking Ordinance, dated 2-24-25
- March 4, 2025: Church attorney, residents speak at Lee Commission meeting
- March 1, 2025: Parking for God scheme resolved San Francisco mistrust
- Feb. 21, 2025: Parking issue rises again at Lee County
- Feb. 21, 2025: Churches speak out on parking after meeting
- Feb. 19, 2025: Lee raises parking issue again (video YouTube link)
- Sept. 20, 2024: Lee County wrote its own waiver for Community Center
- July 26, 2024: Parking documents indicate downtown parking areas
- July 19, 2024: Firm two-hour limit in draft parking docs in Public Records request
- July 18, 2024: Q&A on public beach access from UVA professor
- July 12, 2024: Draft parking docs include digital sign board and vendor run ‘lot management’
- July 11, 2024: Merchants hold impromtu meetup on parking
- June 28, 2024: Parking Panel members resign from committee
- June 21, 2024: Tourist guide to public parking on Gasparilla Island
- June 13, 2024: Retailers fear more parking restrictions will drive away customers
- June 7, 2024: Lee Commissioners vote, add last minute discussion of parking changes
- June 7, 2024: Major parking rule changes discussed at Tuesday Lee meeting
- June 4, 2024: Lee County pursues public parking restrictions across Boca Grande (Inside story, link to YouTube video of Lee County Board).
- May 31, 2024: Officials consider new regulations on town parking
- April 25, 2024: Churches send unified message on need for daytime parking
- April 25, 2024: Timeline of parking discussions in Boca Grande
- Feb. 15, 2024: Fifth Street beach access remains closed
- Nov. 17, 2023: Parking Panel to meet again with Ruane
- Sept. 22, 2023: County says Fifth Street beach access closed as a precaution
- Oct. 26, 2023: Meeting between Ruane and Parking Panel scheduled for November 2
- Oct. 19, 2023: Gilchrist parking is back, Parking Panel attends Lee Commissioners October meeting
- April 19, 2019: Lee County updates parking ordinances
- Oct. 28, 2018: Lee County Commissioners uphold parking on the median
- March 23, 2018: Parallel parking mandated on beach access streets
- March 10, 2017: New signage proposed on beach access parking
- Dec. 16, 2016: GICIA assists with palm tree planting on Gilchrist Avenue
- Dec. 2, 2016: New Gilchrist plantings ahead of schedule
- Oct. 28, 2016: Lee Commissioners strike Gilchrist from agenda
- March 16, 2016: Advisory board meeting at Community Center
- Dec. 4, 2015: A Gilchrist Avenue parking timeline, 2003-2015
- July 24, 2015: GICIA advisory board formed to investigate ordinance revision
- April 24, 2015: Gilchrist Neighborhood Association stance on Gilchrist parking
- April 10, 2015: Parking prohibited on two southern-most median strips by GICIA
Official Documents
- Aug. 5, 2025 Ordinance, as filed with Florida
- Lee County Parking Ordinance (old)
- Lee County Plan (amended May 2024)
- Boca Grande Community Plan (Sept. 30, 2004)
- Waiver for Boca Grande Community Center (July 12, 2024)
- 2024 Gilchrist Parking Study
- 1990 Johnson Engineering Access Survey: Lee County survey of all Gasparilla Island public access points. This includes each street with plantings, status and ownership. It also includes beach access points without parking.
- 1978 Conservation Foundation document on heritage tourism strategy for Boca Grande entitled “Preserving the Heritage of Gasparilla Island.”
Position Letters
A number of island groups sent out letters and solicitations for members. Below are some of them.
- 2026: June 2026 Position letter on parking by Lighthouse United Methodist Church
- 2025: Woman’s Club Statement/Letter To Members
- 2025: GICIA Statement on ordinance
- 2024 position letter from The Gasparilla Inn; May 14 memo regarding drafting of plan from The Gasparilla Inn
- 2025: Letter from The Gasparilla Inn to Commissioner Ruane
- 2024: Three Churches letter to Lee County regarding parking
- 2024: April letter to Lee County from The Gasparilla Inn
- 2023: Position letter from the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce
Boca Beacon Editorials
- Off to see the Wizard: Boca Grande goes to the Lee Commission, April 4, 2025
- Welcome to the island that does not seem to be welcoming, March 21, 2025
- The Gilchrist Potato Sticks, and other visual snacks, March 7, 2025
- Parking passes needed for a sunset, Feb. 21, 2025
- Questions before a possible October Surprise, Sept. 20, 2024
- Where are the $igns to our $leepy little town?, July 12, 2024
- Inventory of island parking needed, July 5, 2024
- Let’s start by curbing the ‘curb lawns’ in Boca Grande, June 21, 2024
- Quiet Gilchrist, overflowing Gasparilla Island State Park, June 13, 2024
- The issue of parking raised again, June 6, 2024
- Take down the fence on Fifth Street, May 30, 2024
- Parking subterfuge and precedents, Oct. 19, 2023
- Parking passes needed, for a sunset?, Feb. 21, 2025
State & Federal Resources
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection map of officially defined state public access points. Also included are amenities for each access point, parking and ownership.
- Justice Department, Place to Worship Initiative
Community Comment: A sampling of letters to the editor
- South Beach weighs in on effect of restrictive parking, May 31, 2025
- Temp, Hudson’s and Sisters on a beach visit, April 24, 2025
- Taking the Christ out of Gilchrist: Churches respond to Gilchrist concerns, March 28, 2025
- Input not sought from island businesses, Duane Zobrist, Gasparilla Adventures, March 13, 2025
- Need for a parking plan, Feb. 28, 2025
- Parking meters would destroy character of Boca Grande, Sept. 20, 2024
- Boca Grande church access not just about Sunday mornings, July 8, 2024
- Families need access to beaches, June 21, 2024
- Questions on Boca Grande town residents and parking, June 14, 2024
- Regional development and demand for parking, Oct. 26, 2023
- Turning into Coney Island? Oct. 26, 2023
- Why does the county allow Curb Lawns to occur? June 3, 2016
Florida and regional beach parking
- Sarasota, Ft. Myers relax parking restrictions, Jun 21, 2024
Cleanups, beach renourishment & restoration
- Beach parking may change renourishment funding, April 24, 2025
- State Beach renourishment begins this week, Feb. 20, 2025
- Bids out on Gasparilla Island State Park renourishment, June 21, 2024
- Army Corps, Lee County agree on beach renourishment pact, May 19, 2022
Public Records Requests Documents
- 2025 Draft Ordinance (unadopted and circulated, but not official)
- Administrative Code 11-9 (an unadopted draft code, referenced in our July 19, 2024 story)
- Draft ordinance (a proposed update of a parking ordinance, referenced in our July 26 story)
- Parking Panel resignation letter (June 28, 2024)
- Lighthouse United Methodist request for handicapped parking, May 9, 2024
