Marco Island residents split over swale parking proposal

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — Parking on Marco Island has long been a challenge for residents. A recent proposal aimed to ease this issue by expanding swale parking times, but not everyone is on board.

At a recent WINK Listens event on Marco Island, community members expressed their opinions on the matter. Marco City Council member Deb Henry proposed a plan to allow homeowners to park in swales in front of their homes overnight. As of February, swale parking is only permitted during the day.

"The average family has two to three kids, and our driveways usually fit two cars, and if our garage can take one, maybe two cars," said Henry.

Despite this, many residents opposed the proposal, including Michael Josephs, who attended the WINK Listens event.

"Number one is safety," said Josephs. "If I'm coming down the street at two in the morning, I don't want those obstacles in place."

Henry suggested allowing parking from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. in front of one's own home, noting that the island is relatively quiet during those hours.

Josephs also raised concerns about the visual impact of cars parked in swales, noting that the city recently invested heavily in improving these areas to filter nutrients out of stormwater runoff and protect local waterways.

"The other thing is, the city has recently spent millions and millions and millions of dollars to improve those swales," he said.

Henry acknowledged that the proposal sparked broader opposition to swale parking in general, which was not her intention.

"It opened up an entire new situation of people not wanting swale parking at all, which was nothing at all I was proposing," said Henry.

For now, the idea of overnight swale parking remains shelved.

"I think there's bigger fish to fry," Henry concluded.