Boca Grande parking prompts second joint Lee and Charlotte County meeting

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. —

Charlotte County Commissioners are set to meet with Lee County leaders for a second time to discuss parking restrictions on Boca Grande.

The move to set a meeting between the two counties follows concerns Charlotte County leaders have about parking changes impacting business on the island.

Some people, such as Boca Grande native Captain Marian Schneider, say the rules implemented in August are driving people away.

"If they see the signs of no parking, no access to public, some of them don't see it, and they park, they come back, and they've got a big ticket," Schneider said. "Well, this kind of puts a damper on their vacation."

Schneider, who has made a living by sharing the island through kayak rentals, worries that the rules have created a divide between visitors and Boca Grande homeowners.

"They buy up the waterfront property. They bought it up with public parking. They're going to the beach, and now they want it for their own," Schneider said. "It's just not right."

The rules changed after homeowners voiced concerns to Lee County about cars parked on their streets, claiming visitors left trash behind and blocked driveways.

When the proposal was approved last year, we heard from some neighbors, like Bruce Carbonari, president of the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association, who said the changes were needed.

"We can't handle that growth in Boca Grande. We have to have some sort of structure," Carbonari said.

Under the new rules, visitors must park in designated non-residential areas for a limit of three hours or at the state park at the end of the island. However, people with hotel, employee, resident and house guest parking permits can park in the non-residential zones with no time limit.

Robin Wilkins from Open Shores of Southwest Florida, a non-profit founded with a mission of preserving public access at Florida beaches, has been gathering feedback from beachgoers.

"A lot of responses are pointing towards the lack of access, the lack of ADA, limited mobility type access," Wilkins said. "We are getting reports that downtown's filling up because the beachgoers, they have to park somewhere."

Charlotte County commissioners said the parking restrictions are hurting business on the island. Schneider noted that the parking situation has started to hit local fishing guides.

"It's affected them. They can't pick up the customers. There's limited parking," Schneider said. "It's mostly negative effects. It's sad. It's very, very sad," she said.

The parking rules are expected to be discussed by the two counties on April 27.

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