Photo by LANCE SHEARER
New planning board member Max Peterhans, left, attends his first meeting. The city Planning Board met on Friday in the Community Room downstairs from the police department.
Photo by LANCE SHEARER
Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent (2) Susan Ackerson, owner of the Old Marco Pub, spoke in favor of both swale parking and horse-drawn carriages. The city Planning Board met on Friday in the Community Room downstairs from the police department.
MARCO ISLAND — A 'swale' idea –Marco Planning Board weighs regulations for beach parking
Chairman Dick Shanahan and his colleagues welcomed a new board member, Max Peterhans, for his debut meeting. Peterhans, an architect and engineer, is a new resident as well, having moved to Marco Island just last year, and still speaking with the accent of his native Switzerland. With a nearly full community room, and members David Caruso and Monte Lazarus absent, the Planning Board moved right into the issues of signage and parking.
Joe Irvin of the Community Affairs Department took the committee through the proposed Comprehensive Parking Plan, laying out multiple options for short-term and long-term improvement of parking on the island. Beach parking was a major concern, with a number of residents of the Swallow Avenue area near South Beach venting their grievances over the use of their swales.
With a proposal for an outright ban on swale parking on the table, board member Marv Needles reframed the debate by invoking a hypothetical cocktail party at a private residence, that would put all the guests in violation of the ordinance. The "cocktail party exception" caught the imagination of the board, as they pondered how to prevent non-Islanders parking for a day at the beach, without inconveniencing local residents.
"What we're talking about is all day parking at the beach," said vice chairman Jack Patterson. "How do you separate who can park?" In addition to the "vigorous" police enforcement suggested by Shanahan, prohibiting parking prior to 5 or 6 p.m. – basically, cocktail hour – was considered.
Casa de Marco resident Wanda Schmelzer spoke up for a total ban on the use of swales for parking.
"Eliminate swale parking, period," she urged. "We're nice people, but you can only be so nice for so long."
To the suggestion that beach parkers be directed to Tigertail Beach, Friends of Tigertail president Debbie Roddy pointed out, again, "you still have an issue with the people who do not want to pay" the $8 non-Collier resident parking fee at that county facility.
Susan Ackerson of Gator Way had a different perspective. Owner of the Old Marco Pub, she made a plea for businesses, particularly the six restaurants in the area, who depend on nearby swales for overflow parking.
"Businesses don't want the city interfering with the existing parking policy" in their "truly unique location," she said. "No one's been hurt, no cars have been damaged."
Ray Seward, chairman of the Marco Island Property Owners group, spoke up for Islanders who live too far from the beach to walk.
"How about residents of this island who don't live near the beach? How can they go to the beach?" asked Seward.
Needles, drawing on his experience working for island developer Deltona 42 years ago, said the swales had been designed for drainage, not parking.
"The beaches are the biggest draw in Florida," he said. "Parking is going to be an ongoing problem."
Staff solutions presented by Irvin, along with his boss, Community Development Director Bryan Milk, also included working with property owners to obtain additional parking in high-demand areas, initiating a shuttle service, and increasing the CAT bus transportation schedules, as well as a potential three-story parking garage at South Beach.
The Planning Board also weighed in on temporary signage for special events, real estate and political campaigns. With city staff recommending allowing seven signs for five days for special events, the board agreed on a recommendation of seven signs/seven days. Electronic LED signs should be allowed only if the letters are static, not moving or in a "crawl," and only to be changed every 24 hours, voted the board.
The Planning Board's next meeting is scheduled for July 6.
Final round 2013 U.S. Open Golf…
Couple wed at Fakahatchee Strand…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 10
captnjimbo writes:
Marco Residents can Join MICA and get a beach pass...that lets them take care of themselves. Day trippers from East Naples or Lely etc can go to the library and get a free sticker that lets them park free at Tigertail. Those that come from other counties can pay a parking fee.
They are parking in the swales because we have no enforcement and it is spreading.
I like our restaurants and support them but when you increase your capacity without dealing with the parking you are kind of asking for an issue...that said the city can make the swale enforcement a six AM to six PM issue or issue permits in comercial zones.
marco97 writes:
I suggest one hour parking in the swales near the beach, This should solve parking problems with off Island beach goers. And I would assume the police would go out of there way to make sure they don't ticket residents visiting someone on that street.
GFonda writes:
City-owned swales near beach access points could be metered - "turning lemons into lemonade". Just a thought
MrsT writes:
If you don't live close enought to walk to the beach on Marco you don't need a MICA pass. To park at the public lot at South Beach or Tigertail just get a Collier County Park Beach permit. If the lot at South Beach is full then patrons should be directed to Tigertail. No swale parking period.
1Paradiselost writes:
Here's a easy solution.. No parking signs that say $150.00 fine with strict police enforcement.
The current $35.00 fine is just to small.
marco97 writes:
GFonda, Do you want to see parking meters in front of your house? I don't.
REEPER writes:
no the point is people don't want to pay the 8 dollar fee,i pass the lot every day now it empty during the week and they are parking in the swales for free,they come to our island and they don't spend a dime, funny it cost the people who live here money.
islandgma writes:
I agree that the businesses would like this to be a tourist desitnation to encourage spending but if they are not spending money or contributing at all why do we care so much that they come? Continue to support the hotels where money is spent. Our island is a bit of a two-faced in that it started as a nice quiet place to retire and enjoy southwest Florida and newcomers or others that do not have enough money are trying to cash in. We moved away from all this nonsense up north. Let visitors pay the money to stay at the resort, or rent a private home. Put up no parking, parking in lot only - but this would need to be monitored and tickets written to be enforced....Oh but, that's right - we don't want to upset the visitor... We pay - they play.
REEPER writes:
100% agreed with
sweetpolly writes:
Couldn't agree more.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.