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Charlotte County urges Lee County to reconsider Boca Grande parking ordinance after residents warn of economic harm
Summary
Following public testimony from dozens of residents and business owners, Charlotte County commissioners adopted a resolution asking Lee County to amend a new parking ordinance on Gasparilla Island that restricts public beach parking and creates several permit categories.
Charlotte County commissioners voted Sept. 9 to send a resolution asking the Lee County Board of Commissioners to reconsider and amend a newly adopted parking ordinance on Gasparilla Island that restricts public parking on Boca Grande streets.
The board’s action followed more than an hour of public comment from Charlotte County residents, business owners and veterans who said the Lee County ordinance adopted Aug. 5 creates unnecessary limits on beach access, discriminates against Charlotte County residents and risks economic harm to businesses on Boca Grande and in Charlotte County. Speakers said the ordinance’s fines and multiple permit classes will reduce visitors, lower sales and property tax revenue and complicate beach renourishment funding arrangements.
At the meeting commissioners discussed options including collaboration with Lee County, requesting a joint meeting, and instructing county attorneys to assess whether statutory violations or grounds for emergency court relief exist. County Attorney Jeanette Knowlton advised the board that local ordinances are presumptively valid and that a successful injunction would require showing the Lee County measure is arbitrary or unreasonable; she recommended diplomacy and cooperation as the primary path but noted staff would prepare any legal options requested by the board.
The board approved a resolution urging Lee County to amend the ordinance to restore reasonable public parking, preserve tourism and maintain equitable access to coastal resources within 30 days; commissioners also directed staff to research the state law sometimes called "SB 180" for potential legal avenues. The vote to adopt the resolution was unanimous 5–0.
Public commenters described wide community concern. Business owners reported revenue declines and threatened boycotts; a number of speakers said they have collected petitions opposing the Lee County rule and requested Charlotte County to file a preliminary injunction “to pause” enforcement while legal review proceeds. Several speakers, including representatives of the Boca Community Access Alliance, said more than 2,000 Charlotte County residents had signed petitions opposing the ordinance; the alliance later said it had gathered thousands of signatures online.
County staff also presented a memo analyzing the Lee County ordinance and related documents; commissioners said they had made phone calls to Lee County commissioners and urged outreach to find a negotiated solution before litigation. Commissioner comments stressed both the value of cooperation between neighboring counties and the need to protect Charlotte County residents and businesses who routinely use Boca Grande’s beaches.
Next steps: the board asked staff to prepare a legal review of SB 180 issues and left open the prospect of asking Lee County for a joint meeting. Commissioners also discussed possible mitigation for spillover impacts at Englewood Beach and asked staff to examine a parcel near Englewood Beach for possible county acquisition to add parking and relieve pressure if Boca Grande access is reduced.
