Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Access Sunseeker topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission presses Sunseeker attorneys and staff to reopen public boardwalk; seeks enforceable access agreement
Summary
Commissioners pressed Sunseeker attorneys/staff about when the public boardwalk will fully reopen after storm damage. Staff reported the ADA lift is installed and one end of the boardwalk is open; commissioners asked legal and administration to pursue a stronger, time‑bound access agreement and to harden county parking to improve public access.
Charlotte County commissioners on June 10 asked county administration and legal counsel to press Sunseeker attorneys to reopen the resort’s public boardwalk areas that remain closed after hurricane damage, and to propose an enforceable policy to prevent prolonged closures in the future.
County attorney staff and county planners briefed the board that Sunseeker had installed and tested an ADA lift and reopened the portion of the boardwalk that connects to the park side. Jeanette Knowlton, who confirmed the lift and sign installation, told the board the county had received staff confirmation that the park‑side end of the boardwalk was open.
Commissioners said the boardwalk should not remain closed to the public once safe access exists. Commissioner Chris Constance asked legal staff to identify remedies and to draft a process so Sunseeker must reopen sections within a short cure period after a storm, or otherwise: “That boardwalk cannot close ever to the public,” he said.
Commissioners and staff also discussed a county‑owned parking area nearby that was damaged during storm recovery. Community Development Director Ben Bailey and Community Services Director Tommy Scott said the county has designs to harden the grass parking with permeable pavers and that facilities staff will restart that work. Scott described short‑term adjustments (moving a fence a few feet) that could add roughly 20 parking spaces immediately while the permanent fix proceeds.
Board members asked legal and administration to confirm whether an ADA access point must be maintained to keep the entire boardwalk open and to propose policy language that gives the county clear timelines and enforcement options for public access after an event. No formal enforcement action against Sunseeker was taken at the meeting; staff said they would continue negotiations and return with recommended language and an implementation plan.
Ending
Staff will follow up with Sunseeker attorneys about reopening timelines and return to the commission with possible policy or contractual language to ensure timely public access and with a plan to harden county parking at Bayshore Park to improve accessibility.
