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Residents and merchants press Lee and Charlotte counties over Boca Grande parking and island coordination
Summary
Residents and merchant representatives urged opposition to proposed Boca Grande parking limits, citing studies showing 18–25% sales drops in comparable communities and warning of business losses; county staff reviewed joint post‑storm coordination and maintenance agreements for the barrier island.
Dozens of residents and business owners from Boca Grande and surrounding communities used the joint Charlotte‑Lee meeting to press county leaders on parking proposals, post‑storm coordination and access to the barrier island.
Multiple public commenters — including Dwayne Zobrist of the Boca Grande Merchants Association and business owners Rebecca and Gail Cleveland — warned that the Lee County draft parking ordinance, which would limit some public parking and impose two‑hour limits in places, would harm small businesses and island access. Zobrist cited a commissioned case study of five beach communities and said similar plans in Sanibel led to an "18 to 25% decrease in sales tax revenue." Rebecca Cleveland, a Boca Grande business owner, told the meeting: "2 hours is not enough time for our visitors to go to the beach, out to lunch, and shop the town." Gail Cleveland, a former owner of a Park Avenue gallery, added that street parking is essential for loading and for older or infirm churchgoers.
Charlotte County and Lee County staff described existing coordination on Boca Grande after recent storms, noting a long‑standing interlocal agreement that divides maintenance responsibilities among Charlotte County, Lee County and the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GBA). John Elias (Charlotte County Public Works) and Rob Price (Lee County DOT) detailed post‑storm work, including debris removal, road restorations, interlocal solid‑waste arrangements and shared emergency services agreements dating back to 1998. Elias described agreements that allow cross‑use of transfer facilities and post‑disaster acceptance of waste to ease recovery.
Commissioners noted the split jurisdiction across the island — roughly two‑thirds of the island in Lee County and one‑third in Charlotte County — and discussed whether additional joint public meetings on the island would increase community engagement. Several Charlotte County commissioners said they cannot directly change Lee County’s proposed parking ordinance but encouraged residents to use Lee’s public‑hearing process and said the county would continue coordination on beach access and phased park reopenings.
Next steps: staff said Lee County’s parking proposal will proceed through Lee County’s public‑hearing schedule (initial public hearing completed, next hearing expected in May). Both counties also said they would continue to coordinate storm recovery, emergency services and outreach for island businesses; no formal ordinance or interlocal changes were adopted at the joint session.
