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Fort Pierce leaders press for enforcement, planning as downtown parking tightens
Summary
After a parking committee presentation, commissioners agreed to prioritize enforcement and investigate the cost and location of a downtown parking garage — likely the city-owned former JCPenney lot — while exploring funding options and phased design work.
Ryan Collins, chair of the city’s Parking Committee, told the commission it was time to stop commissioning more studies and start acting: “No additional parking studies needed,” he said, urging full-time enforcement, residential permit categories and restriping to better use existing spaces. The committee recommended abandoning the proposed paid-beach parking kiosk contract with PCI for now and focusing on enforcement and a long-term garage plan.
Public commenters echoed the committee’s urgency. Chris Einstein, a downtown resident, said he supports a garage but urged phased, data-driven decisions and careful site selection. Gus Gutierrez, a former parking committee chair, said the committee had seen “plenty of studies” and little implementation and urged two enforcement staff to stem persistent overnight parking and protect businesses.
Commissioners and staff focused on two immediate tasks: staffing enforcement and evaluating a garage procurement. Sean Cost, director of community response, said the approved budget funded one part‑time parking enforcement position and that the posting had closed; staff hopes to have someone on board by mid‑May. Commissioners asked staff to model the budget impact of two full‑time officers and, if infeasible, two part‑time positions to avoid enforcement gaps.
On a garage, commissioners repeatedly pointed to the city‑owned JCPenney parking lot as the preferred location, while warning that construction costs would be substantial. One commissioner illustrated the scale: “At $30,000 a parking spot… that’s $15,000,000,” and urged the commission to pay for planning and design now so bids and bonding estimates are ready when funding becomes available. City Engineer Mark Serra said a 2024 consultant found the existing downtown garage needs extensive repairs and estimated roughly $850,000 at that time; he now expects costs could approach $1,000,000 for known repairs.
Several commissioners pushed for a short-term enforcement strategy and immediate low-cost improvements such as restriping and clearer signage. Staff and commissioners agreed to: (1) pursue hiring enforcement staff and reflect options in the upcoming budget; (2) seek an RFP and cost estimate for a new garage design so bond scenarios and terms can be evaluated; and (3) investigate whether fee‑in‑lieu parking funds, surtax dollars or grants could partially fund planning and construction.
The commission did not adopt a final financing plan at the meeting; it directed staff to return with budget scenarios, an RFP scope for design and a report on the parking fee-in-lieu account balance.
The commission’s next procedural step is to include parking staffing options and garage planning costs in its budget process.
