Acme owner asks Isle of Palms council to reconsider parking requirements before rebuilding

Mr. Simon Simmons, introduced to council during the citizens' comment period, described long-term investment in a restaurant on the island and asked the council to review parking requirements he says hinder plans to rebuild.The owner said he bought the business in 2008 and has since transformed it from a late-night bar into a family-friendly restaurant. He stated growth metrics for his business: "In 2013, we paid like $46,000 in hospitality taxes and in 25 we paid $142,000," and said those increases reflect rising visitation.

Simmons said the existing building is aging and would be difficult to keep operating during a year-long reconstruction. His plan would build a new restaurant behind the current site and convert the existing footprint into a landscaped parking area, adding roughly 15–17 more defined spaces and up to about 52 parking spaces total under his proposal. He said the plan would keep the current staff (about 80 employees) and expand private-dining capacity.

Council members asked questions about timing and recommended that Simmons bring plans to the facilities committee for a level-set discussion; one council member suggested a parking-credit or match system rather than wholesale rule changes. The council indicated willingness to consider the idea and to discuss options in committee or at a future council meeting.

No formal zoning or ordinance changes were proposed on the spot; Simmons asked only for a review and committee consideration.

Why it matters: the request ties into island parking policy, small-business retention and zoning rules that affect frontage districts along Front Beach; council signaled openness to a focused review rather than an immediate code change.