Does Marco Island have a Parking Problem?

The City Council has revised its Restaurant parking Ordinance several times over the years, especially for free standing restaurants. It started out as one (1) parking space per two (2) seats up to one (1) parking space per four (4) seats, never requiring restaurants to increase their parking spaces. 

In 2010 the then City Council increased the parking requirement to one (1) parking space per 200 square feet of restaurant seating area, indoor and outdoor. That ultimately made the parking problem immensely problematic. Here again no requirement for these restaurants to increase their parking space requirement. 

So, who created the parking problem, City Council!! In 2014 the then City Council changed the Ordinance to one (1) parking space per four (4) seats. All restaurants prior to 2014 are grandfather in and it only applies to new and/or expansion of current restaurants. There are other stipulations in the code that contribute to the problem.

There is NO parking provision in the Ordinances for employee parking.

Respectfully submitted,

Amadeo Petricca

Marco Island, Florida