Potential “Tourist District Zoning” on Marco Island

Last week a group of eighteen residents from ten beach-facing condominiums took advantage of the new ‘Meet the City Manager’ program. We met regarding a proposal being moved to the Planning Board’s consideration, proposing a rezoning in the ‘Tourist District’ to allow private parking lot owners to rent parking spots on a daily basis.

As far as our consortium is concerned, any popular belief that beachfront condos want to derive revenue from parking is misplaced. First, most condominiums have deed restrictions prohibiting such activities. Beyond that, parking was designed to provide only sufficient space for owners and their guests and is adequate only for those purposes. Next, turning into a pay-for-parking facility has income tax and insurance implications. Imagine a resident driver accidentally striking someone exiting from a ‘pay to park’ vehicle. Who is then liable? Finally, one must consider the cost and qualification of the labor for security and parking management.

One attendee who regularly attends the Catholic Church stated that in season there are services all day Sunday and two services on a Saturday. Anyone who passes the Church on San Marco Road on a Sunday can see the parking status there.

In summary, we thank Mr. McNees for agreeing to meet and facilitating. Learning the evolution of the proposed plan was most helpful. We hope the Planning Board will reject this entirely misconceived notion, and the meeting’s attendees would appreciate removing our properties from any nascent ‘Tourist Zone’; we’re just not interested.