Public Restroom Facilities on The Beach Are Needed

There are hundreds who come to the beach every day and bring coolers, tents, wagons, etc. and are basically camping for the day. Is our beautiful Gulf of Mexico the restroom facilities for these guests? It certainly is as well as the line of bushes and vegetation at the edge of the sand. I’ve been told from condo owners that while on their lanai, they have seen the bushes used as a toilet! 

The first response I received by City Council was there are facilities at the Sarazan parking lot, Residents Beach and Tigertail Beach. Then it was suggested that if someone visiting the beach needed a restroom they could go into the hotels. Then I was told there wasn’t land owned by the City for such an effort.  

There MUST be a way to do the right thing! If we need cooperation from the County, then we should get it. 

When the wonderful boat launch and paddleboard/kayak launch area were created across the bridge, a very nice permanent restroom facility was constructed on the corner of Capri Boulevard and Collier Boulevard. This is a County effort which benefits many Marco Islanders. Since then, realizing, I imagine, that crossing Collier Boulevard after being on the water for hours was too far, there is a portable toilet near the boat launch now.  

If we (not the public) can drive on the beach to check on our guests and turtle nesting sites, can’t we also take a portable restroom to the beach, at the entrance of the cuts which guests frequent to enjoy the beach?  

This is important for us as guardians of our resources and ambassadors of Marco Island.  

Please let your neighbors and local government know your thoughts. You can reach our City Council Members by e-mail: city_council@cityofmarcoisland.com. And our City Manager, Michael McNees, can be reached at mmcnees@cityofmarcoisland.com.