Local Planning Agency denies request to remove parking
The Town of Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency (LPA) rejected an attempt by the owner of 1161 and 1165 Estero Boulevard to eliminate all parking requirements on the properties. The lot, which is approved for residences and office space, has four on-site parking spaces, with a joint parking agreement for three additional spaces through the property’s owner John Richard at 150 Crescent St.
Fort Myers Beach LPA Chair Anita Cereceda said she objected to the variance request by the owner as the proposal to eliminate the required parking on the site did not include any plans for how the site would be redeveloped, or what would be constructed in place of the parking.
Cereceda expressed concern that the elimination of the parking was the first step in a redevelopment of the property without knowing what the plans are.
“For what? For what purpose? For what reason? I feel like we are not getting the whole story and for that reason I am opposed to this,” Cereceda said.
The parking lot and building are located at the intersection of Estero Boulevard and Crescent Street, perhaps the busiest intersection on Fort Myers Beach facing the Margaritaville Beach Resort.
Richard, who owns several businesses and residential units in town, including several parking lots and vacant lots downtown around Old San Carlos Boulevard, was not in attendance. He was represented by Matt Noble. Noble said he did not know Richard’s plans for the property, if parking were to be eliminated, though he said there could potentially be patios or new seating. “I asked him the same question your asking,” Noble said in response to Cereceda’s concerns. “That’s exactly what I got.”
“I feel like we are being asked half of a question and I am very uncomfortable with that,” Cereceda said. “Why eliminate parking in an otherwise overcrowded place?”
The Local Planning Agency’s unanimous rejection of the request means the plan now goes to the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council.
“Staff’s issue was that the status quo is being broken here and they are being asked to do away with the entirety of their parking requirement,” Fort Myers Beach senior planner Jason Smalley said.
According to Smalley, the owners are not required to provide the full amount of parking spaces in the code. “They have to provide 33% of their parking requirement.”
Smalley said that town staff’s issue is the owner is seeking to eliminate parking completely on the property. Smalley is also concerned about potentially losing an American with Disabilities Act parking spot on the site.
Cereceda said she is concerned about the town’s direction of easing parking requirements downtown at the request of property owners. Developments across town been given reductions in parking, including the Arches hotel, Myerside and The Whale.
“In our somehow misguided wisdom of shared parking in the downtown area, we see what has happened with that. The (Whale), we have seen what has happened to that, they are almost a victim of their success because you can’t get to it because of a lack of parking.” Cereceda said “there is a parking deficit and a serious parking deficit” during the busy season of the year.
While new LPA member Edward Schoonover voted with the council to deny the variance request due to not hearing the full plans of the property owner, he made comments supporting the elimination of the parking.
“I think that there should be a curb there and we should create more walking spaces rather than parking spaces where you have to back out into Estero,” Schoonover said.
“The parking that they currently have I view as useless and a danger both to pedestrians and to drivers. I would like to see that parking disappear,” Schoonover said.
LPA member Doug Eckmann expressed a similar point of view, saying he was initially supportive of the proposal until hearing objections on the board.
Richard could not be reached for comment as of press time.
“There are too many questions here,” Cereceda said. “I don’t understand this ask. I feel like its only halfway in front of us.”