Marco Island committee suggests leniency for parking during season

If you struggle to park on Marco Island as we enter season, a gift might come a little early. The city has established a moratorium on some parking regulations. If it passes, parking enforcement won’t be doling out parking tickets for those rules.

Marco Island’s Parking Solutions Advisory Committee will vote on a temporary solution to the parking problem Tuesday, Nov. 13.

“Sometimes if you drive around two or three, it’s like oh forget it,” Yvonne Garcia said.

We all know the feeling of crowded roads and no parking during season.

“It’s rather difficult because there’s not really a whole heck of lot of spaces to park in,” Garcia said.

Here is some good news. Marco city council is looking to ease congestion and give friends and family places to park overnight.

Normally, you’re not allowed to block a sidewalk or park in a grassy area in a neighborhood. You’d get slapped with a $95 ticket.

Now councilors are suggesting ease of enforcement. This would let people have more parking leniency during season between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. until Jan.7, 2019.

“The island was set up, and it grew big time,” Dennis Albaugh said. “And there is shortage of parking and unfortunately where else do you park?

Neighbors said this is a good fix for now but not a long-term solution.

“I guess they have to go to layered parking,” Albaugh said. “Maybe some ramps in these public areas.”

Eventually the lack of parking could start to affect businesses. After the rough summer due to red tide, people leaving the island because they can’t find parking would add more insult to injury.

“Another knock on the head,” Garcia said.

The advisory committee continues to look for ways to address the bigger picture parking issues.