While there are signs at the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Hall parking lot with payment instructions, payment is only required for those who are parking after Town Hall business hours or for those not doing business at Town Hall. For those parking to attend a meeting or attend to business at town hall, parking is free. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
You may be one of many who have stopped by the new Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Hall to check up on a permit, attend a town council meeting or hearing and spent time driving around the former 7-Eleven lot to find a parking space. After finding that lucky spot you then notice the sign asking you to pay $5 an hour for parking. For those without a residential parking pass that may seem like a hassle to spend money parking at Town Hall, but you don’t have to.
Landing on Town Hall parking is free, just like landing on free parking in the Monopoly game, as long as you are there for town business.
“There is no cost if you are at Town Hall for official business,” Fort Myers Beach spokesperson Abigail Eberhart said. “It is pay-to-park if you park here for any other reason. Unless they have a resident parking pass on their vehicle, then it’s free.”
In short, if you are stopping by the Town Hall to meet with a town official about any type of town business or attend any kind of public meeting, parking is free. If you want to park there to go hit the beach or walk around the block to a future restaurant nearby, it will cost you $5 an hour. That is unless you have a residential parking pass the town charges a fee for, which in that case you can park there as long as you want no matter the reason.
During a recent Fort Myers Beach Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force hearing on the helicopter tours, some residents and members of the public ended up paying for two hours of parking.
For those who have incorrectly paid for parking at the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Hall lot when attending the Town Hall for town business, Eberhart advised that they contact the town for a refund.
“Please have them send an email to riley.baker@fmbgov.com,” Eberhart said in response to questions from the Fort Myers Beach Observer.