{"id":271353,"date":"2026-05-14T20:36:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/271353\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T20:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:36:14","slug":"local-planning-agency-denies-request-to-remove-parking-fort-myers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/271353\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Planning Agency denies request to remove parking – FORT MYERS"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency rejected a proposal from John Richard to eliminate parking at his property at 1165 and 1165 Estero Boulevard at the corner of Crescent St, across from the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency rejected a proposal from John Richard to eliminate parking at his property at 1165 and 1165 Estero Boulevard at the corner of Crescent St, across from the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency rejected a proposal from John Richard to eliminate parking at his property at 1165 and 1165 Estero Boulevard at the corner of Crescent St, across from the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency rejected a proposal from John Richard to eliminate parking at his property at 1165 and 1165 Estero Boulevard at the corner of Crescent St, across from the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency rejected a proposal from John Richard to eliminate parking at his property at 1165 and 1165 Estero Boulevard at the corner of Crescent St, across from the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency rejected a proposal from John Richard to eliminate parking at his property at 1165 and 1165 Estero Boulevard at the corner of Crescent St, across from the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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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\u2019s owner John Richard at 150 Crescent St. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 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,\u201d Cereceda said. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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\u2019s plans for the property, if parking were to be eliminated, though he said there could potentially be patios or new seating. \u201cI asked him the same question your asking,\u201d Noble said in response to Cereceda\u2019s concerns. \u201cThat\u2019s exactly what I got.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like we are being asked half of a question and I am very uncomfortable with that,\u201d Cereceda said. \u201cWhy eliminate parking in an otherwise overcrowded place?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Local Planning Agency\u2019s unanimous rejection of the request means the plan now goes to the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council.<\/p>\n

\u201cStaff\u2019s 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,\u201d Fort Myers Beach senior planner Jason Smalley said. <\/p>\n

According to Smalley, the owners are not required to provide the full amount of parking spaces in the code. \u201cThey have to provide 33% of their parking requirement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smalley said that town staff\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Cereceda said she is concerned about the town\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 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\u2019t get to it because of a lack of parking.\u201d Cereceda said \u201cthere is a parking deficit and a serious parking deficit\u201d during the busy season of the year.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Schoonover said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d Schoonover said. <\/p>\n

LPA member Doug Eckmann expressed a similar point of view, saying he was initially supportive of the proposal until hearing objections on the board. <\/p>\n

Richard could not be reached for comment as of press time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are too many questions here,\u201d Cereceda said. \u201cI don\u2019t understand this ask. I feel like its only halfway in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n


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