Proposed parking lot on Siesta Key may be over before it starts

County Commissioner Al Maio has been calling for a new parking lot on Siesta Key for months, but on July 11 other commissioners expressed concern that a new lot wouldn’t be the best solution to the problem.

Maio has expressed interest in putting a parking lot at 6647 Midnight Pass Road, the location of a parcel of land shared by Sarasota County Utilities and the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff vacates the property in October, and Maio hopes to turn part of the property into public parking lot with about 140 spaces, which seemed to be moving forward.

Earlier this year, the County Commission voted unanimously not to sell the land, and unanimously approved the utility department’s recommendation that the land be used unintrusively, which Maio said is the perfect opening for a lot.

In the past two years, Maio said, a total of 178 parking spaces have been added at Siesta Beach and Turtle Beach.

“I’m going to do my very best to make sure this doesn’t fail,” Maio told The Observer, and reiterated at a July 12 County Commission meeting that the plans for the lot will move forward. But at the July 11 commission meeting his fellow commissioners wanted to explore different approaches.

“We need to quit creating more parking because all more parking does is bring more cars,” said Commissioner Charles Hines, who also mentioned the full parking lots on Fourth of July.

Adding more parking to bring more cars over those two bridges is not a solution

“Adding more parking to bring more cars over those two bridges is not a solution,” he said. “We have to figure out a way to encourage people not to drive onto the Key and make it painful to drive on to the Key, and make it convenient and free to park your car somewhere else.”

Commissioners discussed the possibility of charging for parking on existing lots and using the proceeds to fund the Breeze Trolley, and the possibility that only visitors could be charged for parking. Commission Chair Paul Caragiulo said he’s already had people approach him and ask why parking on the Key is still free.

“People are offering to pay, they’re so fond of the spot,” he said.

Several entrepreneurs have already thought of adding lots on the Key and charging for parking, which would prove lucrative when parking is in such short supply. 

Another option would be establishing a new public parking lot off the Key, and potentially extending the trolley's route to include the lot. But Commissioner Michael Moran cautioned that to ask people to leave their cars off the island is something that requires “incredible trust.”

Yet another possible solution to the problem, aside from another public lot, would be a parking garage, but commissioners said their constituents wouldn’t stand for it.

“If anyone wants to build several large parking structures, they will witness my demise for proposing that,” Maio said. “No one wants them next to their home.”

Moving forward, County Administrator Tom Harmer and his staff will do some research about what other places are doing in response to similar problems before coming back to the County Commission. Then the group will decide on a path forward, and most importantly a time frame.