Will Escambia pay for a parking garage on Pensacola Beach?
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

Santa Rosa Island Authority Executive Director Buck Lee wants to get right to the point, so he's planning to meet with Escambia County administrator, chairman and commissioners to ask them straight out if they will commit $10 million for a parking garage on Pensacola Beach.

Parking has been a longstanding problem on the island. Restaurants and other businesses are allotted only so many spaces and they are restricted from attracting more patrons because they will bring more cars onto the island.

SRIA Chairman Vernon Prather routinely votes against new developments, even if the proposals include onsite parking, because he reasons that visitors to hotels and or condos will make the trek to the core area in their vehicles, adding to parking congestion.

Lee wants to know whether the county will commit to the project before spending approximately $100,000 for a parking garage plan.

"We'll do the ground work, get public input on types, location and present it to the commissioners," Lee said.

Lee said if built, the garage will help accommodate locals, because most of the visitors have parking available in their hotel or condominium lots.

"This really is for the rest of Escambia County," Lee said, and that locals visiting the beach increase sales tax revenues.

Last spring, parking spaces were few and far between during spring break, when mild weather brought a lot of visitors to the island.

Lee said plans may include an overhead walkway to connect the garage to the other side of Via de Luna.