Lee County has installed license plate cameras at Lynn Hall Park on Fort Myers Beach that automatically issue $50 citations if visitors don’t pay for parking within 15 minutes of arrival.
Watch as Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev, speaks with visitors and a business owner on the island about the new automated parking system:
15 MINUTES TO PAY: Automated parking citations coming to Lee County parks
The system, which is expanding to 18 parks across Lee County, has raised concerns among local business owners and visitors who worry about the short payment window.
“15 minutes is not enough time and it’s not very fair that it’s not even posted anywhere. A lot of people, we tell them to park there, when they’re coming to pick up a pizza, or just a slice and they can usually get in pretty quick, unfortunately I think this is going to be very bad for us,” said Melissa Sheppard, co-owner of Bella Mozzarella.
Some residents worry that simply searching for a parking spot during busy season could result in a ticket…