Frustrated Villagers are prepared to launch a petition effort to create more parking in their neighborhood.
The residents of the Sunnyside Villas made their case for more parking on Friday afternoon before the Community Development District 4 Board of Supervisors.
Residents have quietly carved out their own unsanctioned overflow parking area near a water retention basin off Sunnybrook Circle in the villa community in the Village of Woodbury.
Residents told CDD 4 supervisors they would like to see the area paved and turned into legitimate parking. The residents learned that such work was easier said than done.
The work would trigger a permit modification for the stormwater management system. Permitting, engineering and construction for eight parking spaces could cost anywhere from $26,000 to $50,000. That cost, which would also include ongoing maintenance, would presumably be borne by all residents of CDD 4.
Board Chairman Cliff Wiener worried that approving such a project would set a precedent and soon other villa communities would come calling with similar requests.
Supervisor Cary Sternberg noted that some residents on Sunnybrook Circle paid premiums for their view of the retention basin. He said it would be unfair for those who paid extra to go from viewing the retention basin to looking out at a parking lot.
Supervisor Don Deakin added his concern that guest parking areas usually became “storage areas” for derelict automobiles. He feared it could happen here, too.
Supervisor Jim Murphy warned residents that the parking at the retention area was improper and steps might be taken to “seal it off.”
Undeterred, the villa residents said they would launch a petition effort to turn the area into designated parking. They said they hope to complete the petition process before the CDD 4 Board begins its budget process for the coming fiscal year.