FORT PIERCE — Reportedly at the cost of hundreds of dollars per owner, multiple vehicles were towed May 30 for parking on a lot on the southwest corner of Avenue D and Indian River Drive, despite the city website saying the lot was open to the public for free parking.
City commissioners officially voted to end a lease for the lot during an April 14 meeting, but the lot continued to be listed as free parking on a map on the city website until as late as June 2, days after the cars had been towed, according to screenshots of the website taken by TCPalm on that date.
By June 5, the lot was no longer listed on that map, but it was too late for those who had their vehicles towed.
In a May 30 social media post, Freedom Boat Club of Fort Pierce co-owner Ann Spaeth sent an urgent warning to the club’s members. Multiple cars had been towed from the lot “where we all have been parking forever,” at the cost of about $300 to each vehicle owner, Spaeth said. Spaeth said she and her husband Don, who owns the club with her, were given no warning that the city had not renewed its lease.
“We had no warning about this, and Don is working with as many people as he can contact to try to settle this issue,” Spaeth wrote.
Freedom Boat Club of Fort Pierce is based out of the Fort Pierce City Marina, just down the street from the lot in question.
Spaeth did not respond to a request to comment for this story.
At the April 14 meeting, commissioners laid out their reasons for ending the lease. The lease had run out in late 2024, staff said, and during negotiations for a new lease the owner, Fort Pierce Resorts LLC, proposed more than doubling the monthly rent they charged the city, from $1,350 to $3,500. After some negotiations, that asking price was lowered to $2,500, but that was still too much for commissioners. It would have meant a 42% increase in total cost to the city, at about $13,800 more annually, staff said.
Fort Pierce Resorts LLC is owned by Lamont Garber of Winter Park, according to the Florida Division of Corporations. City staff told commissioners that Garber indicated the rent increase was due to the property’s value.
“I think we say thank you very much, and you can develop your property now,” Mayor Linda Hudson said.
Commissioner Michael Broderick said the city will walk away from negotiations like this.
“The city’s not going to be held hostage to these types of negotiations any longer,” Broderick said.
Improving the situation slightly, Broderick said, the city is finalizing an agreement to lease the lot just north of the one it was giving up. That lot is owned by Glynda Cavalcanti, who staff said is offering to lease it for no rent, provided the city pays for the property taxes and other costs.
As of June 5, Cavalcanti’s property was not yet included in the parking map, but, if it is, it will add about 66 parking spots, compared to about 126 lost from Garber’s property.
At the June 2 meeting, Broderick said Cavalcanti may be willing to strike a similar deal for other adjacent properties she owns, offsetting the loss even further.
“She is probably the most cooperative landlord we could do business with,” Broderick said.
Still, the city could have done more to alert residents that they could no longer park in the lot they were used to using, Commissioner James Taylor said.
“I don’t know if there was any communication from the city itself,” Taylor said. “I don’t think it was really explained correctly, and it should have come from the city.”
Wicker Perlis is TCPalm’s Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Fort Pierce boaters had cars towed despite lot being advertised by city as free to public
Reporting by Wicker Perlis, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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