Beach Committee Tackles Vendor Plan

During the Wednesday, December 17, Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee meeting, committee members and city staff discussed amendments to regulate beach kiosks and other beach vendor structures along Marco’s 3.5-mile crescent beach. 

City staff advised committee members to avoid wording that would trigger Florida Building Code requirements and to focus on kiosk size limits, storm removal methods, and anchoring while avoiding direct references to the Building Code. 

Committee member Chris Ricci drafted much of the discussed material, admitting that much of his wording was borrowed from other Florida beachfront communities. 

The committee struggled to understand the contents of the current city code, including definitions of the various elements, such as the definition of a kiosk, setbacks, even colors permitted for kiosks and vendor structures (storage boxes). In fact, discussion between city staff and committee members took up most of the two-hour meeting, leaving little opportunity for public discussion from beach vendors and their legal representatives, who filled most of the seats in the public seating area in city council chambers.  

Members agreed to eliminate “semi-permanent” terminology, to rely on the defined term “beach kiosk,” and to strike ambiguous language such as “obstructing significant views.” They attempted to clarify setbacks and refined the definition to a “Beach Kiosk Permit” over “miscellaneous permit.”  

Aesthetics standards were debated, including colors and materials, with suggestions to allow neutral tones for structures, to permit vendor logos, and to require signage to be securely attached without illumination. The group aligned on allowing inspection authority, using “Notice of Violation” terminology, and referencing existing enforcement chapters rather than recreating penalty schemes. 

Storm removal triggers will reference existing vendor permit requirements and timeframes, with caution about hurricane watch vs hurricane warning specificity to avoid unnecessary removals of equipment. Hazardous fuel storage would fall under the Fire Prevention Code. A proposed furniture density cap (0.1 chair/umbrella per linear foot) drew strong concern and likely will be struck pending better data.  

Zach  Lombardo, attorney for Marco Water Sports, who spoke in the final minutes of the meeting, submitted redlines urging removal of vague provisions and adjusting kiosk size/height/signage, urging removal of linear-foot density caps, clarification on CCCL/DEP approvals, height/size and signage adjustments for movable kiosks, and better data-driven justification, with the committee agreeing to revisit the ordinance next meeting.   

Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee co-chair Maria Lamb perhaps said it best. “My priority is to maintain the current character of the beach as we’ve known it and support the vendors we have going forward,” Lamb said. “To make sure our beach is top in terms of its conservation of wildlife and both residents and guests get to have an unbelievable experience on our beach—it is Marco’s number one treasure. We need to keep it that way."