Let Marco Island Plan Its Own Future

A bill currently moving through the Florida Legislature — CS/CS/HB 1389 — deserves the close attention of every Marco Island resident. 

While it is presented as an affordable housing measure, the bill has evolved into something much broader. As amended, it shifts key land-use decisions away from local governments and places them at the state level. 

For many communities, that may seem like an abstract policy issue. For Marco Island, it is not. 

We are a barrier island with very real constraints: limited bridge access, evacuation challenges, finite road capacity, and infrastructure that must support both residents and visitors. We also have established neighborhoods and environmentally sensitive areas that require thoughtful, balanced planning. 

These are not theoretical concerns. They are daily realities that shape how our community functions. 

For that reason, local planning matters. 

Decisions about building height, density, and compatibility are not simply about development; they are about traffic flow, public safety, emergency evacuation, and preserving the character of the island that residents have invested in for decades. 

CS/CS/HB 1389 reduces the ability of local governments to apply those standards in certain cases. It limits traditional tools like rezoning review, variances, and site-specific evaluation — tools that exist precisely because no two communities are the same. 

Marco Island certainly is not. 

Some suggest that private deed restrictions can help fill that gap. While those protections remain important, they are not a substitute for comprehensive local planning. They cannot address island-wide concerns like infrastructure capacity, emergency access, or overall compatibility. Only the local government can do that — and only when it retains the authority to act. 

This is not about opposing growth or housing. It is about ensuring that growth is aligned with the unique physical limits of a barrier island and the needs of the people who live here. 

The Marco Island Civic Association has taken a thoughtful and measured position: oppose this bill unless it is amended to preserve meaningful local control and recognize the realities of coastal communities like ours. 

That is a reasonable request. 

Local officials are the ones accountable for how this island functions — in peak season traffic, during storm evacuation, and in the long-term sustainability of our infrastructure and neighborhoods. They must retain the ability to make decisions accordingly. 

Marco Island is not a one-size-fits-all community. It should not be governed by a one-size-fits-all land-use policy. 

The future of this island should be shaped by those who live here, understand its constraints, and are responsible for its safety and character. 

Marco Island should plan Marco Island.