The Destin City Council is set to discuss the removal of nine public parking spaces at the end of Moreno Point Road during its meeting on Monday, April 15, 2024.

The Dolphin Point Homeowners Association (HOA) requested the removal of the spaces, citing safety concerns and numerous incidents in their community.

In a letter to the city, Alisa Belcher, the HOA President of Dolphin Point, outlined the issues residents have been experiencing due to the public parking spaces. Belcher mentioned that the public parking spaces continually cause many problems for the 120 property owners at Dolphin Point Condominiums.

According to Belcher, the parking spaces have become “notoriously known” in Destin as free overnight or long-term parking, leading to safety and trespassing issues.

Belcher says the recent enforcement and moratorium in the Destin Harbor has also made Dolphin Point a target for illegal liveries running their operations off of the community’s private docks.

Belcher stated that the public parking spaces encourage uninvited guests to trespass on the property, assuming it is a public area. She says this puts a strain on the property and the private ownership investments, including a $350,000 seawall maintenance project in 2017 and an ongoing $200,000 dock renewal project.

The HOA has had to invest in hiring security from Thursday to Sunday, May through September, to help manage the trespassing problem, according to her letter. Additionally, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office received nearly 100 calls related to the public parking spaces on the property between 2020 and 2024.

The proposed plan involves a phased approach, which includes removing the nine public parking spaces and replacing them with sidewalks, roadside swales, landscaping, and a fence.

The HOA also plans to secure the property by installing two gates into the community.

In the second phase of the project, the HOA will request a vacation of the right-of-way past the Point South entrance to the current termination point, as this portion solely benefits Dolphin Point residents and has no public benefit, according to the city. This would allow for the installation of a final gate to completely secure the property while maximizing parking, according to the document.

The Public Works/Public Safety Committee recommended that the City Council approve the removal of the public parking spaces on November 14, 2023, with the understanding that Dolphin Point will request a vacation of right-of-way through the proper process outlined in the Land Development Code at a later date.

City staff supports the removal of the parking spaces, stating that they do not provide a community benefit, as the nearest public infrastructure is over 1.3 miles away.

The Destin City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 15, 2024.

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