NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The Venetian Bay community of New Smyrna Beach is still awaiting clarity as pay for parking signs still loom large around their Town Center.
GEOSAM Capital Group, a developing company in Central Florida, put the signs up this past fall and charged folks $2.50 an hour to park in a community area that used to be free.
But the city of New Smyrna Beach has stepped forward in hopes to resolve the issue.
At the beginning of last fall, signs for parking were put up all around the Town Center by Development Company GEOSAM Capital Group and charges people to park hourly. It’s a change that residents say came as a letter out of the blue.
“(The letter) said that starting on a certain date a couple of weeks down the road they would be charging for parking along the street of Luna Bella in front of all the stores and businesses, as well as the parking lot at the end of the street,” shared Venetian Bay resident Stephanie Pinck.
Pinck says she has lived in the community for more than two years and was outraged to learn she would have to pay for parking at the Town Center she frequented.
“Like it just seemed to me that this can’t possibly be legal,” Pinck said. “It’s like, can I just decide you know to charge people who just happen to park on the street in front of my house.”
And it is having an impact on some business owners. Keeping his gym in tip-top shape is how Travis McDonald prefers to spend his time at work.
Going to the gym has always been a part of his life, so he decided to make it a career.
“I’ve been a big gym goer ever since high school because I was in weightlifting and I was in the gym six days a week anyway,” said McDonald. “So, it seemed like a good transition to go ahead and buy one if I’m already going to be spending my time there anyway.”
He started Snap Fitness, a 24/7 gym in the Venetian Bay Town Center in hopes of it being a community gym.
Pinck is a member of Snap Fitness, and while she’s able to remain a member with these changes, McDonald says that others are not.
“We definitely lost a few. It was the older members who either didn’t want to deal with it or didn’t know how to use QR codes, even though we are more than welcoming to help them,” McDonald explained.
McDonald’s gym has tried to absorb the costs, however, by validating parking for their members. It’s a move that has cost them about $2,000 a month.
With changes happening around the property, his focus has been split.
“Unfortunately, it’s not just running a gym anymore, it’s trying to fight them as well and there’s enough to do here on a daily basis without having to worry about another bill that they’re going to charge us or what’s next,” McDonald explained.
Other businesses though, have shut down.
New Smyrna Beach officials have stepped in to help. They tell Spectrum News 13 that the parking operation is not a permitted commercial use and have sent GEOSAM Capital Group a notice to appear in front of a special magistrate next month.
It’s news that McDonald says he’s glad to hear and hopes leads to change, or else he may have to find another space.
“I mean having it go away is the best-case scenario obviously. If nothing else, having it not cost us anything basically,” McDonald said. “To put that expense on us when we’re already trying to make ends meet and we don’t want to raise the prices on our customers, it’s tough.”
McDonald and his gym Snap Fitness are one of multiple businesses suing GEOSAM Capital Group about their parking operation.
Spectrum News 13 has reached out to GEOSAM but have yet to hear back.
That hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26, at 2 p.m.