by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
A company called Unlimited Biking, which has 19 shops worldwide, applied for a conditional use permit to allow bicycle rentals and a formula retail store to operate at the Islander Center, 2407 Periwinkle Way (across from Sanibel Captiva Community Bank).
(Commissioner Kate Sergeant was allowed to participate in the discussion but could not vote because she’s partners with Laura DeBruce in the store On Island, and DeBruce owns Island Breeze eBikes.)
Unit #3 was last occupied by Ninon Boutiques, a retail clothing and jewelry business. The current tenancy of the Islander Center includes Sanibel Sprout, Private Physicians Group, Unit 3 Vacant, Island Time Wines, Unit 5 Vacant, an active conditional use permit that allows a future restaurant with 50 flex seats to operate at this location, subject to applicable conditions, and Unit 6 is vacant.
The applicant previously submitted applications to allow a bicycle rental at the same location with a total inventory of 100 bicycles. City staff recommended approval of the applications, subject to conditions.
However, the Planning Commission voted 7-0 to deny that application.
Planning Commission made the following findings for the record: that the proposed use associated with the development was incompatible with other uses in the Islander Center; that the site development plan did not include interconnectivity plans [to the shared use path]; that the proposed use and development was not internally compatible with other existing uses on the same site, because of traffic volume and patterns and safety-related reasons; and that there was not sufficient parking for the use.
Since that decision, the City Council has substantially reduced minimum parking requirements for permitted and conditional uses on the island, and has struck down combined parking requirements that assigned minimum parking to each separate use at a commercial center for the exclusive use of each unit, among other code revisions.
Further, the Planning Commission had voted 6-0 to recommend adoption of an ordinance to reduce non-residential minimum parking requirements.
In its presentation to the Planning Commission and City Council, staff found consistency with applicable provisions of the Sanibel Plan and cited “less rigidity,” “flexibility for multiple occupancy centers,” and “(recognition of) overlapping parking demand among uses/units at a center” as reasons for recommendations to amend off-street parking regulations.
The applicant has also addressed one of the previous objections by providing interconnectivity between the Islander Center and the shared-use path. Planning staff recently received and approved a site plan to install an interconnectivity path to satisfy one of the required conditions of a conditional use permit (for Island Time Wines).
The applicant again proposes to operate a bicycle rental and retail sales business, Unlimited Biking, within the Islander Center. The applicant proposed a rental inventory of 150 bicycles (including electric bicycles) to be stored entirely inside the commercial unit. The business also intends to operate with a delivery service to customers. Unlimited Biking is a formula retail store with 19 other locations.
The Planning Department maintains an inventory to document the balance and mix of businesses related to formula retail stores. The current cumulative commercial floor area devoted to formula retail stores island-wide is 40,875 square feet, with a maximum allowed of 60,000 square feet.
Staff notes that the 2021 Traffic Impact Statement references a total inventory of 100 bicycles. Therefore, the staff recommends that the bicycle inventory not exceed 100 bicycles at this location, rather than the 150 bicycles proposed by the applicant. The total number of bicycles available for rent shall not exceed 100.
Available inventory is limited to bicycles and electric bicycles permitted on the shared-use paths. The business shall not deliver bicycles to public parks or public beach parks. Commercial activity is strictly prohibited in public places.
They must maintain at least 55 off-street parking spaces and bike parking facilities at each building of the Islander Center. No retail or rental merchandise is permitted to be displayed or stored outside the commercial unit, except as permitted by a special events permit or for temporary staging of bicycles associated with pick-ups and drop-offs.
The applicant must obtain a development permit and building permit for change of use and other improvements, as necessary, and shall obtain a Business Tax Receipt for the bicycle rental business prior to operation.
Among other conditions, the business shall not rent bicycles or other human-powered vehicles with a total width greater than 36 inches (surreys). The business shall be required to provide appropriate headgear to all riders and to provide City of Sanibel wayfinding maps, bike safety, and etiquette educational information to all rental customers.
There were 26 public comments submitted as of the time of the Commission meeting. Some were opposed to eBikes in general, some felt negatively about allowing an international chain, another claimed there are already too many bikes, and one perceived the new store as detrimental to existing retail businesses.
City Attorney John Agnew responded that, “The Land Development Code does not regulate competition and does not interject in that sense. For example, the Land Development Code does not regulate the number of ice cream shops on the island. That’s for the market to decide.”
Commission Chair Paul Nichols commented, “To me, it’s not an obvious place to put a bike store.”
There currently are three bike rental businesses on Sanibel: Billy’s Rentals, which is being sold to Steve Brown Jr. (with 400 bikes); Sanibel Carts (with 100 Class 1 eBikes); and Fennimore’s (with 100 bikes – 40 on site, and 60 for delivery).
Blake Bartholomew, the applicant, stressed that the business is locally owned. “They live here in town,” he said. “We do not feel it’s a detriment to other businesses, and we look forward to working together. There will be more demands as the island comes back to life. Keep in mind, we’re not bringing more traffic in there. That’s not from me; that’s from a traffic study that was done. It’s a locally owned and operated business.”
Bartholomew said, “This is not a franchise; he owns an international company, lives in Fort Myers, and doesn’t sell bikes; it’s rental only.”
One public comment at this point remarked that it was disingenuous to call it a local company just because the owner has a house in Fort Myers.
Unlimited Biking started in New York City in 2010 and is now in 16 cities worldwide, with millions of customers taking more than 80 guided tours. The owner is not planning to offer tours on Sanibel. (Tours would not be allowed anyway, as no commercial activity is permitted in business spaces.)
Commissioner Erika Steiner said she didn’t believe this would increase the number of bikes on the road. She said she spoke with previous planning commissioners who were on the commission at the time of the original application, and they agreed that all problems had been addressed.
“We’re supposed to find a way to ‘yes.’ I spoke to the other tenants, and their comments were positive. They would like to see those units rented to someone, and they say more activity is better,” Steiner said.
“We have an eBike problem and a shared use path problem on Sanibel,” said Commissioner Larry Schopp. “I don’t think the business we’re examining today is going to exacerbate that. I don’t see a reason to deny this application.”
“This was a tough one for me,” said Commissioner Larry Welch. “Biking is important on Sanibel. I don’t think this will really add to traffic on the shared-use path, and people have another business to choose from. The demand is the same.”
Chairman Nichols, though, still had serious concerns about compatibility. “The owner said this is the best location he has seen. To me, there are so many other places that are better for this business. I wish you found a different place to do it. I just don’t think that’s a good space.”
Agnew instructed that a “no” vote needs to rely on the regulations. Not liking eBikes, etc., is outside the purview of this application. “Your vote has to pertain to the regulations you are judging against,” he instructed.
With that, it seemed that two commissioners, Nichols and Colton, had to put aside their reservations and vote in favor of the application. This application, which was previously denied, was unanimously approved by the Commission, with Commissioner Kate Sergeant recused.
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