by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
At the March 31, 2026, Sanibel City Council meeting, Vice Mayor Holly Smith requested and received the City Council’s consensus to add a discussion item to the April 21, 2026, City Council meeting agenda to allow “miniature golf” as a conditional use within the Land Development Code.
The request was made on behalf of the owners of the Island Cow, who want to develop a miniature golf course in conjunction with a restaurant. Island Cow owner Bryan Podlasek was represented by Raychel Thomas of Pavese Law Firm and Benjamin Hofland, PE, with Haley Ward.
The proposal was to create a new conditional use. As of September 28, 2026, 13 emails opposed the miniature golf concept and 8 supported it.
At its November 3 meeting, City Council passed this unanimously, just adding a “fee-based” provision.
• Commercial Admission Allowed: Even though the city restricts the course’s visual style to look like a “natural, integrated botanical amenity” rather than an attraction, the code explicitly defines it as an outdoor commercial recreation facility. The operating business may legally charge customers a fee to play.
• No Free-Access Requirement: The code does not require the facility to be free to the general public. It can operate on a standard pay-to-play commercial basis, similar to standard golf or regional off-island courses.
• Accessory Revenue: Because a course can only be built as an accessory use to an established primary commercial property (such as a restaurant), the fee structure can be bundled with or kept separate from the main business.