Parking Rules
The parking rules in any community tend to be a hot topic and Bonita Isle is no different. So this page is included right here to explain the parking rules.
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Homeowners living in Bonita Isle signed a document at purchase closing acknowledging they read and agree to these rules and renters signed a similar document during their qualification interview. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that these rules exist.
Sorry it's so long, but it's important to be clear, unambiguous, and to explain why these rules exist.
First of all, some definitions are in order to ensure that everyone understands exactly what is meant when using a term.
I. Parking on the Apron (Lower Part of Driveway)
Residents may not park on the apron. Guests may park on the apron on a temporary basis, provided their vehicle meets the rules regarding acceptable vehicles. Guest's vehicles parked on the apron must fit entirely within the boundaries of the apron. Vehicles may not block the sidewalk to the extent a pedestrian must detour to the street, walk on the grass, or otherwise alter their course to avoid the obstruction. Vehicles also may not extend beyond the driveway boundary onto the street.
See diagram at the bottom of this page.
Why? The sidewalks are for everyone's enjoyment and must remain free of obstruction. Some of our residents are elderly and may use canes, walkers, or other assists. Or new parents may be pushing a baby carriage. If a common sidewalk is obstructed by a vehicle and a pedestrian injures themselves trying to negotiate the obstruction, the resident may be liable for their injuries whether such obstructing vehicle belongs to the resident or their guest. Any personal injury attorney will confirm that. Vehicles may not extend beyond the apron onto the street for obvious reasons.
If the guest's vehicle is too long to fit on the apron as described above, then it must be parked on the upper portion of the driveway, nearest the house. If the upper portion is already fully occupied with other vehicles, then the guest (or the homeowner on the guest's behalf) may wish to make arrangements to park on a neighbor's driveway. This has been the tradition for many years in Bonita Isle for residents having a larger party.
FACTOID: Many residents are surprised to learn this: The swale area (apron and grass) and the sidewalk do not belong to the homeowner. Homeowners' private property includes only the upper driveway portion and it ends at the upper sidewalk boundary. Refer to either the Bonita Isle plat or your property survey to confirm this. You will note the sidewalk and the entire swale (including the apron) are not included in the privately-owned portion of the home site. The sidewalk, entire swale, and street are owned by the association. Residents are permitted use of the apron pursuant to the rules outlined in the Documents and described herein.
CLICK HERE to see a typical Bonita Isle home site survey. Lot/address-specific details have been deleted, but everything else is true, accurate, and represents a typical private property boundary configuration within Bonita Isle.
SAFETY: Why is the apron off-limits to full-time resident parking? Primarily it's a safety consideration. Vehicles parked on the apron hinder peripheral visibility to approaching vehicles. If a child, homeowner, pet, other animal, vehicle (hidden by another vehicle on the apron), or object were to enter the roadway, there's no way an approaching driver would see that in time. By keeping the apron and sidewalk clear of obstruction, drivers have upward 60 total feet of peripheral visibility spanning both sides of the street up to the sidewalk and can readily notice something that may unexpectedly enter the roadway. It's that simple.
Moreover, if residents are permitted to park on the apron, then where would their routine guests park? It's impractical to borrow your neighbors' driveway every single time a guest visits.
We allow guests to park on the apron because they are temporary, infrequent, and generally few by nature. Allowing guests only to park on the apron provides a convenience to the resident while introducing minimal impact to the overall peripheral visibility along the street as mentioned above.
II. Parking on the Grass (Any Grassy Area)
No resident or guest vehicle may be parked upon any grassy area at any time for any reason. Parking on the grass tamps down the grass and compresses the soil. This injures the grass and makes the soil less loamy or airy which inhibits growth. The grassy area between the street and sidewalk is also part of the swale. During the rainy season the soil is often damp under the grass even if it appears dry on top. Parking causes ruts when the grass is wet and, again, compresses the soil.
Drainage Impact: The soil compression (and ruts when it's wet) caused by parking on the grass hinders proper water drainage toward the storm water drain grates located throughout Bonita Isle. This causes water to pool in place rather than running toward the drainage grates as designed.
Roadway Damage: As vehicle tires repeatedly leave and reenter the roadway, the asphalt edges of the roadway along the grass line crumble away faster necessitating earlier and more expensive roadway repair. For those unaware, the roads in Bonita Isle are private and we pay for their maintenance and repair -- not the county. Road maintenance is very expensive.
Additionally, parking on the grass hinders peripheral visibility to approaching cars just as parking on the driveway apron does.
III. Parking on the Street
Residents and their private guests may not park on the street at any time. Street parking is permitted only for service personnel in a clearly marked vehicle and only while performing said service. This may include for example a plumber, handyman, pest control, delivery vehicle, moving van, that sort of thing.
IV. Towing
Improperly parked vehicles are subject to towing at any time! Bonita Isle, as with many similar neighborhoods all around Florida, may tow improperly parked vehicles at vehicle owner's expense as authorized by Florida Statute Title XL, Chapter 715.07. Please ensure that your guests and visitors properly park their vehicles!
LINK to Florida Statute.
V. Other Comments
I'm having a party! Where can my guests park? Residents that are having a party where a number of guests are invited may wish to make arrangements with nearby neighbors to use their driveways. This neighborly "driveway borrowing" arrangement has been used for many years within Bonita Isle. It's a great way to get temporary overflow parking when a resident is having a big party so their guests can park according to association rules. At some later date, the resident that needed the extra parking can return the favor. Give each "overflow" guest instructions on what street address to park on. Make sure they understand the parking rules! Do not instruct your guests to park at the Lakes of Sherbrooke Clubhouse. Clubhouse parking is for clubhouse guests only....
.... Which brings us to another option. As residents of Lakes of Sherbrooke, everyone in Bonita Isle has access to the LOS clubhouse. There's a kitchen, tables and seating for dozens, dance floor, TV, sound system, restrooms, and plenty of parking. If you're planning a large party, this is a far more practical solution. Call Jackson, the property manager, at 561-968-6610 for more info on how to reserve, etc. This is precisely why we have a clubhouse.
Families needing additional parking for kids of driving age are encouraged to use the garage for its intended purpose. For a two-car garage, that provides four parking spaces for resident use. Using the garage for storage diminishes available parking. In that case, homeowners may consider installing a garage storage system or renting a nearby mini-warehouse for storage of such items. It's up to each homeowner to prioritize their space and decide what's more important: More parking or more storage.
CLICK HERE to read a Consumer Reports article on maximizing your garage space using some cool new storage systems.
In reading the parking rules, you are probably noticing that parking becomes more restrictive closer to and including the street. The reason is to improve peripheral visibility to approaching vehicles as described above in the "SAFETY" paragraph. Bonita Isle is a dense, compact community with fairly small front yards and zero-lot-line homes. There is simply not a lot of room for numerous or particularly large vehicles.
Sorry it's so long, but it's important to be clear, unambiguous, and to explain why these rules exist.
First of all, some definitions are in order to ensure that everyone understands exactly what is meant when using a term.
- Swale: A low area for drainage. In Bonita Isle, this includes all areas between the sidewalk and street -- both the lower driveway portion (called the "apron") and grassy areas between the sidewalk and street.
- Apron: Specifically refers to the lower part of the driveway between the lower boundary of the sidewalk and the street. This is also part of the swale, but the term "apron" is more specific, referring specifically to the lower driveway.
- Upper Driveway: The portion of the driveway between the upper boundary of the sidewalk and the house.
- Resident: Someone who lives in and either owns or rents their home in Bonita Isle.
- Guest: Someone who maintains a residence outside Bonita Isle and does not own or rent a home within Bonita Isle.
- Temporary: The length of time depends on surrounding circumstances and context. But generally speaking, especially where vehicles are involved, not more than a couple of weeks.
I. Parking on the Apron (Lower Part of Driveway)
Residents may not park on the apron. Guests may park on the apron on a temporary basis, provided their vehicle meets the rules regarding acceptable vehicles. Guest's vehicles parked on the apron must fit entirely within the boundaries of the apron. Vehicles may not block the sidewalk to the extent a pedestrian must detour to the street, walk on the grass, or otherwise alter their course to avoid the obstruction. Vehicles also may not extend beyond the driveway boundary onto the street.
See diagram at the bottom of this page.
Why? The sidewalks are for everyone's enjoyment and must remain free of obstruction. Some of our residents are elderly and may use canes, walkers, or other assists. Or new parents may be pushing a baby carriage. If a common sidewalk is obstructed by a vehicle and a pedestrian injures themselves trying to negotiate the obstruction, the resident may be liable for their injuries whether such obstructing vehicle belongs to the resident or their guest. Any personal injury attorney will confirm that. Vehicles may not extend beyond the apron onto the street for obvious reasons.
If the guest's vehicle is too long to fit on the apron as described above, then it must be parked on the upper portion of the driveway, nearest the house. If the upper portion is already fully occupied with other vehicles, then the guest (or the homeowner on the guest's behalf) may wish to make arrangements to park on a neighbor's driveway. This has been the tradition for many years in Bonita Isle for residents having a larger party.
FACTOID: Many residents are surprised to learn this: The swale area (apron and grass) and the sidewalk do not belong to the homeowner. Homeowners' private property includes only the upper driveway portion and it ends at the upper sidewalk boundary. Refer to either the Bonita Isle plat or your property survey to confirm this. You will note the sidewalk and the entire swale (including the apron) are not included in the privately-owned portion of the home site. The sidewalk, entire swale, and street are owned by the association. Residents are permitted use of the apron pursuant to the rules outlined in the Documents and described herein.
CLICK HERE to see a typical Bonita Isle home site survey. Lot/address-specific details have been deleted, but everything else is true, accurate, and represents a typical private property boundary configuration within Bonita Isle.
SAFETY: Why is the apron off-limits to full-time resident parking? Primarily it's a safety consideration. Vehicles parked on the apron hinder peripheral visibility to approaching vehicles. If a child, homeowner, pet, other animal, vehicle (hidden by another vehicle on the apron), or object were to enter the roadway, there's no way an approaching driver would see that in time. By keeping the apron and sidewalk clear of obstruction, drivers have upward 60 total feet of peripheral visibility spanning both sides of the street up to the sidewalk and can readily notice something that may unexpectedly enter the roadway. It's that simple.
Moreover, if residents are permitted to park on the apron, then where would their routine guests park? It's impractical to borrow your neighbors' driveway every single time a guest visits.
We allow guests to park on the apron because they are temporary, infrequent, and generally few by nature. Allowing guests only to park on the apron provides a convenience to the resident while introducing minimal impact to the overall peripheral visibility along the street as mentioned above.
II. Parking on the Grass (Any Grassy Area)
No resident or guest vehicle may be parked upon any grassy area at any time for any reason. Parking on the grass tamps down the grass and compresses the soil. This injures the grass and makes the soil less loamy or airy which inhibits growth. The grassy area between the street and sidewalk is also part of the swale. During the rainy season the soil is often damp under the grass even if it appears dry on top. Parking causes ruts when the grass is wet and, again, compresses the soil.
Drainage Impact: The soil compression (and ruts when it's wet) caused by parking on the grass hinders proper water drainage toward the storm water drain grates located throughout Bonita Isle. This causes water to pool in place rather than running toward the drainage grates as designed.
Roadway Damage: As vehicle tires repeatedly leave and reenter the roadway, the asphalt edges of the roadway along the grass line crumble away faster necessitating earlier and more expensive roadway repair. For those unaware, the roads in Bonita Isle are private and we pay for their maintenance and repair -- not the county. Road maintenance is very expensive.
Additionally, parking on the grass hinders peripheral visibility to approaching cars just as parking on the driveway apron does.
III. Parking on the Street
Residents and their private guests may not park on the street at any time. Street parking is permitted only for service personnel in a clearly marked vehicle and only while performing said service. This may include for example a plumber, handyman, pest control, delivery vehicle, moving van, that sort of thing.
IV. Towing
Improperly parked vehicles are subject to towing at any time! Bonita Isle, as with many similar neighborhoods all around Florida, may tow improperly parked vehicles at vehicle owner's expense as authorized by Florida Statute Title XL, Chapter 715.07. Please ensure that your guests and visitors properly park their vehicles!
LINK to Florida Statute.
V. Other Comments
I'm having a party! Where can my guests park? Residents that are having a party where a number of guests are invited may wish to make arrangements with nearby neighbors to use their driveways. This neighborly "driveway borrowing" arrangement has been used for many years within Bonita Isle. It's a great way to get temporary overflow parking when a resident is having a big party so their guests can park according to association rules. At some later date, the resident that needed the extra parking can return the favor. Give each "overflow" guest instructions on what street address to park on. Make sure they understand the parking rules! Do not instruct your guests to park at the Lakes of Sherbrooke Clubhouse. Clubhouse parking is for clubhouse guests only....
.... Which brings us to another option. As residents of Lakes of Sherbrooke, everyone in Bonita Isle has access to the LOS clubhouse. There's a kitchen, tables and seating for dozens, dance floor, TV, sound system, restrooms, and plenty of parking. If you're planning a large party, this is a far more practical solution. Call Jackson, the property manager, at 561-968-6610 for more info on how to reserve, etc. This is precisely why we have a clubhouse.
Families needing additional parking for kids of driving age are encouraged to use the garage for its intended purpose. For a two-car garage, that provides four parking spaces for resident use. Using the garage for storage diminishes available parking. In that case, homeowners may consider installing a garage storage system or renting a nearby mini-warehouse for storage of such items. It's up to each homeowner to prioritize their space and decide what's more important: More parking or more storage.
CLICK HERE to read a Consumer Reports article on maximizing your garage space using some cool new storage systems.
In reading the parking rules, you are probably noticing that parking becomes more restrictive closer to and including the street. The reason is to improve peripheral visibility to approaching vehicles as described above in the "SAFETY" paragraph. Bonita Isle is a dense, compact community with fairly small front yards and zero-lot-line homes. There is simply not a lot of room for numerous or particularly large vehicles.
Illustration of Apron, Sidewalk, and Upper driveway
