Collier County commissioners voted unanimously to pause administrative parking reductions for multifamily projects and directed staff to audit recent projects that received reductions, conduct nighttime occupancy checks and report back with data to inform any future changes to county parking standards.

Planning and Zoning Director Mike Bozzi presented a comparative review of multifamily parking requirements across 12 Southwest Florida jurisdictions. Using an illustrative 200‑unit apartment example, he reported that Collier County’s standard would result in roughly 383 spaces; by comparison the most permissive jurisdiction studied required about 200 spaces while the most demanding required about 477. Bozzi also noted that the county routinely receives PUD deviations and administrative parking reductions (APRs) and that staff typically allows reductions up to approximately 20 percent after review.

Commissioner McDaniel, who requested the study, said he wanted empirical on‑the‑ground data rather than anecdote: the board directed staff to inspect developments where APRs were granted (including facilities such as The Haven, Blue Coral/Aspire Naples and Cadenza) and to do evening counts at occupied projects to assess actual parking demand and garage usage. The board also asked that staff report findings before any code amendments, and to refrain from approving new administrative parking reductions while Senate Bill 250 restricts local governments from adopting more restrictive standards until October 2026.

Speakers representing affordable‑housing interests asked the board to preserve some flexibility for projects that deliver low‑income or workforce housing. Michael Puhalla of the Housing Alliance and the Collier County Community Land Trust urged the board to retain targeted flexibility for developments that include committed affordable units, noting developers rely on predictability and speed.

The commissioners’ motion freezes future staff‑level APR approvals (administrative reductions) and requests a staff report with empirical occupancy and use data to help shape any future amendments to the land‑development code. The board passed the motion unanimously.