Shady Gators parking issues could be thing of past

In an attempt to alleviate parking problems along Bittersweet Road, especially on holiday weekends when tourists flock to the area, Gary Prewitt is attempting to build a satellite parking lot for Shady Gators Waterfront Bar and Grill and Lazy Gators.

The 6-acre tract is located along Bittersweet between Anemone and Primrose roads, about a ½ mile away from the entertainment venue. In order to build the lot, Prewitt requested B-2 zoning on the ground. Due to some confusion over the boundary of the Village of Four Seasons, the property was skipped over during the initial mapping by the county. He and his brother, Andy Prewitt, presented a proposal for the lot, as well as for resort-style rental cabins, in March. In April, the Camden County Planning Commission recommended approval for both projects, with some stipulations.

The measure moved on to the Camden County Commissioners, who, after another public hearing, will vote on whether the zoning should be allowed. That action is tentatively scheduled for May 22.

If he gets approval, Prewitt said he will pave the lot, which should provide parking spaces for several hundred vehicles. It will be illuminated with directional lighting; surrounded by a berm and separated from neighboring homes by a natural wooded area. Prewitt also said he plans to increase his shuttle fleet in order to more quickly serve those who are heading to and from the entertainment spot in an attempt to keep them from walking in the street and on yards. Security personnel will also be on hand to police the lot and deal with unruly partyers. If zoning is also approved on the cabins, a small convenience store similar to those operated in state parks, a check-in station and security office will also be built on the lot.

While some have expressed support for the move, others have fought it.

Patty Cravens, a resident of Imperial Point, which sits across the cove from Shady Gators, is part of the latter group. She attended the Village of Four Seasons Board of Trustees meeting in April to look for support.

“I’m speaking on behalf of the neighbors. Several months ago we asked you to go on record against the zoning but you wouldn’t. I’m urging you to reconsider. We don’t need another parking lot,” she told the board.

However, several trustees explained that because the property was outside Village limits, they had no right to either support or condemn the project. After the meeting, Cpl. Jimmy Elkins with the Camden County Sheriff’s Office disagreed with Cravens’ assessment of the need.

“On holiday weekends, the crowds overflow the overflow lot. Then people start parking on the shoulders, which is against the law. There has definitely been a shortage of parking so, strictly from a law enforcement standpoint, we hope that the parking lot gets approved,” he said.

For the past several years, parking has been an issue for the entertainment hot spots at the end of Bittersweet Road on Horseshoe Bend. In 2007, a year after Memorial Day partiers turned Bittersweet into a 2,000-vehicle, half-mile-long parking lot, the Camden County Commission adopted an ordinance prohibiting parking in certain designated areas. At that time, Horseshoe Bend Special Road District crews posted approximately 30 “No Parking” signs along portions of Bittersweet Road, Sweet William and other streets in the area and the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District designated many of those streets as “fire lanes,” hoping to keep the roads open in case of an emergency.

That seemed to work until 2012 when Camden on the Lake began charging a $20 fee for parking on their satellite lot.

Previously, both venues had shared the lot, located across from Anemone Road. However, Camden management said their business had grown to the point where they needed every space just to serve their own customers. In return for the parking fee, Camden provided a voucher of equal value to be redeemed in the restaurant, bar or gift shop. However, many chose not to pay the fee and they began to park on private property once again. To avoid being ticketed for their illegal parking, the partyers simply broke the “No Parking” signs off at ground level or yanked them out of the ground and tossed them on nearby yards or into the woods.

To combat the problem, the Camden County prosecuting attorney rewrote the existing parking ordinance to allow large signs to be posted at each end of designated “No Parking” zones, rather than along the roads in those zones. Taking it one step further, the Horseshoe Bend Special Road District painted “No Parking” warnings on the roadways around Camden on the Lake and Shady and Lazy Gators, where illegal parking has been a problem.

The Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal provided this news story to LakeExpo.com for republication. For a hard copy, pick up The Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal at newsstands across the Lake area. The Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal is a respected monthly news magazine providing accurate, relevant news and information to area readers.