FORT MYERS, Fla. — People who live in the Michigan Avenue area say they're concerned about traffic safety and how the city is using a property it recently purchased there.
Your Fort Myers Community Correspondent, Miyoshi Price, went to thespecial city council meetingthis week. At the meeting, people told me they were concerned with the city's plan for the property.
The two-building warehouse is within walking distance from Caitie Eck's property.
Eck says she and other families attended a parks and recreation collaboration meeting in June after the city bought the land.
Click to hear why residents told Miyoshi Price a Ft Myers parks project has them concerned:
"Where we started to get a little concerned as we then learned that a lot of the parks and rec vehicles were going to sort of live at this property," says Caitie Eck a Michigan Avenue resident.
Eck believes it will cause in-and-out traffic, but she voiced that concern to the city, and they are considering putting the entrance on another street.
"As well as an additional parking area being created in a vacant parcel that could exacerbate our stormwater flow issues," says Eck.
David Black lives on Michigan Avenue, and he showed me how close his home is to the warehouse.
"It's a quiet neighborhood, and I have a dog," says David Black, another Michigan Avenue resident. "I walk the whole neighborhood about four times a day."
He says if the parks and rec vehicles cause more activity and noise -- he could see that being an issue but is more excited to see the transformation of the building under the city's ownership.
"There is a plan in the works," says Black. "I think they've pledged to do some work on the buildings and the site to make it a little more appealing, so I'd be anxious to see their plans and see what it's going to look like."
City staff sent a statement addressing the next steps, it says another resident collaboration session will highlight projects like landscaping, paint color, and park amenities on the north side of the building.
See the statement below:
Regarding the City-owned space for Parks & Recreation staff and City Clerk records, we presented at a public meeting in June that we’re going into the building and what it will be utilized for. The Dean Park community shared their input on the project, and they presented the parking option to us. The next public input session (date TBD) will cover more of the beautification projects (i.e.. landscaping, paint color, park amenities on the north side of building, etc.) Dean Park residents also attended the R2P2 Community Input Session [coastalflr2p2.com] on June 9th where they shared their support for the park. City staff just received more direction from the Fort Myers City Council at Monday’s special council meeting around the park option. The City is looking forward to beautifying this building and the surrounding area for the neighborhood residents and all those driving by it.
Eck said she felt a great deal of relief to know that there would be continued conversations between the city and the residents who live near the property.
