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Free parking, pool access this weekend on Fort Myers Beach

Posted at 11:06 PM, Aug 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-03 07:07:52-04

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla., - Who doesn’t like the sound of free right? The Town of Fort Myers Beach is hoping free brings you back. They’re offering free parking and free access to the community pool this weekend after a week of red tide led to massive fish kills on the Island.

“The red tide, I’ve never seen it this bad,” said Andrea Barbosa, a Lee County resident. “I tell my kids, I’m sorry, we can’t go to the beach.”

Barbosa says she’s opting not to go to the beach because of red tide.

Instead, she’s taking advantage of the Town’s free community pool this week.

The pool has water slides, sprinklers and more. 

Town officials say they’re anticipating big crowds to utilize the free pool for the last weekend before school starts. So in order to make sure everyone gets a chance to enjoy it, they’re going to be implementing 2 hours sessions beginning Friday if the pool reaches capacity.

People who live on the beach, have a membership to the pool, or are staying at a hotel on the beach will be given priority access if the pool reaches capacity. Then, visitors from off the Island.

“We want to make sure that we stay within our regulations from the Health Department,” said Sean Depalma, Director of Parks and Recreation for the Town of Fort Myers Beach.

The regulations say no more than 170 people in the pool at a time.

“Bear with us as we go through this process of making sure we accommodate everybody,” Depalma said.

Depalma adds the pool will be staffed with extra lifeguards this weekend.

The Fort Myers Beach Community Pool is located on 2600 Oak Street, just north of the Library.

Free parking on Fort Myers Beach is for all pay stations and parking meters starting from 4 pm Friday, August 2nd, 2018 until 9 am on Monday August 6th, 2018.