ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — County commissioners will review a plan on Tuesday that could reopen half of Englewood Beach's parking lot by next week, providing relief to beachgoers and local businesses affected by the closure since last year's hurricanes.
The parking lot has been fenced off and closed for repairs since October, and because it was used for a sand sifting operation, making beach access difficult for visitors and residents.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the progress of the Englewood Beach parking lot repairs:
"This beach is the main thread of life in this community," Jonathan Hile said.
Jonathan and Tawnya Hile organized a rally on May 30 to highlight how the closure has impacted the area. They also started a petition requesting state leaders step in to help with the reopening, and have an email template outlining the issues surrounding the closure to be sent to commissioners.
"There's just nowhere to park," Tawnya said.
"The ripple is far greater than people realize, it's not just businesses here on the key, it is widespread in the community," Jonathan said.
Work on the south end of the lot is now wrapping up. The county says opening it would allow an additional 77 parking spaces to be used while work continues to the north.
"It's the best news I've heard all year," said.
During a June 10 meeting, Commissioners agreed to push for a faster reopening than the six-month timeline initially given in March.
Commissioners also noted they would not rely on FEMA obligations to pay for the repairs, and would instead dip into county reserves and send receipts to the federal agency. The county had already budgeted $350,000 for the repairs.
"We're going to have to pull the trigger, and spend the money, and then we'll send FEMA reciepts," said Commissioner Ken Doherty during the June 10 meeting. "We're not going to work with FEMA on estimated costs like we've been doing."
They will review the plan to reopen the south parking lot during a workshop meeting on Tuesday.
"I think it's really going to change the energy around this town, and I think it's going to help get this town back on its feet again," Jonathan said.
If all goes according to plan, the county says all work will be completed on the southern end by June 23, with the remaining work on the north end continuing until completion.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
