PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A debate over whether Punta Gorda should allow boat canopies is back before City Council this week.
The city currently bans canopies over boat lifts, but some boaters say the restriction leaves their vessels exposed to years of damage from Florida’s harsh sun.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the canopy debate:
Chris Dykes, who leads the Punta Gorda Boaters Coalition, says the coverings would give boat owners a fair way to protect their property.
“We’re not even asking for a handout or anything,” Dykes said. “We just want to be able to say, hey, we want to incur the cost of putting a shade and a canopy over our boats to protect it from the elements, and that’s all we’re asking for.”
Dykes argues that the city’s rules are inconsistent with Charlotte County's, noting that just outside Punta Gorda city limits, boaters are free to install the same canopies without issue.
“Even if you drive about one mile out here and go down Alligator Creek, you’re going to see canopies all over the place,” he said. “And it doesn’t seem to be a problem there, so why is it a problem here?”
But Rich Bevak, who lives along one of the city’s canals, says there are ways to maintain boats without a canopy.
“We really don’t need the canopies,” Bevak said. “There’s ways to do that already in place. So we really don’t need the canopies.”
He also worries the structures could be a visual and navigational burden.
“We want to keep our water clear and clean, and we want to maintain them,” Bevak said. “It’s going to be a detriment to all of our residents here and in Punta Gorda if we do change the ordinance.”
City officials say that while the proposal remains under review, enforcement would likely be one of the biggest challenges if the ordinance changes. Zoning staff say the issue isn’t manpower, but practicality, as violations could be hard to verify without property owner permission or inspections from the water.
City council will discuss the issue Wednesday at 9 a.m.
