City, rowing club accord reached with conditions
Discussion between the city and the Cape Coral Rowing Club, LLC will continue next week regarding a finalized agreement at Tropicana Park.
Although the Cape Coral City Council on Wednesday approved direction for city staff, some council members wanted more discussion on the agreement as it pertains to fencing at the city park around the area to be used by the club.
The council approved verbiage that excluded the word “preferably” as it relates to a concrete fence around the designated space at Tropicana Park.
Councilmember Laurie Lehmann pulled Resolution 85-26 — which was later passed unanimously — because she had questions concerning requirements discussed at a Feb. 11 workshop.
“Without those stipulations, I don’t think this can be approved. I have no problem with them being at Tropicana, however the stipulations have to be there,” Lehmann said.
Mayor John Gunter said his understanding is the resolution was to memorialize the discussion that was had at the previous workshop.
According to the resolution, the fourth item talks about a license agreement at Tropicana Park with the Cape Coral Rowing Club, Inc.
Council provided consensus to authorize the club to use the park but with four conditions.
Those conditions include “a fence, preferably a concrete fence, surrounding the permitter of the utilized property, with a maximum of 10 feet, nothing shall be seen from the park and/or roadway;” a termination clause for convenience with a six-month notice; hours from dusk to dawn with deviation approved by the parks and recreation director; and two chase boats to be stored off a dock.
Gunter said the thing he noticed that he never heard the council members use in their discussion was the word “preferably” a concrete fence.
“That wording I have a little bit of concern with myself. The goal of this council was to basically have a structure type fence that was hurricane resistant that would encompass the perimeter,” he said.
Gunter also had an issue with the perimeter not being identified. He said the entire space is 11,300 square feet, but the club only wanted a portion of the area and not the entire space.
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said council could strike the word preferably and leave it as concrete.
Councilmember Jennifer Nelson-Lastra said she was excited to see the word “preferably” as the organization does not have the money to put up a concrete fence. She said she reviewed their financials and agreed to assist them in their fundraising plan.
“I was excited because I know as it stands now with the concrete fence and current financials they are not going to be able to afford that anytime soon,” Nelson-Lastra.
Lehmann was one of the council members who wanted to pull item four completely to pass the resolution.
“If we can pull number four in its entirety for further discussion, say at the COW next week, I think that would be a better situation to further examine it,” she said. “They can’t afford a concrete fence. They would have to disband the club, that is not completely fair. A lot of kids that belong to it are getting college scholarships because of it. Why would we want to stop something like this.”
The council will discuss the Rowing Club further at its Wednesday workshop.
Councilmember Keith Long, and Rachel Kaduk were not in favor of more discussion.
“We just had this discussion,” he said. “All the points were all more or less discussed at that COW meeting we spent an hour on.”
Long said he supported the motion to include the word preferably.
“I don’t think anyone thought those concrete fences are free,” he said.
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