Last dying wish
To the editor:
To some, this may not be important, but to many it is very disturbing and heartbreaking for many of the residents on and near Sands Boulevard, especially for my father, Chuck Liptak to know that much of the work and money that was invested in landscaping could now be destroyed. We just received notice that sidewalks are scheduled to be installed.
I am not opposed to the City of Cape Coral installing sidewalks on Cape Coral Parkway or any other busy thoroughfare. In fact that is where the sidewalks are very much needed in order to insure public safety and that is a good thing.
Like many others, I am VERY MUCH OPPOSED to The City of Cape Coral ripping out all of these beautiful palm trees (approximately 60-70) along Sands Boulevard, especially since there is a bike path that can be used for walking and bike riding.
Approximately six years ago, Dan Sheppard and my father, Chuck Liptak, went to the City of Cape Coral and were given permission to make Sands Boulevard beautiful by having the section where they live beautifully landscaped. My dad and the neighbors invested a great deal of time, work and around $30,000 in this project. This transformed the empty median (which is approximately a quarter of a mile) along Sands Boulevard into one of the most beautiful places in the City of Cape Coral.
Upon completion of the median my dad and step mom were very happy to see the excitement and appreciation that everyone shared with them. The neighbors started to plant trees and make improvements to their own properties. The vacant lots finally started to sell. Wow! What a pleasant surprise! It was a win win for everyone!
My father and step mom spent the next two and a half years regularly cutting, trimming, feeding, applying three-four skids of new mulch three times a year and nurturing that island median as if it were in their very own front yard.
The City of Cape Coral is now proposing to rip out 60-70 trees. This will affect the look and feel of our now beautiful street. Should this happen it would be a real travesty. It is heartbreaking to realize the investment that my father and my step mom have made both in money and sweat. We cannot forget all the others in the neighborhood who also spent money and put a lot of work into making our neighborhood as stunning as it can be.
This area has been transformed into what is now a beautiful showcase for the City of Cape Coral. As a Realtor this would be one of the first places that I would show to a prospective client. It is the epitome of what every street in every town in Florida should look like; it most definitely suggests that we live in a true paradise.
My father has a very short time to live and his last wish is that he can leave something beautiful behind that others can enjoy and appreciate. It is astonishing that this transformation has been created by a man who has 25 percent lung capacity and has been told that he has six months to live.
He appeared before council on Monday and we all hope and pray that the council will make an equitable decision that will serve the city and its residents well.
Sherri Sprinkle
Cape Coral