FORT MYERS, Fla. — The owner of this junkyard is ready to sell, but ground contamination is stalling the sale. The city does not want to be liable for any issues regarding environmental hazards.
Your Fort Myers community correspondent, Miyoshi Price went to a community redevelopment meeting to learn what needs to be done to remove what the commissioners have called an eyesore from the neighborhood.
"I don’t wanna end up with a liability where we end up having to clean up something we never owned, says
Fred Burson, a CRA Commissioner.
During a heated debate at a community redevelopment meeting on Wednesday, commissioners said the junkyard—which sits across from a school and homes—needs to be cleaned up.
"There’s going be contamination. Its a junkyard." says Burson.
CRA commissioner Fred Burson initiated a compromise with the lot owner's attorney to get one step closer to selling this junkyard, hoping to receive 1.5 million from the CRA.
"We agreed on here earlier today is the fact that the closings will be simultaneous," says Burson. "There will be one party who will buy the real estate, and the CRA will buy the business, and they are contingent on both happening at the same time."
That excites the lot owner, Scott Brown, and his attorney, Sawyer Smith. They say they are trying to sell this lot to a company known as Megen Construction out of Cincinnati. Smith tells me they plan to build affordable housing on part of the land.
He says the compromise is good news. There was a Fort Myers resident who says he is tired of the Junkyard being there and he hopes it can be a park but if it is Affordable housing he is okay with that.
"It’s in an area that’s growing and a school is right across the street from it," says Joe Barbee, a Fort Myers resident. "It just needs to go. The community evolves and the junkyard is no longer needed. There shouldn’t be there. It’s a nuisance for the residential neighborhood around it as people try to improve their homes."
And that’s why we are in front of the CRA and the city," says Sawyer Smith. "It is time to take this property and take this land and evolve it."
He also ensures that as this project continues -- they will follow all guidelines so no one is harmed.
"There is nothing that we would bring to this community that would harm anybody," says Smith. "There are magnitude of regulatory actions that need to occur before we’re able to put anybody here and for that I pledge my name my family’s name to this community. If something happens pick up the phone and call me."
Smith says the Browns family after a 100 years in Fort Myers, they are ready to let the business go with hopes of giving back by selling to Megen Construction so that the community receives much needed affordable housing.
The new contracts are scheduled to be presented at the next CRA Meeting. You are welcome to come and speak at public comment.
