The Caloosa Coast Rowing Club is looking for a new home, currently sitting in the Cape Coral Marina, an area soon to be developed meaning they will be forced out.
Now they have their eyes on set on Tropicana Park but have received negative feedback.
“Originally the opposition had to do with discouragement that was around the public input process. The way the city conducted it excetra, but since then it’s kind of elevated to a new level,” said Saundra Weston board member and youth rowing coach with the Caloosa Coast Rowing Club.
Weston says people in the area simply don't want them in their neighborhood, and they are working with the city to find a solution.
“We wanna be a parks and recreation program, and we need a new location as well, so the timing of building of Tropicana Park is quite perfect,” said Weston.
However John Bashaw President of the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association disagrees but would like to compromise.
“I would like it to be in Northwest Cape Coral in our backyard, in our neighborhood, because I think they are great clubs and they do good things for the city, but unfortunately the solution that’s been developed by the city for these two clubs isn’t workable,” said Bashaw.
Bashaw says it’s been difficult due to ongoing bond limitations.
Tropicana park is a neighborhood park and in the G.O. bond project a neighborhood park is intended to primarily serve the needs of resident in a 2 mile radius,” said Bashaw.
As well as zoning issues, but emphasizes he just wants to reach an agreement that benefits everybody.
“I’m sympathetic to the point that I don’t want them to be homeless I want them to have a home and I want it to be a home that meets the needs of everybody,” said Bashaw.
This Saturday at West Cape Estates there will be a rally led by the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association and they have invited the rowing club as well as the kayak club to attend in order to reach a compromise at Tropicana Park.
