CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The City of Cape Coral is taking action as complaints of parking, or the lack of it, are common among community members.
The City of Cape Coral Public Works Operations held a community meeting to hear community comments and concerns about the parking in South Cape Coral on Wednesday.
The engineers and planners said they want to hear what the most effective way to utilize the parking is from the public's perspective.
Allison Gruber lives in Cape Coral and attended the meeting to voice her concerns. Gruber tells Fox 4 that the planners should stay away from a parking garage design and that the residents will not want to pay for parking.
The City then said one idea on the table is asking business owners in South Cape Coral to open their private parking lots to everyone after business hours. This benefits those who partake in the nightlife the City has to offer from Coronado Parkway to Del Prado Boulevard off Cape Coral Parkway. This idea came from surveys that determined how to best use these more than 7,300 parking spots in South Cape Coral, however, it's still undetermined if parking will be free.
"I think people are willing to pay when they go to a beach, and a destination like that, but there are so many places and it's competitive for restaurants that they may not want to pay to park at a restaurant," said Gruber.
The City is now working to find out where to add bicycle space and how to enforce parking regulations. Working with engineers and the public to determine what to keep and what to change.
The second meeting on this issue will be held on November 15, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the City of Cape Coral Public Works Operation Center, 815 Nicholas Parkway East.
