PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — A neighborhood committee in Port Charlotte is not giving up their movement to partially reopen the Port Charlotte Beach Park, despite the county announcing it would remain closed for several months.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on a renewed effort to reopen the Port Charlotte Beach Park:
The Port Charlotte Beach Park was closed after it sustained damage in hurricanes Helene and Milton, and a fence was put up around its perimeter to keep people out. During a Charlotte County Commissioners meeting on Nov. 12, county officials said the park was too hazardous for the public to use for the time being.
According to the county, in addition to hurricane damage, the buildings in the park were scheduled for demolition and the park is to be used as a staging area for the removal of derelict boats and debris.
“The only things that are currently a safe usable space are the parking areas and then a couple of sport courts,” said Tommy Scott, Community Services Director after the Nov. 12 meeting.
Scott said because of the work being done in the park, it will remain closed until further notice.
“When we get to a place where we can open up the facility that is exactly what we will do,” Scott told Fox 4 on Nov. 12. "It's just with everything going on right now, the demolition, the debris removal and boat removal, now is not the time. But it will come and it will come soon where we will be able to open up portions of the park.”
Despite the county’s decision, the Port Charlotte Beach Park Reopen Committee is still lobbying for access to the areas that are currently usable. Chaired by former engineering firm head Frank Kudrna, the committee wants the county to push back the fence to allow residents to use at least some of the park.
“We’re asking for it to be open by Thanksgiving and we’re going to continue to press, and we don’t think this issue is over,” said Kudrna.
The committee has launched a petition calling for parts of the park to reopen, and members plan to speak at upcoming commission meetings.
“Our proposal is the same as it was last week, we distributed to commissioners a map showing where the fence could be relocated while they did all this other work on the other side, and were not giving up,” said Kudrna.
Scott responded to Fox 4’s inquiry about the committee’s continued push back, saying the county’s position has not changed.
