Neighbors upset shortcut access may come to end

FORT MYERS, Fla. – At a city planning meeting Wednesday, community members expressed concern about the possibility of a new development blocking their access to McGregor Boulevard.

Residents of the Hamlet community said they enjoy walking and biking on Meadow Park Lane, which begins in their neighborhood and ends at McGregor Boulevard. Some say they have used the road as a shortcut for years, despite it being located on a vacant lot with signs that reads “No Trespassing.”

“We’ve had continuous and uninterrupted use for this right-of-way for over a total of 34 years combined,” one resident said in the public comment portion of the city meeting.

Now they are concerned because the plot of land is slated for a development called Carleton Estates, which is expected to bring eight high-end homes to the area. Without access to Meadow Park Lane, residents argue they will have to travel half a mile south to Colonial Boulevard in order to reach McGregor Boulevard.

“It’s not that we want it not to be developed. It’s that we want a decent access,” a resident said Wednesday.

The lot’s property owners said neighbors have been illegally using the road because the land — including the street and its sidewalk — has been privately owned since 2004. The owners met with upset neighbors Wednesday to discuss options but insisted that it would be difficult to sell the lot with the publicly-used sidewalk parting through it.

No decisions were made but the item will be discussed at a city planning meeting next month.