Neighbors grateful for progress at Jefferson Park in Fort Myers

For the past two years, neighbors have been working with the City of Fort Myers to keep crime and suspicious activity out of Jefferson Park in Fort Myers.

They raised money for a new playground and have worked with the City to keep trees in the field trimmed to keep the park open for safety reasons.

Britt Lawrence Stevens has lived right across the street from the park for 15 years so she has seen the best and the worst.

“I’ve seen people come from the playground over here to use the restroom and I’ve seen… just people in and out of the bushes,” she said.

City crews were back out at the park Tuesday after neighbors said the trees were overgrown again, which neighbors say was a problem in the past.

“We always know that when the trees get overgrown there is usually an issue with somebody hiding in there in the evenings,” said neighbor Lynn Mazzerle.

People are grateful that the City responded quickly, clearing the foliage. They say it’s come a long way in the past two years.

“We all have met amazing people that aren’t even from Jefferson Park that come to Jefferson Park,” Lawrence-Stevens said.

Neighbors are planning events to keep the sense of community going. They will be hosting a movie in the park event later this month.