Neighborhood in dispute over rezoning of an industrial site

Reporter: Erika Jackson
Published:
Site. (Credit: WINK News)

A neighborhood’s battle brewing over the business operating in Charlotte County. A roofing company owns the home. People living nearby said they do not want it here and the company is breaking the rules.

Kuykendall Roofing sits steps away from a motel, an old shopping center and a couple hundred feet from the Seminole Lakes Country Club.

“A roofing contractor belongs in an industrial site and not in a residential area,” said Ray Lockhart, who lives in Seminole Lakes Country Club.

The land at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Acline Rd. got zoned for businesses in a tourist driven area years ago, which the owners of Kuykendall Roofing did not realize when it bought the property in 2015.

The company wants it rezoned so it can adequately operate its roofing business, after receiving several code violations.

“Essentially the employers will arrive, park their vehicle, get into the service vehicles, and leave for the day,” said Geri Waksler, of McCrory Law Firm.

The new zoning would mean they could park up to 10 business vehicles on the property without storing any heavy machinery or materials on the site.

“Parking, material storage, and just generally, makes it more of an industrial complex,” said Mike Rodenheaver, who lives in Seminole Lakes Country Club.

But, nearby homeowners like Mike Rodenheaver worry it would not end there. “New zoning” would allow them to apply for a special exception and give them the option of storing larger equipment on the site.

“It opens the door for a lot more than they have there now,” Rodenheaver said.

Leaving many in the community frustrated that Kuykendall Roofing withdrew its application.

“We would’ve rather had the commissioners turn this down,” Lockhart said, “so we don’t have to go through this again.”

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.