Residents push back against Bonita voluntary home buyout program

While people may change over time, it seems that their thoughts on the Bonita Springs Voluntary Home Buyout Program is rigid. Residents have concerns that they will not get the money needed to move.

“I just don’t like the whole idea of it,” said Charles Flescher, a homeowner in Bonita Springs.

“If they give a low price,” said Bonita Springs homeowner, Cynthia Mares, “I cannot build another house for me.”

Beatriz Perez has lived in her home for 15 years. Since her front door is elevated, they were one of the lucky ones following the flooding brought by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

“They want us to sell the house for the price it was supposed to be before Hurricane Irma,” Perez said, “and that’s not fair to us because where are we going to go and buy another house?”

“Our neighbors had to remodel their houses all over,” she added.

However, that does not mean Perez is not concerned about flooding. In her backyard, stands a concrete wall. They added the wall to reduce overflows from the Imperial River overflow that has been creeping toward her house.

“Why don’t they fix the river?” Perez said. “If they could do something else rather than buying out our houses, I would appreciate it a lot.”

The program aims to reduce future flooding, but Perez wants to know what is next for the property if she decides to sell.

“Because if they’re going to build something else, they’re going to fix that problem,” Perez said. “So why don’t they fix it right now?”