A favorite community spot is actively working on reopening. The Cape Coral Yacht Club has been closed since the hurricane with the hope that The Boathouse would be open by the end of February. Some residents in Cape Coral have also started a petition to open up the beach at the Yacht Club, which has also been closed. The Boathouse is slowly being rebuilt after Hurricane Ian devastated the Cape Coral Yacht Club. The Boathouse at the Cape Coral Yacht Club. (Credit: WINK News) “It just breaks your heart,” said Terry Boyle, of Cape Coral. Boyle moved to the Cape from New Jersey four years ago, drawn to the area’s beauty. One of the places she enjoyed was The Boathouse restaurant. “I followed my son down here. My other son is here now. My grandson, all my grandchildren are here now. So for three years, I had my whole family here, so we’ve gone there for dinner—just some very lovely memories. Just wonderful to sit on the water and dine and enjoy it,” Boyle said. She’ll be able to do that again soon. As for access to the beach at the Yacht Club, that won’t happen, which is disappointing news to Michelle Leprevost. “We’re looking for places to go. Heading south or north to Venice or over to the other coast. It’s just not the same.” There is a petition on Facebook to open Cape Coral’s only beach. The petition’s organizer said it’s based on disappointment in the city’s progress in restoring the beach compared to the improvement of Fort Myers Beach. WINK News brought those concerns to Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter. “We want to get it open as quick as they want it open. But we have to make sure, number one, we get FEMA in there to evaluate the damage, and that damage does include the beach. And then, once that has been completed, we can go in there and start the cleanup process. To make sure the beach is safe to use,” said Gunter. The mayor said an issue the city is having with FEMA is that there is a lack of inspectors. He said they can’t touch the damage until an inspection is done.