Citizens voice concerns at Jaycee Park public meeting

The fight to keep Jaycee Park unchanged is far from over.

On Wednesday the Cape Coral City Council held a hearing to discuss the newly released plans for the beloved park.

Many residents of Cape Coral are against Jaycee Park changing, with some even creating PACs and getting signatures to stop the development.

The meeting began at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

It was the first of two mandatory public hearings over the proposed redesign the city hopes to present and move forward with.

During the meeting, the company that hopes to redevelop Jaycee Park unveiled its plans.

It was the first time the Council and citizens had the chance to see the renderings and give their opinions.

Many passionate people waited hours to voice their concerns for the beloved park.

There was no vote in today’s Cape Coral City Council meeting, it was just an introduction to the p3 proposal and design updates. Even so, people had a lot to say on both sides.

A long line of park supporters quickly formed, gearing up to speak their minds.

Pleas to save the park were already showcased on some of their shirts.

About 30 people took the mic.

Most took issue with the re-design, with only a few people highlighting the positives of the proposal.

One attendee said in opposition to the redesign, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We don’t need tarps to cover shade when we have trees.”

Another said, “It’s the right idea, wrong place.”

And another, “You are selling out this piece of paradise for the almighty dollar.”

Some voices in the crowd were in favor of the park redesign plans.

“I understand, I love nature, however, this is going to be better for our children,” said one Cape Coral resident.

One of the developers of the plan had this to say, “They think that we are some sort of corporate entity that is coming in and we’re just trying to get everyone wasted at the park and that’s just not the case. We are not there to overserve people, we’re not there for any of that we just want to create a positive atmosphere.”

Some new features on the docket include a playground with improved disability accessibility and full shade sails, misting stations to cool down and more.

The controversial plan for a bar is no longer in the plans after push-back from the public.

Instead, the final concept plans show more of a “snack shack” in its place.

The last of the two mandatory public hearings will take place on Aug. 7.

It is another chance for the community to voice their opinions before the city council takes this new p3 proposal to a vote.

WINK News will keep you updated with the latest news.