Englewood Beach’s closure impacts local economy; businesses seek answers

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz
Published: Updated:

Business owners on Englewood Beach are growing increasingly anxious as they await the reopening of the beach, which has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The closures significantly affect their profits during the peak season.

Despite the financial strain, business owners do not blame the county for the delays. However, they are eager for answers.

Commissioners at a recent meeting acknowledged the frustrations and discussed potential solutions, though they have not provided an official reopening date.

Ana Pearl, owner of SunLife Beach Hotel, is feeling the impact.

“This year is the first time that we have a room open every other couple of days,” said Pearl.

She explained that the closure of Englewood Beach has led tourists to cancel their bookings and seek other destinations.

Guests at SunLife, such as Kay Anderson and Eileen Jenks, are also feeling the effects.

“I love the area. It’s beautiful, but we’re very disappointed about the beach,” said Jenks.

Pearl emphasized the financial struggles faced by local businesses.

“They’re all little businesses here. There are no franchises. It’s all small, family-owned businesses,” she said.

High rents and insurance costs make it essential for these businesses to earn income during the winter to survive the rest of the year.

Tommy Scott, Charlotte County’s community services director, explained that the beach cannot be safely reopened due to damages documented by the county and FEMA.

“Once we get the demo done, we get some fencing up, then we’ll bring risk back out to be able to evaluate and make sure that they concur that we are at a position of having a safe facility be able to open back up to the public,” Scott said.

Pearl expressed her frustration over the lack of a timeline.

“We know it was a huge job. We know the scope of it, but if they can give us an approximate day and keep us informed of what’s happening, that will be great,” she said.

Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting suggested opening a small portion of the beach with a simple walking path and port-a-potties.

There’s no official timeline yet, but the county said it is working on it and will be forthcoming with future information.

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