Charlotte County merges plans to speed up Englewood Beach reopening

Reporter: Jillian Haggerty
Published: Updated:

Charlotte County is taking significant steps to reopen the beloved Englewood Beach, which has suffered extensive damage from multiple hurricanes.

Rather than choosing between two recovery options, county commissioners decided to pursue both strategies to expedite the process.

Charlotte County Commissioner Bill Truex highlighted the severity of the situation.

“They don’t understand the amount of damage and amount of suffering that actually took place here,” said Truex.

The community services department presented a detailed list of necessary repairs, including boardwalks, pavilions, parking areas, and lighting.

“Parking bumpers—those all got washed away during both storms, so we need to put those back in. And because the restroom facilities are not operational, we will bring that portlet so people will have a place to use the restroom facilities,” they explained.

Commissioners are optimistic about the merged approach.

“I’m gonna look at this as being phase one of the reopening, phase 1a and 1b if you will, as opposed to two different options; we need to do both. We need to get this beach open,” said Charlotte County Commissioner Ken Doherty.

Englewood resident Geneva Williams, who has lived in the area for eight years, expressed her desire for action.

“I would just like to see them do something because nothing has been going on over here. You know, this has been like this for quite a while,” said Williams.

Williams remains hopeful for the beach’s future.

“The bathrooms are done, and all of this is done along here, and this beach is open, and you know it’s very inconvenient to try to find a place to park and walk down here,” she said.

The county aims to complete this recovery phase within six months, paving the way for future projects.

Copyright ©2025 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.