The city of Cape Coral and a local rowing club are discussing a new lease agreement.
Cape Coral City Council on Wednesday discussed a term sheet for the Cape Coral Rowing Club, Inc. regarding a designated area of Tropicana Park.
The new license agreement would be for 10 years with three additional five-year periods for an annual use fee of $10 per year. The agreement is for approximately 11,300 square feet on the water at the park.
Cape Coral Rowing Club, incorporated in 2007, is an educational nonprofit that provides training and education. The nonprofit trains approximately 50 members — 30 youth and 20 adults in Cape Coral’s canal system.
The term paper also touches upon the agreement may be “terminated by the city at its sole discretion upon 30 days prior written notice to CCRC. CCRC shall have the 30 days provided within the notice, plus an additional 60 days to vacate the premises.”
“If we are going to make a commitment to accept this organization into our city, then we have to be as committed to the effort as we are asking them to be, in my opinion,” Councilmember Bill Steinke said.
Council directed a change to the termination clause from 30 days to six months.
City Attorney Aleksandr Boksner said they cannot foresee every single potential possibility and in order to avoid litigation or argue whether there is or is not a breach they should retain the ability to remove the group from the governmental property.
Council spent a great deal of time at the workshop session talking about requiring a fence around the allocated 11,300 square feet.
Mayor John Gunter suggested putting up a concrete fence for its resiliency, which the council agreed upon, as a privacy fence that is high enough so you cannot see the equipment. The fence could be a maximum of 10 feet, but discussions revolved around 8 feet tall for safety reasons of youth getting boats off the racks.
He said they want to make sure they are good neighbors to the residents in the area.
Council asked the organization about its funding resources, as a concrete fence could be costly.
Saundra Weston, youth coach of the club, said funding comes from member dues, fundraisers and making popcorn and hot dogs at Hertz Area and JetBlue Park to receive a portion of the revenue. She said they have been in an anti-growth mode as they are reserving funds to see what it will cost them at the new space.
“The footprint would allow us to host some economic development opportunities and grow,” Weston said, adding that collegiate crews could row out of their space.
Councilmember Keith Long said it is a highly contested issue in his district.
“The main issue is the visual, the aesthetics of it,” he said, adding that the previous two locations have not been pleasing to the eye. “Maybe the third time is the charm and hopefully it will work out at a multi-million-dollar facility (Tropicana Park).”
Long asked without any idea of how the funding works, where does it end.
“A couple months later we can’t make it look pretty in a brand-new park because we need a couple hundred grand,” he said.
Long said they need to condition the agreement going further to be able to commit, build, erect or construct.
“What exactly is it we want from them as a condition before moving forward,” he said.
With the 11,300 square foot piece of property, Long said the organization would receive a gulf-access lot with two docks. He said what they ask in return is funds to maintain the values of surrounding neighborhoods and the value of the park.
Councilmember Jennifer Nelson-Lastra told Weston that she would help her apply for grants.
“I am going to show you and how to do that,” she said. “What you need is a boathouse. If you had a boathouse that would be self-contained and it would be beautiful. It will catapult you to the next level. There are opportunities through the state, county, and federal to help you with grants.”
Nelson-Lastra said she would help Weston, as she has some ideas.
“If we can help you, I can help you raise the money to get the boathouse, then you won’t need a fence,” she said.
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