Dirt piles left on empty Cape Coral lot, no one knows who left them there
CAPE CORAL, Fla. —
An empty lot at the intersection of Northwest 3rd Street and 28th Avenue in Cape Coral is covered in piles of dirt, tall grass and weeds. A resident who lives across the street said he’s frustrated and searching for answers.
Steve Vermeulen said he spoke with truck drivers carrying the dirt in February.
“They said that they were going to the wrong place, and I got him going to the right place, which is a little bit further down,” Vermeulen said. “They left all these seven piles of dirt that they had initially dumped. An error — just left them there.”
Vermeulen said he thought the materials were meant to go to a construction site farther down 28th Avenue.
Two months ago, he contacted the city and Maronda Homes, a company building houses down the street, to find out how the dirt ended up on the lot.
“I have heard nothing since. It’s just been an ongoing, let’s just say, ignoring any customer concerns or any citizen concerns,” Vermeulen said.
Through a phone call, a Maronda Homes representative said there is no record of a crew leaving materials on the lot. The representative also said the company cannot remove the dirt because it does not own the lot. It is unclear who does.
Vermeulen said he’s concerned the lot will affect the value of his home.
“(I’m) not looking to sell anytime soon, but, you know, (considering) property values and just the whole general atmosphere of the neighborhood, it has a detraction,” Vermeulen said.
The city of Cape Coral said it would look into the issue and that residents with similar complaints should submit a code compliance report by calling 311 or emailing 311@capecoral.gov. It is currently unclear who is responsible for clearing the dirt piles from the empty lot.
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