CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—In a surprise move, City Council directed staff to consider Crystal Lake Park as a future home for the Cape Coral Rowing Club, as the group faces an uncertain future.
The issue wasn’t originally on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting. But a steady stream of young rowers and parents pleaded with council members to take action after a disappointing vote dashed the club’s plans last month.
In April, council failed to approve an agreement that would allow the club to use Tropicana Park. The club said it planned to move there for years, after the city spend several hundred thousand dollars to outfit the park with a dock. The council vote ended in a tie, with four members voting in favor and four against, causing the motion to fail.
Some neighbors voiced opposition to the move, citing concerns over safety. The Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association led the opposition, claiming Tropicana Park posed a threat to rowers who would have to navigate ship traffic.
But parents argued Tropicana Park is actually the safest option available, because it has a dock designed to launch boats into the water.
At Wednesday’s city council meeting, the rowing club received an award from the city after winning a state championship. Later in the same meeting, club members returned to the podium to advocate for their future.
“This is our whole life,” said Teyahnye Love, a rower with the club.
Council members have expressed support for keeping the rowing club in Cape Coral, but they disagree on where the club should be located. The disagreement stems from complaints by neighbors near Tropicana Park.
“The city wants the rowing club here. We just got to figure out the right thing long-term,” said Joe Kilraine, a council member.
The club had planned for years to move into Tropicana Park. Instead of focusing on practice, young rowers now find themselves attending city hall meetings to fight for their program’s survival.
“It’s pretty disappointing having to think about that when you can just work on rowing,” said Ambrose Xavier Love, a rower.
Parents and club leaders expressed frustration that council members didn’t bring the issue back onto the agenda. Ginny Bunch, a parent, pointed out that no action has been taken despite multiple meetings.
The club also appeared at WINK Listens in Matlacha to draw attention to their situation. Saundra Weston, the club’s president, emphasized what’s at stake.
“I really want to draw attention to the fact that, you know, the losers in this game are our future generation,” Weston said.
Some council members have suggested the rowers could relocate to Crystal Lake Park. Weston warned that without a decision from the council, the club could be forced to dissolve.
“It’s scary, because, you know, if we don’t find a permanent home, I think the club will be dissolved. And I don’t know where I’ll go,” Love said.
The city communications director said the Crystal Lake proposal could come up at a future meeting, but no action has been taken on it so far.