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K-C’s gets weeks-long lease extension

By Staff | Jun 4, 2013

To Councilmember Chris Chulakes-Leetz, the owners of the storied K-C’s River Stop were being treated as second-class citizens in the end, and to extend their lease another two weeks seemed almost like a slap in the face.

But the Cape Coral City Council, by a 6-2 vote, voted to extend the lease as a way to get some needed dollars out of the July 4th holiday and to give the Serrago family, which has run the eatery at the Yacht Club Pier for more than 20 years, a chance to say goodbye.

“It’s a sad day that city council has caused a 20-year business to fold. It’s a good gesture for the proprietors to stay, but that’s the way they are,” Chulakes-Leetz said. “My preference would have been for the city to honor their three-year option.”

The city council in February voted 5-3 against extending the lease between the city-owned Yacht Club and Serrago’s K-C’s River Stop for another three years and put the property out to the request for proposals process to see if something else could go there instead.

The city received three proposals, from Cape Cafe, Ford’s garage and Dixie Roadhouse, city spokesperson Connie Barron said Tuesday.

A proposal from K-C’s Riverstop was not received, she said.

The date for opening those proposals has not yet been set. Once they are opened, council can then consider the options.

In other business, city council unanimously approved a petition by William Gray, owner of the Palmetto Pine Country Club, for him to post directional signs on Trafalgar Boulevard.

In his request, Gray said many people complained they couldn’t find the club, unlike city-owned Coral Oaks, which has signs.

Steve Neff, public works director, said ordinances prohibit such signs in the city, although there has been precedent. Neff worried that if Gray’s petition was approved, other businesses would want the same treatment.

Some of the worries were that with a sign, there would be more possibility of accidents because of vision impairment.

Mayor John Sullivan said that people looking for the golf course and not at the road was the true accident waiting to happen.

Also, the city unanimously passed two quasi-judicial ordinances, one which approved a PDP for a Dollar General on the southwest corner of Kismet Parkway and Andalusia Boulevard, and an ordinance rezoning property from Professional Office to Commercial on the corner of Andalusia and Diplomat Parkway.

“This is exactly the corporate client Cape Coral needs. The challenge will be to deliver their promise on the buffer. It’s a template we want to repeat and allow property values to increase.”

Meanwhile, Councilmember Kevin McGrail may get a chance to see his artificial turf ordinance possibility get a workout as council passed a consent item that would allow capital maintenance to proceed on playgrounds at the Cape Coral Sports Complex and the Storm Football Complex.

The aged surface of the playground, which has become dangerous, according to Parks and Recreation Director Steve Pohlman, will be replaced with an artificial turf that will cost $75,000. The turf will have a seven-year warranty.