Chiquita Lock removal protested
The city of Cape Coral heard arguments Monday from area residents demanding the municipality back away from its plans to remove a water control structure they say protects the environment.
One by one, advocates for the Chiquita Lock stepped up to face the Cape Coral City Council during the boards regular meeting Monday at City Hall to state their case why the lock should remain or be replaced.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued a Notice of Intent to issue a permit for the removal of the Chiquita Lock, which was built during the city’s initial growth to protect the outer waters in Charlotte Harbor, but is now considered by city leaders to have outlived its usefulness.
Advocates for the lock met Monday afternoon before the meeting for a rally to express their points of view.
Their contention is that the lock’s removal would result in a degradation of water quality, a reduction in property values, danger to endangered species such as the manatee, lower water levels and silting in the canals that would require costly dredging, vessel navigation issues, blue-green algae invasion, seawall failure and quality of life.
Advocates believe that replacing the old lock with a newer high-speed lock would be a better alternative, even with the cost.
“We’re here to tell the city council that someone left them an old sandwich in a paper bag, and that’s the canal problems,” Michael Hannon said. “Before they remove this lock they need to review this issue because you can’t make property development, boat access a principal goal over clean water.”
Hannon said a vote to remove the lock would mean a lawsuit the city would lose. It would also mean, Hannon said, a repeat of when the municipality removed the Ceitus boatlift in 2008. He said there are pollutants and sediment coming in from Matlacha, which he says is a violation of the Clean Water Act.
Carl Deigert, president of the Matlacha Civic Association, said his community stands to suffer from the lock’s removal.
“The city believes this will facilitate boat traffic and they claim it will improve boater safety, which isn’t an issue,” Deigert said. “I think it’s to increase property values and tax revenues at the expense of the environment.”
Yolanda Olsen, who lives on a canal, said property values are starting to crash in the area. The lock removal would make it worse.
“The removal would decrease travel time 10 minutes to get out to the river, which is nothing compared to the risk the blue-green algae would have,” Olsen said. “There has been a 15.9 percent decrease of median sales price since May. ZIP code 33914 has absolutely horrible statistics. Houses aren’t selling and Realtors aren’t showing them.”
Olsen and others made their points to the Council, using up the majority of the 60 minutes allotted for public comment.
City Council did not make a response.
Magnus Theirsnann said things did not go as planned.
“We had 17 people walk to the podium about the same issue. When it was City Council’s turn, it was crickets,” Theirsnann said. “They heard us, but it fell on deaf ears. Maybe silence is a part of fear or they may reconsider since a couple of groups are considering litigation.”