Cape Coral Already Built the Rowing Dock. Naturally, Now We Need Another Plan.

Cape Coral has encountered one of those uniquely governmental problems where the solution appears to have been completed before everyone decided they didn’t like the solution.

The Cape Coral Rowing Club has spent months trying to secure a permanent home.

The city, meanwhile, already built a large dock at Tropicana Park that earlier reporting says cost roughly $480,000 to $500,000 and was designed with rowing craft — including the club — specifically in mind. 

So naturally…

The rowing club isn’t going there.

Welcome to Cape Coral.

Step One: Build a Rowing Dock

According to the Cape Coral Breeze, Tropicana Park’s planning included significant input related to rowing, and the finished park contains a large dock suitable for non-motorized watercraft. The Breeze reported that approximately $500,000 had been spent on the dock infrastructure intended, at least in part, to accommodate the Cape Coral Rowing Club. 

This seems relatively straightforward.

Need a place for rowers.

Build a dock.

Build park.

Open park.

Let rowers row.

Roll credits.

Unfortunately, Cape Coral apparently renewed the series for another season.

Step Two: Don’t Let the Rowing Club Use the Rowing Dock

Earlier this year, Cape Coral City Council deadlocked 4-4 on a proposed lease that would have allowed the Rowing Club to use part of Tropicana Park for boat storage and access.

The lease therefore failed. 

Later, Council voted 5-3 to direct city staff to find a “Plan B” somewhere other than Tropicana Park. 

Which gives us the Cape Crazy municipal planning formula:

Plan A: Spend nearly half a million dollars building the thing.

Plan B: Don’t use the thing.

Plan C: Figure out where to build another thing.

Efficiency has entered the chat.

Crystal Lake: Because Apparently One Dock Wasn’t Enough

One alternative being discussed is Crystal Lake Park.

There is one minor difference between Tropicana Park and Crystal Lake.

Tropicana Park already has the dock.

Crystal Lake does not.

The Cape Coral Breeze previously reported that some council members questioned whether moving the Rowing Club to Crystal Lake would require substantial additional city spending because of the shoreline, grading and infrastructure needed. 

Councilmember Laurie Lehmann has said private sponsors and contractors could potentially help cover or donate some of the work, with an earlier concept involving a much less expensive dock arrangement. 

Rowing Club officials disagree strongly with that assessment.

And by “strongly,” we mean very strongly.

The Rowing Club President Has Some Thoughts

In an Aug. 17 guest commentary published by the Cape Coral Breeze, Rowing Club president Saundra Westonargued that the alternative proposal being revisited by the city is fundamentally unworkable.

Weston says she previously met with Lehmann and explained why she believes the plan would not work without significant shoreline preparation, permitting and a properly engineered dock system. She alleges that essentially the same proposal is now resurfacing despite those concerns. 

Those are Weston’s assertions, and they should be treated as such.

But even earlier straight-news coverage confirms that Lehmann acknowledged after meeting with Weston that she needed to reconsider aspects of her proposal. 

So apparently the drawing board was visited.

Whether anybody actually drew anything new on it is now part of the dispute.

One Councilmember Already Asked the Obvious Question

During the May council discussion, Councilmember Keith Long reportedly said he did not support spending additional city money to move the Rowing Club somewhere else.

According to the Cape Coral Breeze, Long indicated that if relocating the club meant taxpayers paying for another facility, he might reconsider his opposition to Tropicana Park. 

Which seems like a reasonable question:

If taxpayers already bought a rowing dock… why are taxpayers shopping for another rowing dock?

Cape Coral:

“The first one isn’t being used by the rowers.”

Taxpayer:

“Why?”

Cape Coral:

“It’s complicated.”

Taxpayer:

“Did we pay for it?”

Cape Coral:

“Yes.”

Taxpayer:

“Could they use it?”

Cape Coral:

“Technically…”

Taxpayer:

“I’m going to stop you right there.”

And There Are Actual Kids Caught in the Middle

This is where the story becomes less funny.

The Cape Coral Rowing Club says youth participants make up a large portion of its programming and revenue, and the organization has warned that without a stable long-term location it may not be able to maintain those programs. 

At the opening of Tropicana Park, supporters protested the Council’s decision, and student rowers spoke publicly about uncertainty over where they would train. 

These aren’t professional athletes demanding a taxpayer-funded luxury training center.

They’re kids trying to row boats.

And Cape Coral somehow turned that into a multimonth municipal saga involving:

• a half-million-dollar dock;
• an unsuccessful lease;
• neighborhood opposition;
• multiple council votes;
• an alternate park;
• possible private sponsors;
• engineering questions;
• permitting questions;
• protests;
• guest commentaries;
• and something called Plan B.

NASA got people to the moon with fewer plot twists.

Why Is Tropicana Park Off the Table?

Council members opposed to the Tropicana arrangement have raised concerns involving future boat traffic, safety and nearby development around the Seven Islands/Gulf Gateway area.

Mayor John Gunter previously said he does not support placing the Rowing Club at Tropicana Park and considers Crystal Lake a viable alternative. 

Those concerns deserve consideration.

But they also lead directly back to the question critics keep asking:

Then why was the rowing infrastructure built there in the first place?

The Cape Coral Breeze reported that rowing use had been contemplated during the park’s planning and design. 

It’s a little like building a dog park and then announcing:

“After further review, we’re concerned dogs may be present.”

Cape Crazy Translation

Cape Coral:

“The Rowing Club needs a permanent home.”

Taxpayers:

“Okay.”

Cape Coral:

“We built a roughly $500,000 dock.”

Taxpayers:

“Great.”

Rowing Club:

“We’ll use it.”

Cape Coral:

“Not so fast.”

Rowing Club:

“Why?”

Cape Coral:

“We need a Plan B.”

Taxpayers:

“What’s Plan B?”

Cape Coral:

“Possibly another dock somewhere else.”

Taxpayers:

“What was Plan A?”

Cape Coral:

“The $500,000 dock.”

Taxpayers:

“And what’s wrong with it?”

Cape Coral:

“Nothing. It’s open.”

Taxpayer:

“I’m going home.”

The Serious Part

There may be legitimate reasons Council ultimately decides Tropicana Park isn’t the best long-term location for the Rowing Club.

Safety concerns can change.

Development conditions can change.

Neighborhood impacts deserve consideration.

And if a privately funded alternative at Crystal Lake truly can provide the club with a safe, permanent home without additional taxpayer expense, that deserves a fair evaluation too.

But Cape Coral has already spent substantial taxpayer money on infrastructure at Tropicana Park that was designed with rowing use in mind.

Before spending more money — or allowing this dispute to drag on long enough to jeopardize the youth program — residents deserve a clear explanation of why the already-built solution isn’t the solution anymore.

Because right now, the situation looks an awful lot like:

We built the dock.

The rowers need the dock.

The rowers can’t use the dock.

Now let’s talk about another dock.

And if that isn’t worthy of the Crazy Index, we’re going to need to reconsider our standards.

IS THIS CRAZY OR NOT?

Cape Coral taxpayers already funded a roughly half-million-dollar dock at Tropicana Park designed in part with rowing in mind.

The Rowing Club still doesn’t have a permanent home.

And city officials continue exploring another location that may require new infrastructure.

Is there something we’re missing here?

Or is this exactly as crazy as it sounds?

Tap an icon to vote.

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