Residents: It’s time to reopen Port Charlotte Beach Park

Commissioners to hear from group again during Tuesday’s meeting; residents note the county has already paid to reopen Englewood Beach

SCOTT LAWSON

Managing Editor

PORT CHARLOTTE — Englewood Beach reopened Tuesday with the financial backing of Charlotte County taxpayers, through the Charlotte County Board of Commissioners.

Now, Charlotte Harbor residents are wanting the same for Port Charlotte Beach Park.

Like many facilities and areas, the storms of 2024 wrecked the sandy acres along Alligator Bay off the Peace River. Unlike many, it has remained closed.

A group of nearby residents want to know why the Charlotte County Commission has not reopened it.

“We are the voices for thousands across the county,” Lynn Saboe told The Daily Sun recently. “They (county commissioners) have de-prioritized it.”

The County Commission heard from them before, with the Buena Vista Property Owners’ Association urging the county to prioritize repairs. That was in December. And, since then, they have taken their turns at 3-minute public pleas to county commissioners at meetings.

With only Commissioner Joe Tiseo taking time to meet with them, they are left in a waiting process.

A partial opening took place in February, but there is no word on when the rest of the park will be available to residents and visitors.

Sandi Witzke said there are 480 property owners in the Buena Vista Property Owners’ Association and describes the park as “unique” to anywhere else in the county. Aside from Englewood Beach, it is the one beach location in Charlotte County.

“We’d like to see this put back together,” Witzke said.

More PARK | C3

A seemingly-abandoned sailboat sits leaning against the shore at Port Charlotte Beach Park. Parts of the park are now open to the public.

SUN PHOTO BY FRANK DIFIORE

from C1

There was damage to the beach, pavilion and boat launch. Some work is underway; some is in early stages of repair with documentation still taking place.

“I never anticipated it was going to take a couple years,” she said.

Officials, residents say, have never explained why it was closed.

Frank Kudrna, of the Buena Vista Property Owners’ Association, has an idea. There are 1.7 million visits to the park every year and that should be considered as a reason to open it.

“The park is really used by everyone,” he said. “Our pitch to them is we think you can do it for peanuts.”

Kudrna believes it would cost about $350,000 to reopen it.

“It is probably the most used park in Charlotte County,” Kudrna said.

The $350,000 is much cheaper than what the county has spent to reopen Englewood Beach. And the county’s philosophy of waiting on FEMA money for the work was nixed when they worked to reopen Englewood Beach.

The beach, for a period, was used for pulling out derelict boats that were crushed at the location, a process that was stopped after it was learned of by officials.

Residents have also noted that some people are using the sandy beaches, albeit by coming up from their boats and using it that way, on the other side of the fences. They have been told by officials that can’t be regulated.

“People use the sand, dogs run. If there’s a concern about safety, what is it?” Saboe asked.

The group will return to the Charlotte County Administration Center at 9 a.m. Tuesday for another attempt to address the issue at the Charlotte County Commission meeting.