Beginning at noon June 20, an additional 77 parking spaces opened south of the roundabout at Englewood Beach, and Charlotte County Transit has suspended shuttle service to the beach effective immediately, county officials announced.
The additional parking will bring the total available capacity at the southern end of the Englewood Beach parking lot and Chadwick Park to 153 car spaces. The parking area north of the roundabout remains closed while work continues at the storm-ravaged beach parks’ structures and piers.
Restroom buildings also are still closed, but portable toilets remain available on-site for public use. ADA-accessible beach wheelchairs will be available for visitors requiring mobility assistance.
Charlotte County commissioners agreed June 10 to dip into reserve funds to expedite repairs at Englewood Beach, allowing partial reopening of its damaged parking lot rather than wait for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Commission Chair Joe Tiseo said the delay in reopening has hurt local businesses, which rely on beachgoer traffic. With limited parking available, nearby restaurants and shops have seen fewer visitors and employers had to cut employee hours.
A number of businesses and restaurants are within walking distance of the beach, including Beachcomer Trading Post, Magnolias on the Bay, The Waverly Restaurant & Bar, Lock ‘N Key Restaurant & Pub, SandBar Tiki & Grille and The White Elephant Pub.
“There’s no reason why we can’t open up the roundabout and close up everything to the north,” Commissioner Bill Truex said. He and Tiseo walked the beach to assess the damage. Both said the south end of the lot is in better shape than the north and reopening it could allow 60 to 70 more vehicles.
Tiseo said the work could be done in stages by opening the south end while the heavily damaged north end is under construction. When finished, the north end would open, and the south end would be closed for its final repairs.
Commissioners agreed they should not rely on FEMA.
“We’re letting a dysfunctional agency … determine how we recover. I think we should have looked at things through a different prism other than the prism of FEMA,” Tiseo said.
Truex suggested having prioritized work done now and sending the receipts to FEMA.
The commission also agreed the reserve fund must retain enough money for potential hurricane damage this season. So far, the county has allocated $350,000 for Englewood Beach repairs, which include sand sifting, demolition and sidewalk and curb replacement.
Heavy equipment used for sand cleanup damaged curbing and parking areas, and commissioners noted that letting local businesses deposit storm-displaced sand at the beach for processing was a more efficient solution than hauling it inland for sifting.
Englewood Beach is touted on the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau website, pureflorida.com, as a beach destination. The area has also served as the gathering place and viewing area for Englewood Beach Waterfest, slated for Oct. 10-12 this year, which in the past has drawn thousands.
The event was cancelled last year due to the hurricane damage.
In the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton, beachgoers continued to visit the beach, which wasn’t closed, but the debris kept many away. Even after the initial cleanup, smaller debris was left behind. Tiseo said he found shards of glass and wood while walking the beach earlier in June.
Community Services Director Tommy Scott confirmed a beach cleanup has been scheduled.
Meanwhile, repairs are moving quickly. A contractor hired May 28 began work early and had already completed 40% of the job by June 10, Scott said.
