FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Jason Winner, Johnson Engineering
               (239) 334-0046

PUBLIC WORKSHOP SEEKS INPUT FOR YELLOW FEVER CREEK PRESERVE PLAN

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 1, 2004) - The City of Cape Coral and Lee County will hold a public workshop Thursday (Nov. 4) to begin developing the master plan for a 500-acre joint park in Cape Coral/North Lee County.

The Yellow Fever Creek Preserve is located along Del Prado Boulevard, north of Kismet Parkway.

The workshop will be from 6-8 p.m. at Diplomat Elementary School Cafeteria, 1115 NE 16th Terrace, Cape Coral.

BACKGROUND:

The City of Cape Coral and Lee County Conservation 20/20 are involved in a joint effort to develop a Stewardship Plan and Park Master Plan for a passive recreation regional park. The site consists of over 500 acres in NE Cape Coral and North Lee County. As a part of the project, the City and County are sponsoring a Public Workshop to obtain public input that will be coordinated by Johnson Engineering.

The goal of the workshop is to obtain public input for the stewardship and planning of this project. People are invited to share their opinions and help to determine what facilities the park will have as it is developed. Passive recreation parks often include amenities such as walking/hiking trails, nature preserves, wildlife viewing, bicycle trails, equestrian trails, camping, picnicking, fishing and environmental education centers.

In addition, transportation planning has identified NE 24th Ave as a potential roadway extension to alleviate future traffic needs. Current plans show the extension of this roadway from its current terminus north to the Del Prado Extension. If these plans are followed, the roadway will completely bisect the park and may hinder environmental and recreational connectivity.

Please join us at this workshop and share your opinion on the stewardship and planning of this project. For more information, please contact Jason Winner of Johnson Engineering at 239.334.0046 or jwinner@johnsoneng.com.