Locals air concerns over Lehigh roadways

By Staff | Feb 24, 2016

Mohamed Yasin

The president of the Community Council of Lehigh Acres listened to about a dozen people who attended the monthly meeting last week. What Mohamed Yasin heard were the concerns of Lehigh residents.

And what he did was to promise each person a response to answer their problems and concerns.

“I promise you that we will respond to you for sure. We will take these problems to the authorities and then let you know what they say and intend to do with your complaints,” Yasin said.

The Community Council meets on the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Lehigh substation conference room of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

More than a dozen people are members of the council and it has been in existence for several years with a mission of improving Lehigh by representing the people.

MEL TOADVINE Listening to Lehigh Acres residents are Community Council President Mohamed Yasin, right, and executive board member Rick Anglickis.

Some time was spent at the meeting discussing changing the day of the meeting to another day, but no consensus was made and it was voted by the council members to continue meeting on the third Monday night.

Tami Baker, a past president of the Community Council was on hand and she reported activities at the Lehigh Acres MSID, which also meets on the same night, a conflict that community council members wished they might change so the public could attend both meetings on different nights.

Baker noted that the Lehigh Acres MSID is slowly working toward its goal of working with the Lee County Commission regarding the wants and desires of people of Lehigh.

The meetings are open to the public.

Yasin explained that as of now, the relationship with the Lehigh Acres MSID is good because people who have complaints and concerns of questions about Lehigh offer them at the community council meetings and then they are also passed on to the Lehigh Acres MSID, which is an agency that is elected by the people.

The Community Council is a volunteer organization made up of those who are interested in the betterment of Lehigh.

Mohamed Yasin asked those who came to the meeting representing public concern to speak to the council, explaining their problems.

One resident, who lives in Fillmore Street, said he was deeply concerned about speeders on his street.

“We’re parallel with Leeland Heights Blvd. and people are using our street to get somewhere faster, avoiding the traffic and stop lights on Leeland Heights.

“The fact is they are a danger driving very fast. We are afraid one of our children may be killed by a speeding driver and the traffic is becoming heavier,” he said. “Something needs to be done to slow those people down.”

Another attendee complained about tractor trailers being parked in front of homes on Sunshine Boulevard. She noted that code enforcement officers do nothing about the illegal parking.

Another person complained about there being no sidewalks and bike paths in most of Lehigh and especially heavily traveled Joel Boulevard.

“When children are walking on the side of the road because they don’t want to walk on the wet grass in the mornings to get to a school bus stop, they are at danger of being hit,” the man said.

One woman said she was deeply upset about pot holes in the roads. She said some are almost large enough for her vehicle to fall in.

She said people have to spend a lot of money when their cars hit a pothole. She said front end alignments cost a lot of money and all the pot holes are causing a lot of damage to motorists’ vehicles.

“This really serious and I am afraid,” she said. “Where are the people who are supposed to be fixing the pot holes?”

No street lights are another problem, was another response. The person said there are spots where street light bulbs have burned out and are not replaced.

Someone complained about traffic on 23rd Street and said there were no streetlights and there are children who walk in the dark to get to school stops.

“There’s going to be more children hurt because of this. We need street lights and we need sidewalks there,” she said.

Yasin listened closely and said he understood their concerns.

One person said nothing is ever done. Others nodded in agreement.

That is when Yasin promised a response to each complaint.

“You will have it on paper. We will carry these complaints to the proper authorities and you will get a response from them,”?he said.

When the Lehigh Acres MSID was formed, it was believed that the group would play a pivotal position in working with the county to improve many of these problems.

Tami Baker, who attends the MSID meetings, reports back to the Community Council.

Last week she urged the public to attend the Lehigh Acres MSID meetings. The meetings are also open to the public.

“We’re going to get there, get these problems solved,” Yasin said.

: MEL TOADVINE Listening to Lehigh Acres residents are Community Council President Mohamed Yasin, right, and executive board member Rick Anglickis.