Security a worry for Cafe of Life plans

Written by Christina Cepero
The City Council asks staff to work toward making a home for the nonprofit organization a possibility.
Cafe of Life board members will work toward resolving security concerns that Rosemary Park/Leitner Creek Manor residents have about a proposed soup kitchen in their neighborhood.
The Bonita Springs City Council voted 7-0 Wednesday to support city staff working with Cafe of Life on the possibility of a public-private partnership while addressing residents’ concerns.
Lee County has offered to give the city a slice of land in Leitner Creek Manor that was not used for the Imperial Parkway extension. The city could then negotiate a long-term lease with Cafe of Life, which would build and maintain the kitchen and a neighborhood park.
The council asked city staff to hold off on accepting the land or preparing a lease.
Cafe of Life board members invited about 35 residents from the neighborhood to a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the proposal. There will be a larger community workshop later.
“There are definitely some concerns by the residents on how this will unfold, how it will impact them, the safety of people walking,” said District 2 Councilwoman Janet Martin, who represents the area. “We have a little bit of give and take that still needs to go on.”
The nonprofit organization aims to raise $500,000 to build a catering kitchen to store food and serve hot lunches to needy residents on weekdays, according to former Bonita Mayor Jay Arend, who has been working on the proposal.
Cafe of Life has been looking for a permanent home for years. Volunteers serve up to 24,000 meals a year outside Community Hall by the banyan tree. About 100 people come on a typical day, about 40 percent of whom live in Rosemary Park.
Councilwoman Martha Simons and Councilman Bill Lonkart said they’re concerned about the other 60 percent who would be coming into the neighborhood.
“Are we serving Bonita Springs or are we serving people from elsewhere?” Simons said.
Cafe of Life board member Bruce Wheatley said the group does not track where clients live.
“If you’re hungry, we feed you,” he said.
He said Cafe of Life has met with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and a safety consultant. The building would be locked at dusk.
“The Café of Life is dedicated to try to make this work,” Arend said. “Particularly when you’d do it at no expense to the taxpayers, I think it’s something worth working on.”
City Manager Carl Schwing said the lease would likely be for $1 a year.
“We are interested in gaining ownership of this property if in fact the Cafe of Life project goes forward,” Schwing said. “My concern (if the project doesn’t go forward) would be what would we do with the land except take on an additional maintenance responsibility.”
Mayor Ben Nelson said he sees the involvement of the volunteers in the neighborhood as a positive. “They’ve got the heart, they’ve got the money,” he said. “I think there’s an opportunity for you to do good work for this community.”
The project would include a playground and basketball hoops on its parking lot in addition to a covered pavilion and community center.