Cape Coral truck driver says city ordinance is pushing his business out

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A Cape Coral transportation company owner says a city ordinance that doesn't allow him to keep his commercial truck in his driveway is making it difficult for his business to operate and retain employees.

Fox 4's Bella Line spoke with the man about a notice he recently received:

Ruben Varela owns Strong Arm Transportation and Labor, a trucking company in Cape Coral. He recently received a notice for parking his work truck in his own driveway.

"It just feels like I don't own my home. Feels like, HOA is in control of my home," Varela said. "This is my driveway, whether it's an eyesore for my neighbor or not, I should be able to drive what I own on my driveway."

The ordinance is creating logistical challenges for Varela's business. He says his drivers who live in Cape Coral must now drive 45 minutes outside the city to park their trucks.

"These guys only have a certain amount of hours that they could drive, so when I have to steer them away from where they're actually supposed to be, that also feeds into productivity and efficiency, so that's less time that they could actually work," Varela said.

He says local storage options are expensive, costing around $400 per week.

He believes the city should sell or rent lots to local businesses for commercial truck parking.

"It's going to get harder for me to be able to retain employees if this continues to be the case," Varela said.

Council Member Jennifer Nelson Lastra showed interest at the last City Council meeting in Varela's situation and said she wants to meet with Varela to discuss potential solutions to the issue.

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