Cape Coral Community Fridge fights city citation

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—A community fridge owner who has served Cape Coral for nearly six years is now at odds with the city over code violations.

Dionne Lopez, owner of Lee County Plumbing and Supply in south Cape Coral, founded the Cape Coral Community Fridge to provide free food and supplies to residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The fridge allows people to walk up and grab what they need or leave what they can.

"We need to bridge that gap of people who are hungry or don't have enough money to pay their bills and to put food on the table,” Lopez said.

The city cited Lopez earlier this month for litter and outdoor storage. The City of Cape Coral cited Section 9-16 of its code, which states that appliances are not allowed in carports.

Community members showed their support at a council meeting, wearing T-shirts that read "Save Our Cape Coral Community Fridge” on Wednesday. Despite the outcry, the fight continues.

"I want the community to know that I'm still working on this," Lopez said.

The city did not provide anyone to speak on camera, but clarified that having a community fridge is not the issue. Rather, the site conditions don't meet the city's code requirements.

The city says storage is not allowed in the part of Cape Coral where the fridge is located if it's on the front, rear, or side of the property, even if it's enclosed or screened in. Lopez proposed building an enclosure as a solution, but the city says that would still violate the code.

Council Member Jennifer Nelson-Lastra suggested that Lopez could temporarily move the fridge to another business or nonprofit and request a zoning change at her business.

"Nobody wants to take this away from our community and certainly not from what this amazing business owner has tried to do for our residents for more than five years," Nelson-Lastra said.

The city said in a statement that it supports community-based efforts to help residents in need and remains willing to work with Lopez. They say a recheck is set for March 31.