Cape Coral business owner says city compliance costs threaten her practice

Barbara Pyatt, owner of Hand Therapy of Cape Coral, said city-mandated upgrades to her parking lot and dumpster could cost nearly $80,000, threatening the future of her business that has served the community for 16 years. Pyatt said she received a code violation in April for her dumpster, which has been in place since she purchased the building. “The dumpster enclosure itself is running between 10 and 15,000. This is not an engineered 10x10 pad. They want the dirt removed. They want it scraped. They want it compacted. And then you have to do it according to the code,” Pyatt said. She said she began addressing the dumpster issue but was later informed that her gravel parking lot, which she has used for years, would also need to be brought into compliance. “They go, 'Oh, no, we're not going to leave you alone. We're after you for the parking lot now,'” Pyatt said. Pyatt estimates the combined cost of the required dumpster and parking lot upgrades could reach nearly $80,000. She said she has already spent about $4,000 on engineering work and hopes the city will help her find a solution at her city hearing next week. The City of Cape Coral has not yet explained why the compliance orders were issued now, but they are working to get those answers. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.