Lehigh Acres woman removes 'do not park' signs near bus stop after legality questioned

Cathy Wegman, a Lehigh Acres resident, said she placed "do not park" signs along an easement at Champion Avenue and Centennial Boulevard before the school year began to protect children waiting at a nearby bus stop. Now, the signs are gone after a social media post sparked debate over whether her actions were legal. "If we were worried about the grass, then all of those tire marks would still not be there. It is the children. And that is what our biggest motive is, is to keep these kids safe," Wegman said. Wegman, who has lived in Lehigh Acres for 10 years, said she sees dozens of children gather at the bench at the intersection every year to wait for the bus. "There's an easement there that is not really accessible for these kids. And if you block them with the cars, they cannot access that bench. And they end up having to walk into the street to get there. The bus cannot pull up close to that bench where they can get on the bus," Wegman said. She explained that the easement is so narrow that if cars park along it, children are forced to walk on the roadway to reach the bus stop. Wegman said her primary concern was the safety of the children. On Sunday, Wegman removed the "do not park" signs and instead placed red reflectors throughout the area. This morning, the Lee County Sheriff's Office confirmed they monitored the bus stop and pulled over three drivers for speeding. With her own eyes, Wegman said she saw dozens of cars drive through the stop sign without stopping that afternoon. Wegman said she is scared of what could happen to the children at the corner, especially since her daughter was hit by a car at the intersection. "My daughter was hit twice. She was hit in her car, by going and trying to look to see. And these cars were just flying, like, so fast. And then when she went up there, she stopped again, and they hit her. So these cars are going so fast that you can't. They don't care," Wegman said. The county confirmed that Wegman's signs were not legal. In a statement, the county said, "Signs of this nature are not permitted in the right-of-way and are not enforceable. They are not permissible in the Lee County Land Development Code." 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.