Burnt Store Rd Widening Project Update

Mr. Vincent Miller, from the Lee County Department of Transportation, sent us an update on the two segments of Burnt Store Road that are scheduled for construction.

The two segments are the South end that connects to Pine Island Road and the segment North of Kismet Road to the city limit.

Here is his response to our email inquiry:

• How is the South Segment progressing and what are the timetables?

• The project is out for bid and bids will be open on September 30th. We anticipate construction commencing in December/January timeframe.

• How is the connector segment from the North Segment to the County Line progressing and what are the timetables?

• Currently, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is in the process of a Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) study that began about a year ago with approximately two years remaining. When the PD&E is complete by FDOT and adopted by the Lee County BOCC, then the design and construction will commence, once the project is prioritized and funding is identified.

City Council Candidate Forum

Members:

The 2020 City Council Candidate Forum will be broadcast on CapeTV on Oct 2, 2020, at 7:00 PM.

This is your only opportunity to see all eight City Council Candidates at one time answering questions from the Breeze and the News-Press.

Check your local cable provider to see if it will be broadcast on your local government channel.

To watch the live stream, click on the link below.

CapeTV Live Feed

Here We Grow Again - September Edition

The NWNA DRC Committee has some exciting news to share with you all!

Starting with......

More Building in Cape Coral

Building a Better NW Cape

Sometimes the proposed plans we talk about fade away without any follow-through and other times, follow-through comes so fast your head spins. The Tractor Supply Co. store on Pine Island Rd is a good example as it is moving along rapidly matched only by the public storage facility on the opposite side of Pine Island Rd.

Last month we told you about a retail store planned for the lot just east of Aldi on SW Pine Island Rd. and that it would be some type of farmer’s market. Now we know it will be called Joe V’s Farm Market and will break ground by the end of the year and be ready by late 2021.

Joe V’s will feature grocery store and farm market services with fresh-from-the-farm produce, beef, cheeses, bakery items, prepared foods, natural organic and vegetarian food. Lee Snyder, who splits time between Cape Coral and Delaware is part of the management group. He operates several farmer’s markets in Delaware.

Racetrack Gas Station - Update

Racetrack Gas Station Overview

Remember we told you a Racetrack Gas/Convenience store is coming to Chiquita Blvd.?  Just West of that Aldi with small retail and fast food stores in between, but now we're telling you it won't be alone.

There is another project proposed, this one on the northwest side of the Chiquita and Pine Island Rd. intersection. This project will also feature a convenience store with gas pumps, two car washes and four drive thru establishments (below).

Two Competing Proposals

More Storage??

Last month, we told you about an indoor storage facility proposed for 2010 Burnt Store Rd., between Gulfstream Rd. and Gator Slough on the west side of Burnt Store Rd.

Storage Facility

Now, a proposed plan was submitted to the city by Hideaway Storage for a storage facility at 708 Burnt Store Rd. That location is adjacent to the south side of the 7/11 at Tropicana and Burnt Store.

Hideaway Storage Planned

There are about 15 public storage facilities throughout Cape Coral with more on the way. While there may be a need throughout the city, multiple storage facilities on a major access road in and out of the city takes up valuable commercial space that could be better used for amenities locals and visitors can enjoy. Is this a case of one’s company and two’s a crowd?

Some Odds and Ends......

Proposed ER across from Danny Yates

Coming here and there: a 45-unit, multi-family development is planned for SW 37th lane to the west of Chiquita Blvd. between Pine Island Rd. and Trafalgar. Also, an emergency medical facility is proposed for the south side of Pine Island Rd. across from Danny Yates Landscaping.

The project will include the construction of a free-standing emergency room and be run by HCA West Florida. HCA is based out of Tennessee and operates 186 hospitals and approximately 2,000 sites of care, including freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte is part of HCA

Bioswales Update

The city's Utilities Expansion Project (UEP) Manager provided the following information relative to bioswales being added in specific areas in Contracts 1 and 2.

Bioswales will only be constructed in approximately four percent of the swales in Contracts 1 and 2. Due to grant funding, the city negotiated separate pricing for the construction of the bioswales in these two contract areas.

The bio-activated media used in the bioswales is proprietary and is acquired from the suppliers located in Central Florida. The decision to construct the bioswales was made at the end of the project to minimize costs related to material delivery, storage and handling of the bioswale media.

This is the first time bioswales will be constructed in our city. The city has been actively seeking and obtaining, grants from local, state and federal sources to help with construction costs. In fact, North 2 has received about $2.6 million from South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for Total Maximum Daily Limit (TMDL) and alternative water supply grants.

Your Questions Answered

What are bioswales?

Bioswales are channels designed to concentrate and convey stormwater runoff while removing debris and pollution. Bioswales can also be beneficial in recharging groundwater. Bioswales are typically vegetated, mulched, or xeriscaped. They consist of a swaled drainage course with gently sloped sides.

Why are they important?

Bioswales are intended to remove pollutants and nutrients from storm water, which helps to improve the water quality in our surface waters, including city canals and adjacent water bodies such as Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass.

Where will they be located?

They will be located in an area between Burnt Store Road and Old Burnt Store Road south of the Bonefish Canal, generally in the Ceitus Parkway and Embers Parkway areas. The swales are located along city streets between the edge of the pavement and the right-of-way line. We are installing them in front of developed properties, to minimize impacts from new home construction.

Update on Tropicana Park Concept Plan May 2020

NWNA Members:

Tropicana Neighborhood Park was discussed at the Council Meeting on Monday. After the meeting, I sent the following memo to the City Council.

Thank you email from NWNA president to the Cape Coral City Council

After a full hour of speeches, videos, and memos read by the City Clerk, and after a request by one Council Member to move forward with the plan that puts both clubs on the park as approved on December 2, 2019, things took a turn for the positive.

Council took charge of the park design and made significant changes based on the input received from the residents. The input they reacted to was not solely from the NWNA, rather it was input from all areas of the city. I was impressed and pleased. The vote on the new design was 7-1 with District 6 as the only dissenting member.

Staff was directed to make the suggested changes to the design and bring the plans back for approval.

This is significant as there is an approved resolution that will be removed and replaced with another resolution for the revised design.

Revised Concept Plan - May 11th Council Meeting

There are some loose ends that need to be tied up, including the Splash Pad and the last-minute introduction of Dragon Boats on the Park. I was totally surprised by that news and I don’t support further compromising the Neighborhood Park for another club.

If you have questions or comments on these last two loose ends, I suggest you write an email to the Council.

I still do not believe Tropicana Neighborhood Park is the only viable location for the Rowing Club.

Last week, the NWNA sent an email to Council with the attached proposal for a permanent location at Crystal Lake Park.

Note that the NWNA proposal was a short-term solution and a long-term vision. It never proposed putting rowers in Crystal Lake as was erroneously stated by opponents to the plan. In the proposal, Rowers would still use the North Spreader.

Tropicana Park May 2020 Update

NWNA Members:

During last night’s Council meeting, additional changes were made to the Tropicana Neighborhood Park design – all based on your input.

Another revised design will be brought forward at the next Council Meeting for review. At this point, I ask that we step back and wait to see what comes forward. There is no need to communicate with Council, other than to gratefully thank those who kept this in play as long as they have and for continuing to listen to the residents. The park design is definitely in the hands of the Council with input from the residents.

Our goal in this lengthy process was to have six issues addressed while helping to find a location for the club(s). Promises were made and promises are now being kept.

Lack of Transparency in the Park Design – It can’t be undone, but it is known the design and communication processes could have been more transparent. Let’s move on.

Safety of all boaters – We have raised awareness of the volume of traffic in the NW Spreader and I believe the protection of all boaters, present and future, is in the right hands. Let’s move on.

Unrestricted access – We are assured all park amenities (docks, ramps, etc.) will be available to the public. Some amenities paid for by the clubs will also be available for public use and we appreciate that. Let’s wait to see the Priority Use Agreement (PUA).

Zoning – all amenities and design (including the new park property along Old Burnt Store Road) will conform to the Land Use and Zoning rules everyone must obey. Let’s move on.

Use of Funds – amenities solely benefiting the club will be paid for by the club. The PUA will be complicated and I am confident there are enough eyes on it, including the City Attorneys. We will also have an opportunity to review it. Let’s be patient and see what the agreement looks like.

Fit in the Neighborhood – our concern about the equipment and its fit in the neighborhood was raised and addressed. Storage trailer parking and fences were discussed in detail and I am convinced this is adequately addressed, but let’s wait to see the PUA.

ALL issues raised by the NWNA when your input was solicited back in September 2019, are being considered by Council and the Rowing Club has a new home. Success. Just like last week, Council took charge of the park design, based on residents’ input. The major issues considered last night were.

• Splash Pad – after healthy discussion led by CM Cosden, Council proposed putting a Splash Pad in Joe Stonis Park. This is actually a better location (my opinion).
• Fit in the Neighborhood – CM Gunter led a great discussion on the location of the club, the type of equipment that can be placed on the park, and the specific boundaries of the space for the Rowing Club.
• Use of Funds and the relationship with the Rowing Club – CM Cosden led this discussion, followed by the City Attorney explaining the complexity of this PUA and the uniqueness of the relationship with the club. Her words (paraphrasing) – this is not like the other relationships and there are a lot of tentacles. My words – this is going to be a very complicated and difficult PUA to write.

Let’s continue to deal with facts and present them in a professional, concise manner. You have all done a marvelous job staying on point, in a very tense situation. Well done.

Thanks. I will keep you posted.

“When you go into the end zone, act like you've been there before.”
. – Vince LombardiJohn Bashaw
President – Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc.

Tropicana Park (aka) Cape Coral Water Park

The Stakeholders Group did not come to an agreement on an alternate location for the Rowing Club. See the memo from the City Manager to the City Council in the link below.

Memo from City Manager to City Council

The Rowing Club was offered a prime location on Old Burnt Store Road, but they refused it and want to be on Tropicana Neighborhood Park. Let’s start calling their park, the Cape Coral Watersports Park because that’s what it will become if you do nothing.

See the Concept Plan below that was presented to the Rowing Club. Note that this reasonable solution provides the park promised to the residents and it gives the Rowing Club an excellent location on Old Burnt Store Road.

This special deal was rejected by the Rowing Club and City Staff and all members of the Stakeholders Group except John Bashaw.

The City plans to present a Priority Use Agreement for the Rowing Club to City Council for approval. A Priority Use Agreement is just like it sounds. It provides the Rowing Club priority use of your public park.

If you see this as a problem or if being shown plans for a park that the City never intended to build is a problem, you need to show up at the City Council Meeting.

You do not need to speak, but we need you in the chairs to show City Council that we are not going to quietly let this happen.

This mistrust in government-issue affects all residents of Cape Coral.

We assume this item will be on the agenda for the Monday, March 16, 2020, meeting at 4:30 PM in Council Chambers. If that date changes, I will let you know.

These two Concept Plans tell the entire story. The Concept on the top is what you were shown and were told Tropicana Neighborhood Park would look like. Let’s call that plan Tropicana Neighborhood Park.

The Concept Plan on the bottom is what the City intended to build. Let’s call that the Cape Coral Watersports Park.

It’s important to understand – the City was developing the Cape Coral Watersports Park plan while they continued to tell you the park you were getting was the Tropicana Neighborhood Park.

Original Concept Plan of Tropicana ParkWhat they want the Park changed to instead.

Tropicana Watersports Park?

We've seen this before!!

Tropicana Neighborhood Park
(aka Cape Coral Watersports Park)

NWNA Members:

Please see The Breeze article from 2013 regarding the City's efforts to build a facility for the kayak club on Lake Kennedy. The effort failed as a result of the Lake Kennedy and Saratoga Lake residents fighting the city tooth and nail. The city did not build the facility for the kayak club but instead leased a city-owned house on the Lake Kennedy property to the kayak club. Now they are trying to do something similar on Tropicana Neighborhood Park.

This is the same playbook the City is using to build a Watersports Park on the location you were told would be Tropicana Neighborhood Park. In 2013, there was also a Stakeholders Group meeting, there was also information withheld, and there was also a plan to support a private club with taxpayer dollars.

I used to live on Saratoga Lake which is connected to Lake Kennedy. I moved from Saratoga Lake in 2013 during all this nonsense and I recently discovered that it was my Saratoga Lake neighbor who led the resistance against the City's plans to build a facility for the kayak club using taxpayer dollars. The problem then, as it is now, is the city's lack of transparency. I am very familiar with the playbook the City is using and you need to know this is yet another chapter in that book.

John Bashaw
President – Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc.

Kayak Club Lease - Breeze Article from 2013

Regular Meeting Summary - February 18, 2020

Overview

Our February 18^th meeting was held in our new location, Lee County Public Library, Northwest Regional,  519 Chiquita Blvd. N., Cape Coral, FL 33993.  We had 200+ members and guests in attendance.  The meeting was opened by President, John Bashaw.  The topics for the meeting were updates on the UEP; Seven Islands, Myriad Luxury Motorcoach Resort, NW Cut-Through study,  and the Tropicana Park Issues.   Vice President, Dennis Winchester provided updates to the UEP project.  Updates were provided on the remaining subjects and then the remainder of the meeting concentrated on the Tropicana Park Issues.  President, John Bashaw opened up the floor to input from members and guests in attendance.  This is a very sensitive subject with lots of different views.  It was an interesting discussion.

Resources from Meeting

• Slide Presentation
• Welcome Slides
• Planned Development in Cape Coral

Photos from Meeting

Tropicana Park Educational Material

Members:

We thought you might be interested in reading the educational material sent out by the City prior to the GO Bond vote in 2018. Check out the diagram for Tropicana Neighborhood Park.

We continue to be your voice in these discussions and will make sure your concerns are heard and addressed. I will continue to send out additional updates as things progress.

GO Bond 9/12/2018

UEP Updated Information

January 13, 2020 Public Works
North 2 and North 1 Updates to City Council.

Public Works Director Paul Clinghan and UEP Project Manager Kevin Higginson provided an update to the City Council on North 2 and North 1 UEP Projects.

North 2 Highlights

• Notices to Proceed for Construction issued 10/18/2017 thru 03/02/2018.

• Assessment methodology same for SW 6&7, North 2 and North 1.

• North 2 Construction Time Extensions were approved primarily due to material and labor shortages.

• North 2 is like all previous UEP’s and all utility and road construction projects in SW Florida. Most complaints are related to dust (dry season), mud (rainy season), and traffic detours.

• North 2 UEP Utilities Notice of Availability – January, February and March notifications will be mailed for specific areas completed with the first surface lift placed.

• 180 Days for homes to connect to Water, Sewer and Irrigation (Plumbers Connections) upon receipt of Notice of Availability.

• After 180 Days Second Lift of pavement placed.

• North 2 Under Budget - Anticipate a North 2 UEP refund. SW 6&7 UEP had a refund of $524 per Equivalent Parcel (EP) for all three utilities.

North 1 UEP

• Presently in negotiations with a National Firm (Tetra Tech) for Design, Permitting and Bidding

• Design Contract to be on March Agenda for Approval by City Council.

• Scope includes evaluation of Construction Contract Phasing considering Funding, Assessments, Bidding, Construction Means and Methods and Construction Contract Time.

• North 1 UEP could be divided into Two Phases with two separate Assessments as approved by City Council.

North 1 UEP Proposed Schedule

• Permitting, Design and Bidding – Starts April 2020

• The City will meet with the NWNA to discuss specific concerns they have during the North 1 UEP design phase.

Save Tropicana Park Rally

Saturday, January 18th, 1:00 PM
814 West Cape Estates Circle

Park in the empty lot across from the green grassy area. Look for parking signs.

WCE will provide pop-ups for shade, chairs, a sound system for speakers, and a microphone.

Feeling a little out of the know on the proposed changes to Tropicana Neighborhood Park? Come and listen to the NWNA President speak on the topic and learn more about the City's plans for Rowing & Kayak clubs at your neighborhood park.

Learn what you can do to support the fight against the City leasing Tropicana Neighborhood Park property & help the 2 clubs find a more suitable, safe permanent home.

At the meeting, we will provide talking points for the next City Council meeting. We need you to speak for up to three minutes.

We intend to see Tropicana Neighborhood Park look just like the plans that are shown on the billboard today! We also want to help find a permanent home for these two clubs.

Special thanks to West Cape Estates, a PRIVATE gated community, for allowing the PUBLIC to use their facilities.

Thank you in advance!

Tropicana Park Discussion

Members:

On January 6, 2020, during the Unfinished Business section of the Cape Coral City Council Agenda, Tropicana Neighborhood Park was discussed. It was not a discussion on the Lease Agreement, but rather it was a GO Bond Update.

Several Council Members appeared pleased with the current path for Tropicana Neighborhood Park, which included space for the Kayak Club and the Rowing Club.

Council Member Williams inquired as to why the pace was so fast and requested that the Parks and Recreation Department slow it down.

Council Member Gunter asked why Tropicana was selected for the clubs and asked if there are other locations that might work better.

We continue to be your voice in these discussions and will make sure your concerns are heard and addressed. I’ll be sending out additional updates as things progress.

Update on Tropicana Park

Thank you all for responding to my request for your thoughts on Tropicana Neighborhood Park. As a reminder, the City plans to lease property on Tropicana Neighborhood Park to the South Florida Canoe Kayak Club and the Caloosa Coast Rowing Club. Both clubs are private entities and are not Parks and Recreation functions.

There are five areas of concern that were raised due to the lack of disclosure of the city's plans for the park.

Lack of Transparency - Plans to locate the clubs on Tropicana Neighborhood Park were not disclosed to the public until late November, two months after the public input meetings

Safety – The clubs and power boats will use the North Spreader Waterway simultaneously, close to several blind S-curves. Discussions have taken place regarding safety for the South Florida Canoe Kayak Club, but work does need to be done to ensure safety for all boaters when the Caloosa Coast Rowing Club and other competitive paddlers use the waterway.

Limiting Access – Residents may not have access to the portion of the park leased to the clubs. Access to the North Spreader Waterway may be restricted when competitive events are held.

Quality of Life – For an unknown reason, the City chose not to disclose the true plans for the park until it was too late to act.

Use of Funds – We question the authority of the City to use GO Bond Funds to develop the park in a manner that benefits a private club(s). These concerns remain because of a lack of public input on the plans and inadequate timing for the residents to voice their concerns between the time the plans were revealed and the date of the City Council meeting where park plans were approved.

The date for the City Council Meeting to discuss the lease is tentatively set for January 6, 2020. I will keep you posted. Your presence at the meeting is important, so wear your NWNA T-Shirts if you have one, and express your position by speaking during Citizens Input.

New Membership Chairpersons

2019 In Review

What a Year We've Had!

We have had a very busy year tackling some very important issues that directly impact your way of life and ultimately your pocketbooks. The Association addressed the following issues with the county, city and parks departments on your behalf:

• UEP Phase 2
• Neighborhood Parks
• BSR Widening Project
• Lighting along BSR
• Re-Zoning in NW Cape
• City Owned Surplus Property in NW

We had several guestspeakers at our meetings to give you updated information, listen to yourconcerns and answer your questions:

• Therese Everly - Lee Health Board of Directors
• Kevin Higginson - Manager of UEP Projects
• Plumbing Contractors - Honc Industries, Bruce Davis Jr Plumbing & Rohaley Plumbing
• Rick Williams - District 6 - City Council Member
• Dave Newlan - Cape Coral Police Chief

You came out in forcefor the 'Great American Clean Up' on Earth Day and took part in our our 23rdAnnual Trash Bash collecting trash along the roadside, parks, waterways andestuary's! Nothing was left behind and we all enjoyed pizza and refreshmentswhen the day was done.

NWNA BOD went throughsome leadership changes this summer as we said good bye to our President andVice President and searched for capable replacements to step into theirpositions.

As good members always do, you supported us at COW meetings during the year, as our leadership addressed the City Council Members and some of you voiced your own opinions and concerns. Then you also made your presence known to the Council by the sea of teal NWNA T-shirts throughout the city council chambers.

Established in 2004, we celebrated our 15th anniversary this year as the North West Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc.  We continue to strengthen our member base by welcoming 72 new members this year.

We launched our new Website and opened a Members Only Group on Facebook, boasting 89 members to date.

We provided you withan extremely detailed summary of your UEP costs, keeping you informed andgiving you updates as soon as we had them.

We provided severalupdates throughout the year on this and other very important issues and willcontinue to do so as we move forward with the projects before us in 2020 andbeyond.

Census 2020 Job Openings

The 2020 Census is looking for temporary employees. Census positions provide an opportunity to earn extra income and help your community. The 2020 Census results will help determine your state's representation in Congress, as well as how certain funds are spent for schools, hospitals, roads, and more. Applicants must be over 18 years of age and be U.S. citizens, and have a valid Social Security number (SSN) and email address. If you or members of your family are interested in a position which offers flexible hours consider applying: Some positions require work during the day; Other positions require evening and weekend work interviewing the public; Generally hours for field positions are flexible. Employees are paid weekly and are also paid for training.  

For more details, refer to the poster (available in English and Spanish).

Meeting Results Posted

The September 26th and November 14th meetings have been posted, along with photos and presentations.  Visit the "Past NWNA Meetings" page for links to prior meetings.

Thanks to Cathy Eybs for updating Shutterfly.

2020 Officers

Officers Elected for 2020

During the Annual Meeting of the NWNA, held November 14th, the following persons were elected for 2020:

• John Bashaw, President
• Dennis Winchester, Vice President
• Linda Stevens, Secretary
• David Marazon, Treasurer

Election of Officers - Nov 14, 2019

The annual meeting of the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association will be held November 14, 2019 at:

Christa McAuliffe Charter Elementary School Cafeteria
2817 SW 3rd Lane
Cape Coral, FL

• Registration and networking with neighbors 6:30pm to 7pm
• Meeting 7pm to 8:30pm.

Invite your friends and neighbors to attend.

Membership is available to residents and property owners within Cape Coral city limits, north of Pine Island Road and west of Santa Barbara Blvd.