The Passing of Mayor Joe Coviello

NWNA Members:

I sadly announce the passing of our Mayor, Joe Coviello, on January 13, 2021.

You may not know our Mayor as well as I did, so I want to tell you what a great loss this is for our city and for Northwest Cape Coral. Joe Coviello was a good man, a great family man, and an excellent Mayor.

Every time I reached out to Joe for help with an issue in the Northwest, he took the call. Every time I spoke to him about an issue, he genuinely listened to what I had to say and gave me his undivided attention. He reached out to me unsolicited and asked my opinion on issues that affected the Northwest. We did not always agree on the issues, but his willingness and desire to understand where I was coming from, on your behalf, was reassuring that we had someone in the chair who cared.

With the highest confidence, I believe the City of Cape Coral will adjust to this tragedy as it does to all the issues that come before us. I want you all to know we were in incredibly good hands and our city will continue to move forward, but the sadness of Joe's passing and the legacy he leaves behind is significant. I will remember him as a man who cared about our city and who always wanted to do what was right for us.

John Bashaw
President - Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc.
(920) 449-2000

2nd Update on Crystal Lake Park Problem

Crystal Lake Solution is in Progress!

NWNA Members:

Please see the memorandum on actions the city is taking to resolve the issue at Crystal Lake. I am very pleased with the action taken by the City of Cape Coral, led my Mr. Ilczyszyn, and I am sure you will also recognize the fast attention given to this matter. When the opportunity presents, please acknowledge this work and extend your thanks, as I have.

John Bashaw
President - Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc.
(920) 449-2000

From: Michael Ilczyszyn <milczysz@capecoral.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 11:45 AM
To: publicworks@nwcape.com; president@nwcape.com; parks@nwcape.com
Cc: Paul Clinghan; Gary Gasperini; Cheryl Mackowski; Kerry Runyon; Keith A. Locklin; Matthew Creed; Lucille Vaillancourt-Kreider; Anthony Sizemore; Michael Catania; Ryan W. Lamb; James F. Parker; James Breakfield; Gary Gasperini
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] - [FWD: crystal lake]

Gentlemen,

Good morning. I hope this email finds you well. I have reviewed the photos sent in to the City, performed a site visit to the scenic overlook, and coordinated an interdepartmental response.
Collectively we have a multi-pronged approach to this situation which incorporates some of the solutions you proposed below. As you are likely aware the City is designing an ADA accessible scenic overlook amenity at the top of this hill for our residents, visitors, and businesses to provide viewings at this location for sunset celebrations, stargazing astronomical events, observing the Charlotte Harbor State Park and associated Charlotte Harbor, and to see the Gulf of Mexico from the only known location in Cape Coral. Our approach to this issue is to align our response with the intended vision of the park once developed.
Generally, we are using the three "E" responses: 1) education, 2) engineering, and 3) enforcement. This is how each of these will be addressed:
1) Education: The City is going to post the park's rules sign on both ends of the scenic overlook and next to the sign displaying the future park concept plan in the northeast corner of the park. A copy of the sign is attached. It provides park users the education on what is unacceptable behavior within the park boundaries. These signs will be posted as soon as the engineering solutions below are completed.
2) Engineering: Along the top of the scenic overlook soldier rocks are being replenished this morning were missing and fortified to be unmovable. Additionally, at the base of the scenic overlook driveway barrier swing gates will be installed and locked for emergency use only. Quotes for the gates have already been requested. The openings are also being restricted to the width of the gate plus 4 feet of pedestrian access on each side. Public Works staff is restricting these entrances this morning also. The gate is a temporary solution as it is not intended in the final design for the park.
3) Enforcement: The Police Department has already advised patrol staff and the community resource division to increase patrols in the evening at this location.
Together, we are hopeful this approach will result in meaningful results for our nearby residents. As always, if illegal activity is observed our residents should contact the Police Department immediately. If there are questions about uses within the parks then the Parks and Recreation Department should be contacted.
If you have any questions about any of this information please let me know.Regards,
Michael Ilczyszyn
City of Cape Coral
Senior Public Works Manager
P.O. Box 150027
Cape Coral, Florida 33915-0027
W: (239)-574-0457
F: (239)-574-0452
Ext: 4457

Crystal Park Problem Update

NWNA Members:

The City of Cape Coral is aggressively pursuing a resolution to the situation at Crystal Lake. Plans are already in place to address the concerns you raised, including the suggestions in the bulletin I sent on Monday. I am confident the right resources are on this problem with the right urgency.

Please do not attend the Council Meeting on Wednesday to speak on the Crystal Lake problem. Doing so will create a crisis that is already being resolved. I will keep you informed of progress and I am confident you will like what you hear.

John Bashaw
President - Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc.
(920) 449-2000

Crystal Lake Park Problem

NWNA Members: Happy New Year and my best wishes to you and your family for a great 2021. We have a situation in the vicinity of Crystal Lake Park and I am asking you to support our members and help out. The members near Crystal Lake are at their wits end with the partying, drag racing, bonfires, and loud music coming from and near the hill on the West end of the park. Recently, CCPD was called, and I believe the Fire Department also was dispatched because of the size of the fire on the hilltop. I plan to present these suggestions at the Council Meeting on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. 1. Add a gate or some other obstruction to keep vehicles off the hill 2. Post No Trespassing After Dark signs all around the park property 3. Post signage that states No Littering all around the park property 4. Increase Police Patrols through the neighborhood after dark 5. Support the NWNA efforts to clean and maintain the park property during development. The future park, especially at the hill, is littered with pallets, bottles, and other garbage that does not belong on that beautiful piece of property. We have several members who will also be speaking at the meeting. Others have offered to be at the meeting to show support. To help, you can: ·    Attend the meeting on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 4:30 PM, in the City Council Chambers at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd ·    Speak at the meeting during CITIZENS INPUT TIME. Citizens Input Time is early on the agenda, so you won't have to stay for the entire meeting. ·    Send in your support on Ecomments ·    Send an email to our District Representative requesting his help The situation at Crystal Lake Park is not acceptable and no one deserves to have that sort of activity in their neighborhood. Please get engaged. Thank You P.S. You'll be hearing from me shortly about the conditions at the 7 Islands Property and Tropicana Neighborhood Park. John Bashaw President - Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc.

2nd NWNA Neighborhood Clean-Up Day - Pictures of Us!

December 12, 2020 Members Pictures

We are having our Second NWNA Neighborhood Cleanup Day event to end 2020 and get us off to a clean start for next year.

If you are an active NWNA Member, you can participate.  On Saturday, Dec 12, 2020, if you agree to take a walk and pick up trash in your local neighborhood, you get one of our free NWNA event T-Shirts. That's it!

Pick up trash, put it in your trash bin at home, and score a cool T-Shirt.

Please see the instructions below. We are limiting this offer to members who sign up and agree to Keep our Neighborhoods Beautiful.

Sam Yaffey has again, generously donated funds for the event T-Shirts.

Come out on Friday afternoon and pick up your free T-shirt at:

Experience Real Estate Group
900 SW Pine Island Rd
on Friday' Dec 11, 2020,
between 1:00-3:00 PM

Gather trash in your neighborhood or any area in the NW Cape that needs it.

People with boats, kayaks or canoes are especially needed to pick up debris in the waterway.

Be careful there is a lot of boat traffic in our canals.

Development Updates on Pine Island Rd.

Updates on Building in Cape Coral

It used to be that the place to go was the corner store for all your needs. But these days, corners mean a whole lot more, especially in a highly mobile city that is nearing 200,000 in population. Take for instance, the corners at Chiquita Blvd. and Pine Island Road.

There's another plan for a gas station/convenience store (below) with an adjoining fast-food drive-thru restaurant in the works for that intersection. This one is located on the south side of Pine Island Road and east of Chiquita. It will be just west of the Bob Evans restaurant.

This is the third similar concept for that intersection. In the past we told you about a Racetrack gas station/convenience store at Chiquita and Pine Island Rd. just west of Aldi with small retail and fast food stores in between. Called Pine Island Market (below), this gas station and 10k sf retail is in permitting and should break ground soon.

Both properties are owned by Windsor Title Group of Clifton Park, NY.

There is another project in planning for the west side of Chiquita on the north side of Pine Island Road for a convenience store with gas pumps, two car washes and four drive thru establishments (below).  

Whether or not these projects get off the ground remains to be seen, although the two owned by Windsor have been permitted for soil testing, so that is some movement.

Only time will tell, but now you can envision how important that intersection is to commercial development.

Joe - V's Farm Market - Update

Not to forget that in that general area, to the east of Aldi, will be Joe V's Farm Market.

According to their website, they will provide farm-fresh produce, local dairy, meat, seafood, deli, scratch-made fresh bakery, prepared foods, wine, straight from the sea seafood, and much more.

For more information go to joevsfarmmarket.com

Stay tuned for more later....!

New Parks Design Approvals for the NWCape | Construction starting FQ21

Members,

At the City Council Meeting on 10/26, City staff provided an update on the GO Bond projects. Of course, Tropicana, Crystal Lake, and Festival Parks are most important to the NWNA. Here are some updates.

Park Designs (as of 10/26 City Council Meeting)

Tropicana - Currently at 30% design. Staff anticipates delivery of 60% design plan by mid-November

Crystal Lake - Currently at 30% design. Staff anticipates delivery of 60% design plan by mid-November

Festival - Currently at 60% design. Staff anticipates delivery of final design by early December

I'm monitoring the GO Bond site, Council Meeting agendas, and checking with staff for any updates.

Tropicana Park/Cape Coral Rowing Club

At the June City Council Meeting where the new Tropicana Park design was approved that included the Cape Coral Rowing Club location in the Southeastern corner of the park, Council members and the city attorney indicated that a priority use agreement (PUA) would need to be put in place to allow the rowing club to use the park. Council members provided comments on what should be included in the agreement to ensure the park is clean and accessible to the residents as a neighborhood park as defined by the GO Bond.

The NWNA did not wait for staff and the attorney to draft the agreement. The NWNA proactively provided a draft PUA to the Council and the new City Manager that included the comments from the Council members as well as what the NWNA felt were appropriate guidelines for the rowing club's use of the park. Our goal is to ensure the final design includes the amenities residents requested and meets the definition of a neighborhood park as outlined by the GO Bond.

Park Construction

I've received questions from residents as to why construction at the parks has not started. As I indicated earlier, the final designs need to be completed. Per the GO Bond website timelines, construction for the neighborhood parks is supposed to begin in early 2021 with completion by the end of Q3 2021. Construction of the community parks is supposed to begin in late Q1 or early Q2 with completion by end of Q3 2022. Obviously, these timelines are flexible due to permitting, weather, etc.

Stay tuned.....!

Island Pearl Meet & Greet

Members:

The Island Pearl Meet and Greet was a huge success. We were fortunate to have a great turnout, and several Cape Coral elected Officials and Staff members attended as well. Mayor Joe Coviello, City Manager Rob Hernandez, Business Development Manager Ricardo Noguera, and Business Development / Retention Specialist Nita Whaley attended.

This project is the model for how development should be done in the Cape. Your opinion matters and it is quite unique and impressive that Blue Waters Development is reaching out to the residents for input on the development.

During all City Council Meetings, oral progress reports are given by the City Manager and Council. The report given by Mayor Joe Coviello included a summary of his attendance at the Island Pearl Meet and Greet. The video is in the link below for your viewing.

As is always the case, we are here for you, representing you and listening to what you have to say. Please contact me directly at president@nwcape.com or call me at (920) 449-2000 if you have something you would like to discuss.

Be well and stay safe. Happy Thanksgiving.

[video mp4="https://nwcape.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/City-Mayors-Comments26.mp4" poster="" ][/video]

City Councils Code of Conduct and Decorum

NWNA Members:

Under the leadership of Council Member John Gunter, the City of Cape Coral amended Resolution 3-01 to now include a Code of Conduct for City Council Members and the Mayor. This Resolution is on the agenda for Monday’s City Council Meeting. The entire Resolution can be found by clicking on the link below.

Resolution 251-20 Amended

For your convenience and for a faster read, I have included the newly added Section on Decorum, Code of Conduct.

R. DECORUM

The members of the City Council shall always serve the citizens of the City of Cape Coral. Each elected official shall act in a professional manner to promote public trust and confidence in the government with complete transparency and avoid even the appearance or perception of impropriety while holding public office.

1. Code of Conduct

It is the policy of the City Council to uphold, promote, and demand the highest standard of ethics from all members of the Council. The Mayor and Councilmembers shall maintain the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, honesty, and fairness
during the performance of their duties.The Mayor and Councilmembers are leaders
of the City and shall always display a positive image in their representation of the City. At no time shall they bring discredit to the citizens, fellow Councilmembers, or the City of Cape Coral, due to their personal or professional conduct.

a. Public Trust. Mayor and Councilmembers shall always serve the residents of Cape Coral equally and be receptive to receiving input from residents to make decisions in the best interest of the City of Cape Coral. It will be the responsibility of the Mayor and each Councilmember to stay engaged and be responsive to the citizens.

b. Integrity. Mayor and Councilmembers shall always be truthful and forthright when presenting information during any discussions, and not use false, inaccurate, or manipulated information to support their position during any topic of discussion.

c. Responsibility. The Mayor and Councilmembers shall always make decisions based on the facts and merits of the issues, and shall always focus on the merits of the discussion and not the personalities involved.

The Mayor and Councilmembers support the public’s right to know and encourage their engagement in conversation to promote meaningful public involvement in all
issues in order to gain value from the diverse opinions within discussions to build a consensus for the merits of the decision.

d. Respectfulness. The Mayor and Councilmembers shall always treat one another, staff, and the citizens of Cape Coral with the utmost courtesy and respect.

e. Image. The Mayor and Councilmembers are a direct representation of the City of Cape Coral. While representing the City of Cape Coral in their official capacity, the Mayor and Councilmembers shall always dress in business attire
and promote the City of Cape Coral with professionalism to convey a positive image.f. The Mayor and Councilmembers shall always comply with all federal, state, and local laws, including but not limited to, the Florida Sunshine and Open
Meeting Laws.
Page 8 of 132. Meetings
The Mayor and Councilmembers shall always be prepared by reviewing the agenda and the associated information to engage in a productive, attentive, and respectful discussion on each topic.a. Members shall exert their best effort to attend all meetings and arrive in a timely manner. No member shall walk out of the meeting while a roll call is being taken. After roll call, any member wishing to leave the dais shall advise the presiding officer of his or her desire to do so prior to departing. No more
than three (3) members shall leave the dais at any one time so as to maintain a quorum.

b. Any member who plans to be absent must give notice as provided for in Section G. Cancellation of Meetings above.

c. When a member plans to leave a meeting prior to its conclusion, the member shall notify the entire Council no later than at the beginning of the Council meeting. If an emergency arises during the meeting causing the need to leave the meeting, the member must announce to the entire Council their departure
whenever practicable.

d. When Council members are either members of or liaisons to any other board, committee, commission, task force or any other entity, the City Council members shall attend the meetings on a regular basis.

3. Censure
The City Council shall have the ability to review negative actions of members of City Council that do not reflect well on the City, or that bring discredit to the City, particularly violations of the rules of decorum stated herein.

City Council shall have the ability to address the breaches of decorum, when warranted, through means that include, but are not limited to, removing a member from any City-appointed position, as well as censuring a member by a majority vote of Council.

The addition of a Code of Conduct to the Resolution is partly the result of your comments made during the GO Bond discussion at Council. This is a great example of residents speaking, elected officials listening, and action taken.

Please consider the following

1. Send an ecomment at https://www.capecoral.net/department/clerk/ecomments.php
or send an email to the City Clerk at ctyclk@capecoral.net
expressing your thanks and appreciation for Council taking this action.

2. Hold your elected officials accountable by reading the Decorum section and alerting them when you see something that is not right.

3. Continue to deal in facts.

Thank you for being members of the NWNA.

Tropicana Park - Priority Use Agreement Update

Update - Tropicana Park and Cape Coral Rowing Club PUA Draft

Attached below is the NWNA pro forma Priority Use Agreement (PUA) for the public property the Rowing Club will occupy on Tropicana Park. 

At a City Council Meeting in June, the dais discussion centered around stipulations to define the limits of the Rowing Club's activities and facilities, to ensure the park would meet the needs of the Rowing Club, yet still remain a neighborhood park. 

The Priority Use Agreement attached is by no means complete, but it does capture all of the discussion and commitments made in the June meeting.  

The residents greatly appreciated the time Council dedicated to solving this highly contentious issue in our city.  Their creativity and broad thinking delivered a solution that is a workable compromise, but its implementation as directed is contingent on the development of a Priority Use Agreement. 

The NWNA is pleased to make the first pass at the PUA in an effort to continue to be a part of solutions to problems. We are at their service and are willing to meet and continue with these discussions and put the final touches on the agreement. 

This work is intended to prevent the sort of vitriol we all experienced during the design of Tropicana Park. We are now at a point where decisions have been made and it's time to execute.  We would appreciate the opportunity to participate equally as these discussions take shape. 

Thank You
Kevin Black, Parks Chairman

Bioswales Update

Installed Bioswale Issues: Dead grass and Standing water

Local residents have noticed some issues with the newly installed bioswales within the in North 2 UEP area. We asked the UEP Project Manager to look into the problem and resolve the issues that have surfaced.

1. Dead Grass
2. Standing water

The Project Manager quickly responded as follows:

Response from Kevin Higginson the Project Manager

From: Kevin Higginson <khiggins@capecoral.net>
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020, 8:53 AM
To: president@nwcape.com
Cc: Sam (Rosa) Yaffey; Donald Freeman; Dennis Winchester; Audrie Goodwin; Elizabeth Ellis
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] - Re: Bioswale

Mr. Bashaw,

The bioswales in Contract 2 are completed and we expect the bioswales in Contract 1 to be completed this week. It appears that we will have some excess bioswale media in Contract 1 and are working with the contractor to utilize this media in about 200 additional lineal feet of bioswale.

We have performed an inspection of Contract 2 bioswales and have identified 13 locations where the sod appears to be stressed or needs to be replaced. The sod at Ms. Yaffey’s address and the other addresses she identified are on the Contract 2 punch-list. We are monitoring these areas and, where it is determined to be necessary, will be requiring the contractor to replace the sod. I expect this to be done within the next two to three weeks.

The City will be performing a similar punch-list inspection in Contract 1 and will address the issues that are identified.
If I can be of further assistance, please advise.Sincerely,
Kevin L. Higginson, P.E.
Utilities Extension Manager
Utilities Extension Office
P.O. Box 150027
Cape Coral, FL 33915-0027
Phone: 239-574-0706
Fax: 239-242-3903
khiggins@capecoral.net

New Leadership Introduction - UEP

NWNA Vice President Dennis Winchester and Public Works Chairman Don Freeman held an introductory meeting with Public Works Director Mr. Paul Clinghan and Utilities Extension Manager Mr. Kevin Higginson.

The meeting provided an opportunity to introduce Don to the Public Works leadership, discuss his background, learn about Public Works initiatives/processes, and discuss some current North 2 UEP resident issues. It was a highly informative and cordial meeting.

Utility Hookups in UEP North 2

UEP North 2 construction is essentially complete and homeowners are in the process of hooking up. Approximately 3200 properties within the UEP North 2 area now have City water, sewer, and reclaimed water available.

Residential hookup instructions are located here:

Residential Hookup Instructions - Click Here

On September 14, 2020, City Council approved Resolution 216-20 which provided an additional 60 days for developed properties to hook up to the new sewer and water utilities. With this change, homeowners within UEP North 2 now have 240 days from the date of the Notice of Availability (NOA) to connect to the City’s water, sewer and/or irrigation systems.

Residents with issues/concerns should contact the North 2 UEP telephone number 833-227-3837 and document their specific issues/concerns. The issues recorded will form a punch list of items that will need to addressed before final contractor payments are made.

North 2 Driveway Repairs

There have been some complaints from homeowners regarding the quality of work performed on the replacement of driveway aprons which were destroyed during construction. Most complaints are related to concrete-stamped and/or colored concrete aprons not matching the original driveways.

The City is aware of approximately 50 such complaints and they are working to resolve these. Residents should not sign off on acceptance of the driveway if they are not satisfied that the repairs meet the original design and configuration.

The City has withheld funds from the water/sewer contractors, and they are working with these contractors to get the problems resolved. This will take some time as the City is legally required to address these issues with the contractor first.

Therefore, they request patience from homeowners. If you have already called and/or emailed the UEP with your complaint, then rest assured they are aware of it. If you have a complaint and have not yet registered it with the City you should send an email to: uepnewconst@capecoral.net, or call the above phone number and explain the issue. Attaching photos to an email will help the City understand the problem. Please note, repeated pestering of City staff about individual issues will not get the repairs completed any sooner.

North 2 Bio Swales

Residents have raised concerns about replacement grass dying and not being replaced in a timely manner.

Public Works does monitor the grass replacement and when they determine the grass is dead it will be replaced. We saw examples of grass replacement in several areas.

Again, the City asks for your patience.

UEP North 1 Update

Yes, North 2 was completed prior to North 1. The City has signed a contract with the Engineering Firm Tetra Tech to complete the design of water/sewer/reclaimed water for the North 1 area.

The proposed work area for North 1 is located here: https://www.capecoral.net/uep/north_1.php

Please note that North 1 is located east of Santa Barbara Boulevard so this area may not be of much concern to NWNA members. Lessons learned from North 2 will be incorporated in North 1 as appropriate. Actual construction will not start until the summer of 2022.

UEP Master Planning

The UEP Master Plan is the responsibility of the Utilities Department and they are working with the engineering firms of AECOM and CDM Smith in the development of the Master Plan. The Master Plan will look at the remaining areas of the City without water and sewer and prioritize need.

Many issues will be considered such as population density, anticipated residential development, commercial development, environmental need, and land acquisition for lift stations when prioritizing need. Additionally, existing utility infrastructure needs to be assessed and, in some cases, upgraded as part of the expansion program. For example, existing pipelines in the southwest and southeast need to have the capacity to transport wastewater from the expanding sewers in the northwest to the existing treatment plants.

The Master Plan is expected to be completed by late 2021. Once complete we will have a better understanding of the anticipated schedule for future utility expansion in the northwest.

Short Term Planning

Pine Island Road west of Chiquita Boulevard is another area of great commercial growth currently without City water and sewer. Utilities in this area will likely be constructed by a developer interested in expanding into the area.

Walmart was planning on building the utilities in this area, but they have since backed out of their project. As a minimum, this area will be an extremely high priority identified in the Master Plan if utilities are not built sooner.

Similar to the Burnt Store Road expansion from Tropicana to Pine Island Road. Florida DOT will be starting the construction of its road-widening project in early 2021.

The City recognizes the need to install utilities here as they currently stop at Embers Parkway. This area too will likely be identified as a priority in the Master plan, and hence the City is installing sleeves underneath the roadways as part of the DOT project to accommodate future utility expansion.

You ask, we search for the answers and deliver!

Long-Delayed Project Moving Forward

Stonewater Project

A project first approved by City Council in 2015, is now gearing up for development with the installation of sewer and water lines to its location at the corner of Tropicana Parkway and Nelson Road. Called “Stonewater”, the development will encompass approximately 200 acres of land that was a former mining site.

Plans include 327 single-family homes, an amenity center, and a future marketplace retail area. Much of the development space is designed for outdoor recreation on three lakes with a majority of homes having lake views. The project was delayed due to the North 2 UEP and the construction of a pump station on the property.

Stonewater is designed by Windham Development Inc., Inc., a Michigan developer with experience successfully building housing developments on sites of former mines, even winning the Michigan Building Association Development of the Year Award in 2002 for a similar reclamation project.

They have built several residential developments in Southwest Florida such as Magnolia Landings in North Ft. Myers and Solterra Resort in Davenport, FL. The developer says the development proposal for Stonewater could look like Coral Lakes or Sandoval community styles.

Is Matlacha Isles the next Millionaires Row?

Matlacha Isles may become the next hotspot for upscale redevelopment according to an article in the Ft. Myers News-Press on Sunday.

The article states that Matthew Sinclair, the owner of Sinclair Homes, hopes to transform it from a sleepy cluster of small homes to a popular place with new modern edifices. Sinclair said Matlacha Isles has all the benefits of a location near Cape Coral without actually being in a city with higher taxes.

“This is three minute Gulf access, and taxes are half the price because it is Lee County. Cape Coral is just seconds away, but it is Lee County (outside of city limits). I knew the whole subdivision is developed, so the only direction is to rebuild. So it will only take off. In 5-10 years it will be all bulldozed.”

Sinclair’s three-story modern home sticks out among the older ranch style homes, but he expects more and more teardowns since this waterfront community is so special. There are about 120 homes in the subdivision which was developed back in the early 60s for vacation and fishing. All the early homes are basically two-bedroom fishing houses.

Sinclair spent two years working on his home and finally moved in with his family in January. He uses his home as a model to show people some unique building styles.

The four-bedroom house has four full bathrooms, spans 4,700 square feet under air, and 7,131 square feet total. Solar electricity is used for the whole house.

Sinclair uses his home as a model. “As is about $2.7 million on your lot,” he said. “If you went to Naples to do this, it would be 5-6 million.”

Note: Matlacha Isles is not in the City, but it is adjacent to the westernmost edge of our boundaries.

Internet Service in Northwest Cape Coral

We recently reached out to Council Member Williams regarding the poor internet service in some areas of Northwest Cape Coral, based on several requests you made.

CM Williams quickly engaged the City of Cape Coral IT Department and we received a thorough response from the IT Director. Rather than paraphrase the response and risk providing you with misinformation, I am including the email as sent

(See Email Exchange Below)

To: president@nwcape.com
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL] - Internet Service in NW Cape Coral

Good afternoon,

Please see the email below from our IT Director:

Both Comcast and CenturyLink base their business decisions on where to expand their residential coverage primarily on improved lot density percentages. The City of Cape Coral has no agreements in place with either vendor and has not given any vendor sole access.

I have attached a .pdf map that shows improved lots in yellow and unimproved lots in pink for Cape Coral. We have also provided lot density comparison for YoY Improved Lot Density figures for the areas just North of Diplomat Parkway. The current message that we have been hearing from the vendors is that the density North of Diplomat Pkwy is not great enough to justify the expenditures. The City's Information Technology department meets at least annually with each of these two vendors to discuss future areas of investment in Cape Coral and we bring resident complaints forward as well. IT has contacted CenturyLink regarding their service at your property and they confirm that due to the long distance between your property and their nearest DSL Terminal that you will experience slower speeds.

IT is in the process of scheduling our annual meeting with Comcast and if we receive positive news about your area I will reach back out and share it with you.

Regards,

Michelle Hoffmann
IT Director
City of Cape Coral
1015 Cultural Park Blvd
Cape Coral, FL 33990
(239) 574-0455
mhoffmann@capecoral.netRick Williams
Councilmember District 6
Cape Coral, FL
239-574-0437
________________________________________
From: president@nwcape.com <president@nwcape.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2020 8:13 PM
To: Richard Williams <rwilliam@capecoral.net>
Cc: 'Amy Salzone' <membership@nwcape.com>; 'David Marazon' <treasurer@nwcape.com>; 'Dennis Winchester' <vicepresident@nwcape.com>; 'Don Freeman' <freemandonaldb@gmail.com>; 'John Bashaw' <president@nwcape.com>; 'John Jacobs' <pastpresident@nwcape.com>; 'John Smart' <drc@nwcape.com>; 'Kevin Black ' <keblack0722@gmail.com>; 'Paul Dworianyn' <paul@awesomedynamic.com>; secretary@nwcape.com <secretary@nwcape.com>; 'Wendy Harpp' <wendy@wendysellsthecape.com>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - Internet Service in NW Cape CoralCaution – This email originated from outside of our organization. Please do not open any attachments or click on any links from unknown sources or unexpected email.
________________________________________CM Williams:
Several NWNA members have reached out to me regarding poor internet service. Many of your constituents are working from home and have been experiencing poor service. Please look into this and let me know if there are any plans to expand Xfinity service north, or to add fiber-optic service to the CenturyLink product. I will relay the information you provide to the membership in both our email blasts and in Social Media.

I plan to kick off a team to work on this issue and it would be helpful to have your support.

Thank you

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

Since the email contact, and a subsequent call from the IT Director, I received another call from the IT Department regarding fiber optic internet service.

I believe your voices have been heard and the possibility of high-speed internet in areas on Northwest Cape Coral where it does not exist today is a possibility, in time.

Trust that the NWNA will continue to respond to your interests.

As such, the NWNA Secretary, Linda Stevens, has agreed to spearhead the project.

John Bashaw
President of the NWNA

New Public Works Chairman

Please Welcome Our New Public Works Committee Chair

Members:

I would like to introduce you to the new Public Works Committee Chair for the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association.

Don Freeman has been an NW Cape Coral resident for over 4 years since moving south from New England. Don is currently a registered Professional Engineer in Florida and in several other states. He has recently retired from full-time employment after over 30 years of working in the water and sewer industry for an international consulting engineering firm.

He has been personally responsible for implementing several multi-million-dollar sewer projects in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Don’s expertise will be invaluable to our association as the Utilities Expansion Projects continue in the Northwest.

Don’s goals for the committee chair are to ensure residents are kept informed of ongoing Public Works projects, to voice legitimate concerns to Pubic Works ensuring we provide early input into planned and ongoing projects, and to ultimately provide a voice in the growth of our neighborhoods as expansion is inevitable.

Thanks. Please join me in welcoming Don to the team. We are building a very strong organization. Just watch all the good things we get done!

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

Tropicana Park Update

During the City Council Meeting on June 1, 2020, the final design plan for Tropicana Neighborhood Park was approved which included locating the Cape Coral Rowing Club in the southeast corner of the park. The final design is the result of ongoing input from the NWNA, Council, park staff, citizens, and the rowing club to ensure the park design meets the Neighborhood Park concept as defined in the GO Bond initiative. The NWNA has been communicating with park staff on a construction timeline and the implementation of a priority use agreement (PUA), which will allow the rowing club to use the park. The Park staff have indicated that a new construction timeline should be finished and posted to the GO Bond website in the next month. They have also indicated the development of a priority use agreement will begin toward the end of the year. The NWNA will continue to be engaged with park staff and Council throughout the development process until completion.

Final Concept Plan

Candidate Forum Priorities & Final Remarks

District - 2 Dan Sheppard

Here are the District 2 Candidates' priorities and closing statements from the City Council Candidate forum on October...

Posted by NWNA on Sunday, October 4, 2020

District 3 - Chris Cammarota

Here is one of the District 3 Candidates' priorities and closing statement from the City Council Candidate forum on...

Posted by NWNA on Sunday, October 4, 2020

District 5 - Louis Navarra

Here is one of the District 5 Candidates' priorities and closing statement from the City Council Candidate forum on...

Posted by NWNA on Sunday, October 4, 2020

District 7 - Jessica Cosden & Derrick Donnell

Here are the District 7 Candidates' priorities and closing statements from the City Council Candidate forum on October...

Posted by NWNA on Sunday, October 4, 2020

Honorary Junior Police Officer

Kayden Kafka was honored by the Cape Coral Police Chief Dave Newlan on Sept 30th.

Another example of how the Cape Coral Police Department is an asset to our city and a group of public servants we should all be proud of.

Click below to watch the ceremony

Pearl Island Reaching Out

Members:

Island Pearl is a new development planned for the Northwest Corner of Burnt Store Road and Pine Island Road. The developer reached out to the NWNA to ask “what businesses would the residents like to see in this new development?” We’re excited about this development and excited the developer wants our input.

Mark your calendars! On November 5, there will be a meet and greet with the developer on the property. Details will follow, but I’d like you all to stop by to meet the developer and tell them what businesses you’d like to see. This will also be a great opportunity to learn all about this wonderful development in our district.

You may also nominate a business you’d like to see by sending an email to me at president@nwcape.com or steve@realamericarealty.com. By the way, I plan to nominate Portillo’s Hot Dogs.

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

UEP Connection Extension

During the June time frame, NWNA identified the potential for delays in meeting the 180 days connections based on the limited number of available plumbing companies supporting the connections efforts.

This concern has come to fruition.

Thankfully, the City Public Works has recognized the delays and has added an additional 60 days to the original 180-day time frame for connections. Below is the Resolution that will be presented to City Council for approval.

Per City Code Chapter 19 Section 2.5 (e), owners of developed properties have 180 days from the date of the Notice of Availability (NOA) to connect to the applicable municipal water and/or sewer systems.

Given the large size of the North 2 UEP (over 3,200 developed properties), the relatively small quantity of plumbing contractors that perform the customer connections, and the various issues facing some property owners as a result of the COVID pandemic, the staff is requesting authorization to extend the 180-day deadline on all phases of North 2 UEP an additional 60 days.

This will allow property owners a total of 240 days from receipt of the NOA to complete their plumbing connections before initiating the code compliance process for non-connection. If approved, staff will inform all applicable property owners of the additional time to complete the plumbing connection requirements.

Resolution 216-20