Here we Grow Again - September Edition

Look what's going on in our city.

Two weeks ago we told you that 571 apartments, in three separate developments, would come online between Nicholas Parkway and Sam's Club on Pine Island Rd. in the next couple of years, if current development plans are followed through on.

Now, there's more coming to our area.  There's a plan, In the preliminary stages, for a 444-unit apartment complex a block east of Chiquita about halfway between Pine Island Rd. and Embers Parkway.  The name of the development is Noble Vines of Cape Coral.  One of the companies involved is Claret Communities, which developed Noble Vines complexes in Georgia over the last several years.

In addition to the apartment complex, there is a preliminary plan for a single-family housing development called Escondido Estates which will be located on a vacant lot on the north side of Embers, just east of the Embers and Chiquita intersection.  That development will consist of 18 single-family homes.

We also told you about the Tire Kingdom coming to Skyline next to Dairy Queen and across the street from Home Depot and the Culvers that's in the middle of construction.

There is now a new plan moving forward for a Wendy's restaurant to go just north of the Tire Store.

A Wendy's in that area has been in and out of the planning process for the last few years.  With things picking up in that area, this time may be the charm.

A developer is in the pre-application process, working with the city over the concept plan of an adult living facility in the same area.  AMY Adult Living Facility would also be located in the area south of Pine Island Rd., between Palm City Nursery and the strip mall to the west.  The facility would accommodate between 58 and 62 residents.

New District 6 Council Member

Members:

I am excited to share the good news with you on the new District 6 Council Member. Council Member Long was appointed last night at the Council Meeting on the first round of voting. 

You will find Council Member Long to have vision, passion, and a solid grasp of the issues before our great city. He comes to the position armed with all the tools needed to keep us on the right track.

The NWNA will support him, advise him, and work with him and all of the Council Members to continue to make this city an amazing place to live. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Long.

Thanks
John Bashaw
(920) 449-2000

Cape Coral City Council appointed Keith Long to fulfill the District 6 vacancy at tonight's City Council meeting. He will fulfill the remainder of the term, which expires in 2022. Congratulations Councilmember!

Update on Crystal Lake Boardwalk - Trading House Trail

Hello Members:

Here is a 5 minute video update on the boardwalk at Crystal Lake Park. Please watch the video below to see how this project is progressing.

John Bashaw, President
(920) 449-2000https://conta.cc/3mQEkZ4

Unlicensed Contractors in our City!

Hello Members:

We wanted to pass on this link to keep you all informed about this important subject.

Our city is being flooded with unlicensed contractors causing dangerous and possible serious risks to you and your property.

An unlicensed contractor's possible lack of education, possible criminal background, possible lack of insurance, or lack of qualifications can result in an extensive financial loss to the property owner and financial liability.

To verify if a contractor is properly licensed and insured contact the City of Cape Coral Licensing Division at (239) 574-0430.

John Bashaw, President
(920) 449-2000WINK News Report - Unlicensed Contractors

September is Membership Drive Month!

Hi Members:
I just wanted to remind you all that the month of September is our Membership Drive Month!

Let your voices be heard, be part of the solutions, keep up with the changes and watch the NW Cape grow!

A Lifetime Membership is still only $15.00 per family!

This year we are going to give away free NWNA T-shirts to anyone that joins in the month of September (limit two per family), and the person that referred them will also get a free T-shirt.

The t-shirts were made available through the generosity of NWNA member Sam Yaffey - Realtor

So, if you know anyone that would like to join, has been thinking about joining us or is new to the NW Cape, please ask them to please go to our website and select the Membership Tab tab to join us.

Tell them to include the T-shirt size/s they want and to give us the name of the member that referred them in the Comments section of the application.

Stay Healthy!

Linda Stevens
Secretary for the NWNA
secretary@nwcape.com

City Council to select a new District 6 Council Member

NWNA Members: On Wednesday, September 1, 2021, the Cape Coral City Council will select a new District 6 Representative to serve in the seat vacated with the resignation of Mr. Williams.  Based on the City Charter, Council has 30 days to select a candidate's replacement or a special election must be held. Fourteen candidates applied for the position inside the filing deadline of August 27, 2021. This chosen candidate will serve the remainder of Mr. Williams' term, until November of 2022, when the next general election is scheduled.   Council Members and the Mayor have been interviewing the candidates in preparation for their vote on Wednesday. I encourage you to review the candidates' credentials and familiarize yourself with the candidates by clicking the link below.

Agenda for Upcoming Meeting

I am excited so many qualified candidates surfaced for this important position and I want to thank all of the candidates who stepped up and are willing to serve our city. You may view the City Council Meeting live here on Wednesday. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. and the vote is scheduled toward the end of the meeting. John Bashaw, President (920) 449-2000

City of Cape Coral Changes URL

Hi Members Effective August 25, the City of Cape Coral's website address (URL) will change from a .net to a .gov address. The old address of www.capecoral.net will now be a new government address: www.capecoral.gov. The .gov website addresses are among the most secure and protected and are reserved almost exclusively for local, state, and federal government entities. A significant benefit of switching to .gov is the addition of increased security features. "A common trick used online to obtain information is to impersonate a legitimate website," cautions Michelle Hoffmann, ITS Director for the City of Cape Coral, "however, a .gov makes it nearly impossible to do so." Starting today, individuals who have the City's current website address saved as a "favorite" or "bookmark" on their desktop computers and mobile devices are encouraged to update their preferences and settings to reflect the change. City staff email addresses will also reflect the URL name change from @capecoral.net to @capecoral.gov. Residents and organizations should update their contact lists to reflect this change. After the switchover, individuals who visit the .net website will automatically be redirected to the new web address. Email messages addressed to an old address will also automatically be forwarded to the recipient's new one for a period of time. Linda Stevens Secretary for the NWNA Linda.Stevens@nwcape.com

City of Cape Coral Board Vacancies

Members:

I encourage you to apply for one of the board positions listed below. You can make a difference! These boards are influential and impactful in City government operations. I can tell you from my own experience that participating is rewarding and it can impact the decisions the City Council makes. Please call me if you would like to discuss your participation. I would enjoy talking with you about it.  

John Bashaw
920-449-2000

The City of Cape Coral is looking for volunteers to fill vacant board and committee positions. To see a full list of current vacancies, click below.

Click Here to see Board Vacancies

Press Release by the City of Cape Coral to Fill District 6 Temporary Vacancy

City of Cape Coral Applications Being Accepted

Members:

Effective 8/17/2021, the City of Cape Coral will begin accepting applications to fill the vacancy in District 6. Please see the Press Release below.

Anyone residing in District 6 may apply. If you have questions about the position or its importance, don't hesitate to reach out.

John Bashaw,

President of the NWNA

City of Cape Coral District Map

City of Cape Coral

1015 Cultural Park Boulevard

Cape Coral, FL 33990

Date: August 16, 2021

The deadline to receive applications is Friday, August 27, at 4:30 p.m.

For application requirements or more information, please visit the City Elections Information below.

Maureen Buice

Interim Communications Manager

City of Cape Coral

City Elections Information

High Speed Internet Service in Cape Coral

Call to Action

Members: As you all know we sent in our Broadband Survey results to the City of Cape Coral showing the extremely poor internet service we have in all areas of Northwest. We have been following this project very closely, based on several requests you've made to us over the last couple of years, The City of Cape Coral is currently considering budget expenses for fiscal 2022 and deciding how much of the budget to specifically dedicate to the broadband needs of the residents. We need to make sure they keep the Broadband needs of the NWCape residents as high on their list as possible! To make sure that happens, we need to act now! We need them to understand how important high-speed internet is to the residents especially in the NW Cape where most of us do not have a choice and have to endure extremely poor service if any, at times. We need to have as many residents as possible speak during the 60 minutes of the Citizens Input portion of the meeting. To take no action is not an option, so the NWNA is asking you to: ·     Send in an email to the City Council and Mayor explaining to them how important it is to provide the necessary funds to ensure improvements can and will be made to give all residents access to high-speed internet. ·     Show that you support this initiative by wearing your NWNA t-shirt or any green one and showing up at the next City Council meeting on August 18th in the council chambers. ·     Speak at the next City Council Meeting and share your current issues with them. Citizens Input is usually at the very beginning of the meeting right after they take the roll call. Each person is allowed 3 minutes. See you In Council Chambers on August 18th, @ 4:30 PM! Thank You in Advance! Linda Stevens, Secretary

District 6 Cape Coral Council Member Resigns

Members:

Please see the message below from the City of Cape Coral regarding the resignation of the District 6 Council Member. The boundaries of the NWNA and District 6 are aligned, so this announcement is very important.

On Monday, August 16, Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the next step. I encourage you to watch the broadcast or attend the meeting.

John Bashaw

(920) 449-2000

Cape Coral City Council Member Rick Williams is stepping down. Mr. Williams submitted a letter of resignation to the city on August 12, 2021, which takes effect immediately.

"My most cherished contribution has been serving our future leaders, by initiating and working with the Youth Council," his statement read.

Williams plans to take this time to focus on his health and well-being. 

"I want to thank Rick for his contributions and service to the City and the Cape Coral residents," said Mayor John Gunter. "On behalf of the City Council, we wish him well." 

Rick Williams is a retired 26-year U.S. Navy veteran. He was elected in November 2013 and re-elected in 2017. His term was set to expire in 2022. 

Median Beautification Collaboration

Neighborhood Groups to Adopt Medians.

Members,
We thought you would all like to see this article printed in the Cape Coral Breeze on July 29th.

John Bashaw, President

Beautification Project

A topic that has gained quite a bit of traction in the city has been how to handle the aesthetic improvement of roadway medians.

A pair of Cape Coral neighborhood associations in the southwest and northwest areas are joining forces to help promote the expansion and beautification of city medians through the Adopt-A-Median program.

The Southwest Cape Coral Action Committee (SWCCAC) and the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association (NWNA) have combined efforts to participate in the Adopt a Median Program by establishing a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, Friends of the Cape Coral Environment, Inc., for the program. Don Apking, director of the beautification committee with the SWCCAC, said the pact, and the sway it creates with their membership, is a way to get things going in regards to median beautification. "The Northwest is basically blank now and needs upgrading and the Southwest is a finish-off area that was started years ago," Apking said. John Bashaw, president of the NWNA, said their organization has always looked for ways to partner with the SWCCAC. "There's strength in numbers, so if we could find a viable project we can partner with them on, we could really be effective in making a change in the city," Bashaw said. The Adopt-A-Median program was started by the city to expand median improvements beyond the $1 million per year in the city budget. It relies on donations from residents and local businesses to fund the improvements on the boulevards and parkways that are not in the city budget. The city manager, city council, and Mayor John Gunter have expressed support for the program. Councilmember Dan Sheppard has been a vocal proponent of the AAM program, providing support to the neighborhood associations to help move the AAM projects through the necessary approvals required by the city, as well as sharing his expertise on plant selection. Apking said the major benefits of improved medians are an increase in the value of the surrounding real estate, as well as the civic pride that comes from working together on something that benefits the entire community. "By working together with our two organizations, we have 2,000 members between the two of us, it gives us some push and we've already gotten a lot of interest from businesses to donate to this," Apking said. Bashaw said Cape Coral Environment Inc. would do much more than just work on beautification of medians or on areas in the Northwest Cape, but the whole city in general. All donations are tax-deductible, and signs will be installed to recognize individuals, families, or businesses who become major donors. Contributions for AAM projects must be made out to "Friends of the Cape Coral Environment, Inc." and mailed to PO Box 53, Cape Coral, FL 33993.

Here We Grow Again - August Edition

Look at what is going on around the NW Cape this month!

We've been following the progress of an affordable housing project coming in the form of 96 apartments along the western edge of the Sam's Club property and east of the mobile home park next to Danny Yates. There will be three buildings of three stories each and will run in a straight line from north to south on the property. That project, by Civitas, is well on its way through the permitting process and should be breaking ground soon.

Affordable Housing Project

Now, there is a plan in the early stages for a totally separate apartment complex that will be going up to the east of the Civitas development. Known as The Club of Cape Coral, the complex will sit behind Culvers and the Med Express on the western edge of Sam's parking lot and will feature195 apartments.

The Club Location

When you combine these two projects with the 280 apartments of the Palms at Cape Coral, currently going up next to the Fox Studios, there will be 571 residential units in about a mile-long area popping up in a short period of time. It's a big plus for a city trying to provide for a growing population.

Below are some renderings of what The Club may look like

The ClubAnother view of The Club

In case you forgot or haven't been reading the signs along Burnt Store Rd., that groundbreaking activity you see on the south side of the 7/11 on Tropicana is for the Hideaway Storage Facility. It will provide about 74,000 sq. ft. of storage.

Hideaway Storage

Rescheduled Congressional Water Roundtable Notice

For Immediate Release
August 4, 2021Contact: Harrison Fields
(202) 225-2536

Congressman Donalds Announces Re-Scheduled Congressional Water Roundtable

CAPE CORAL, FL - Today, Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) released the following statement announcing the re-scheduled Congressional Water Roundtable.

The Congressional Water Roundtable serves as an opportunity for the constituents of Florida's 19th Congressional District to share their concerns, hear from regional leaders and stakeholders, and discuss ways the federal government can allocate resources to preserve Southwest Florida's water quality. For more information, please visit my website.

"Ensuring the long-term health of Southwest Florida's waterways is my number one priority as the Congressman for Florida's 19th Congressional District. I am looking forward to collaborating with these prominent experts to explore ways the federal government can partner with local leaders to combat harmful algal blooms and preserve our water for generations to come."

WHEN:
August 10, 2021
6:00 PMWHERE:
Cape Coral City Council Chambers
1015 Cultural Park Blvd
Cape Coral, FL 33990WHO:
U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Andrew Kelly
Director of Southwest Florida Water Management District Chauncey Goss
U.S. Department of Interior, Dir. of Office of Everglades Restoration Initiatives Adam Gelber

NWNA President's Message

Members:

Watch the president of the NWNA talk about membership growth, how he addressed our NW Cape concerns with Senator Rubio's staff, and more.....

Development Projects Moving Forward

The Phase 2 plan for the Luxury RV Park at Tranquility Lake was just submitted to the city for review.   

Phase 2 consists of 52.12 acres and includes 358 motor coach sites. Combined with the 144 sites in Phase 1, there will be a total of 502 sites. Phase I covers 36.26 acres. Overall, amenities include a welcome center with a gatehouse, a restroom/laundry area, dog park, common space, private streets, dock, swimming pool, and tennis courts. It all starts with the rework of Durden Parkway, at the developer's expense, for safe entry/exit. 

The RV Park will be operated by Equity Lifestyle Properties Inc., a leading owner, and operator of manufactured home communities, RV resorts, and campgrounds. Equity Lifestyle manages 434 properties throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Projects under review

Distrubution Center Concept Plan

Last month, we noted the Walmart Supercenter is back on the radar for SW Pine Island Road across from Bubba's along Saddlebrook Rd. The plan is under review by the city. Now, to the west of the Walmart site is a preliminary plan for some sort of distribution warehouse going up. Known as "Project Lake Union", it's hard to pinpoint which company is involved, so we won't speculate. Any distribution center will bring a lot of jobs to Cape Coral and that's something to look forward to. We'll keep you posted as information becomes available.

The proposed distribution center on SW Pine Island Rd. is 181, 500 sq ft

Cyanotoxins in Air Study (CAST): Assessing Health Effects

Members:

One of our NWNA members is participating in this important study and invites all members to consider joining this study to help get a better understanding of the toxic effects green algae has on our health.

Thank You

John Bashaw, President

Cyanotoxins Study Information Flyer

More of Cape Coral's Economic Development Vision

July Here we Grow...
There is so much going on in and around Cape Coral that it's getting hard to keep track of all the players but here's a recap of what we've found over the last few weeks just in our general vicinity.Mello MushroomMello Mushroom

A preliminary plan has been submitted for a Mellow Mushroom restaurant on Pine Island Rd. on the east side of Gator Mike's Family Fun Park. If it sounds familiar, there's a Mellow Mushroom next to the Whole Foods store on Daniels Parkway and a number of them throughout the U.S. Each Mellow Mushroom is unique in its design and décor and frequently captures unique aspects of the local area.

Home for the Masons: The north side of Ceitus Terrace will soon see the construction of a new Cape Coral Masonic Lodge. The building will be about 4,900 sq ft. and will be located across the street behind the SW Pine Island Rd. Aldi.  

We last told you that the Luxury RV Park on Durden Parkway will be getting shovels back in the dirt for a Phase I project that will bring 144 RV lots. But in looking through the plans and stock shareholder reports, we found that the ultimate number of lots is projected to be 500 after all three phases of development there are complete. That's a lot of visitors who are going to demand venues for shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. The RV Park will certainly be a catalyst for developing those venues in our area.

Commercial Concept Plan

On about 20 acres of land at the southwest corner of Kismet and Old Burnt Store Rd., there's a land use/zoning change request to move the land to multi-family residential with a commercial node.

Pictured here is an example of what could go on the corner of Kismet and Old Burnt Store Rd. Yellow buildings would be commercial in this concept.

We've fielded some questions on what's being built across from Danny Yates Landscaping on the south side of Pine Island Rd. As we reported back in September 2020, it's a free-standing Emergency Medical facility 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.

An HCA facility similar to the facility going up on Pine Island Rd.Palms Development

Also, questions arose about the cleared land next to the Fox Studios on Pine Island Rd. That will be The Palms at Cape Coral which will consist of 280 apartments.

Things are going "swimmingly" on Skyline. On the east side of Skyline at Trafalger, there's a preliminary plan for a swimming pool complex covering 92 acres.

It will feature an 8 lane pool, a 3 lane pool, and room for a third pool in the future. There will be two buildings for offices, changing stations, showers, and pool equipment.

Swimming PoolCulvers Fast FoodSkyline is hopping.
We long ago told you about the Culvers being built in front of Home Depot on Skyline.

Now, across the street from Culvers, on the east side of Skyline, a Tire Kingdom is on it's way. 

Tire KingdomFarm Stores

Also on the east side of Skyline, across from O'Reilly's Auto Supply, a proposal exists for a Farm Stores drive-thru store, a unique franchise that's been around since 1957.

Drive thru and pick up order

Our own DRC Chairman, John Smart Updating Us

July Here we Grow...
There is so much going on in and around Cape Coral that it's getting hard to keep track of all the players but here's a recap of what we've found over the last few weeks just in our general vicinity.

A preliminary plan has been submitted for a Mellow Mushroom restaurant on Pine Island Rd. on the east side of Gator Mike's Family Fun Park. If it sounds familiar, there's a Mellow Mushroom next to the Whole Foods store on Daniels Parkway and a number of them throughout the U.S. Each Mellow Mushroom is unique in its design and décor and frequently captures unique aspects of the local area.

NW Cape Development Projects 2021

Luxury RV Resort Update

Members,

As we told you a few months ago, the new owners submitted a revised site plan based on the one that had been in place since 2018. This new plan is very similar to the original plan. It's important to recognize the resort will remain a Luxury RV Resort. Here's what we know: •       The property was sold to MHC LLC in Oct. 2020. •       It will now be known as The Resort at Tranquility Lake. •       It will be operated by Equity LifeStyle Properties Inc.

Lots are smaller than the original plan. The new plan does not include the cabin-like structures next to each lot. There will be no sales of lots, only daily, weekly and monthly rentals. Construction begins on Phase I soon.

Phase I consists of 36.26 acres for 144 motor coach sites, an amenity center, a welcome center with a gatehouse, a restroom/laundry area, a dog park, a common space, and private streets.

It will run along Durden Parkway and down Burnt Store Road to about the middle of the lake. It includes a rework of Durden Parkway at the developer's expense to improve the entrance/exit.

The property will be surrounded by a 9ft berm and landscaping with 1,345 canopy and palm trees. There will be 85 trees and 841 shrubs planted along Durden Parkway and 54 trees and 527 shrubs will be planted along Burnt Store Rd.Phase II and III will occur at a later date. You can expect additional updates as we receive information on this project.