Northwest Spreader Waterway Exit

Burnt Store Road Town Hall Meeting

NWNA Members:

The City of Cape Coral is hosting a town hall meeting on the Land Use and Zoning for Burnt Store Road. This is an opportunity to hear the plans-to-date for a major commercial corridor in Cape Coral and for you to provide input. This meeting will also include some updates from the NWNA on other happenings in the Northwest. This meeting is open to the public and is a great next step in the development of Northwest Cape Coral. I hope to see you there.  

John Bashaw
(920) 449-2000

Town Hall Meeting

The Northwest Regional Library
519 Chiquita Blvd.
Cape Coral, Florida
Saturday, July 30th
At: 10:00 am

Join us for this informational meeting to discuss the future plans for the last commercial corridor in our great city!

New Development in Cape Coral, Fl - June 2022

Here We Grow Again!

Say goodbye to the open storage facility next to Mcdonald's at Coral Shores and say hello to a sprawling apartment complex.  "The Springs at Coral Shores" is a proposed 17-acre development consisting of ten multi-story apartment buildings (304 units total), an amenity center/clubhouse, pool, three garage accessory structures, and open yard areas, and a lake. Primary access to the development is proposed on Ceitus Parkway and Pine Island Road and each entry will feature an automatic key-coded gate.

The Springs at Coral Shores

If "The Springs at Coral Shores" sounds familiar, that's because there are "The Springs" apartment complexes all over the nation and many in south Florida.  There's "The Springs" in Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, Six Mile Cypress, and Estero. It's a national brand of residential communities owned and managed by Continental Properties Group.  All complexes are about the same size with a similar appearance. Continental starts and completes several of these complexes every year nationally so chances are good that there will be follow-through on this plan.

The Springs at Cape Coral above and The Springs at Six Mile Cypress below

The Springs at Six Mile Cypress

If you follow the local news, you'll know that Matlacha and Pine Island raised concerns about the voluntary annexation to Cape Coral of two sets of property on the south side of Pine Island Rd.  One on the east side and one on the west side.  Because it was a voluntary annexation by landowners, there appear to be no legal grounds to challenge the annexation. 

For residents in the Northwest Cape, this proposed project could be one of those iconic developments that define an area.  At a minimum it will bring badly needed housing and retail to our area, not to mention a hotel to accommodate tourists.

The Pine Island Civic Association received a copy of the developer's initial concept plan for the west portion of land from Lee County and posted it on their website. 

Here's what we know about the proposed development, as it enters the initial review process.

• A four-story residential building with 520 units and room to park 875 cars
• A five-story hotel with 150 rooms and parking for 150 vehicles
• A 16,000 clubhouse/pool, a fitness area
• 58,000 square feet of commercial space in one story
• 30,000 square feet of office space in a two-story building
• A park and a children's play area

If you have trouble reading the notes on the plan, there will be offices, commercial, and a hotel along the west side of Veterans Pkwy, a park on the lake in the middle, a kids area, a pool and sauna on the southwest side and apartments around the western lake and along Pine Island Rd.

There is a plan in the early stages for the land between the Cape Coral Boat Ramp on Burnt Store Rd. and the Blue Water Vista Development.  Whitestone Development is planning an Airbnb Resort for the property.  It would consist of a resort building for lodging, a food shack, a pool, and boat slips with a fueling station.  It would also have commercial retail and a coffee shop fronting Burnt Store Rd.  Whitestone Builders has been busy in the local area building rental homes for investors. 

7 Islands Update - June 2022

Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village

It's been over 3 months since the City Council received a presentation on February 23^rd from Forest Development, the city's first choice developer for the Seven Islands project.

The mixed-use project, now known as the "Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village," will include a hotel, restaurants, and commercial and residential units, all in line with the city's concept plan which restricts construction to 995 residential units with a maximum building height of 8 stories.  

All's quiet on the information front, but we do know the city's timeline in their February presentation put the purchase contract agreement timeframe as June/July 2022.

Council liked what they heard from the developer in February but wanted commercial and hotel construction to be in the first stage of development along with some residential.  Lawrence Zabik, project manager for Forest Development, said they would make adjustments to accommodate Council.

We are including, below, a timeline chart that was presented by Forest on February 23^rd.  It will give you an idea of how this project could play out over the next 10 years, but keep in mind that this is an initial timeline and, as in many projects, things could change.  So, keep flexibility in mind as you review.  

Since the timeline puts marina design and plans first, it would be interesting to see if hotel and commercial aspects either surround or lay next to the marina.  Plans would run along the lines of Nautilus 220, Forest's project in Lake Park, FL though restrictions on building height here would apply.  Roads and infrastructure could start as soon as late 2023. 

Despite references to their Nautilus project, Mr. Zabik said, in his presentation, that Gulf Gateway will have its own identity.

• Forest will work with Cape Coral to implement the D-1 Legacy Development Plan
• Burnt Store Corridor is the city's opportunity for a legacy destination resort
• Gateway to a waterfront lifestyle with full access to the area's waterways
• Smart, environmentally responsible development
• Plan will add over 2,500 new residents, increase visitors and tourism to Cape Coral
• Plan will be complimentary to existing neighborhood development

So, for now, we're waiting for the agreement to get hashed out and then, soon after, we should be able to get our first glimpse of what's coming to the Seven Islands but we're not quite there yet. 

In the meantime, repeat until it sinks in:

Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village

Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village

Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village…

View from above of Forest Development's Nautilus 220 in Lake Park, FL

Cape Coral Capital Improvement Projects Update

On May 25, 2022 the City Council was given an update on all major Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) and Public Works projects currently ongoing in the City.  Attached is that presentation. 

This presentation touches on the project status of the Utilities Expansion Project; Parks Go Bond; Police, Fire and Fleet training and Maintenance Facilities; Road, Trail and Sidewalk programs; water quality projects, utility projects, and several other miscellaneous projects. We thought this was a thorough, albeit brief, update and worth sharing. The presentation is also available on the City's website.

CIP Project Status

Gopher Tortoise Monitoring/Maintenance Help

NWNA Members:

The Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife (CCFW), Members are seeking volunteers to assist with Gopher Tortoise Monitoring and Maintenance. 

To sign-up, click the link below (or cut and paste it into your browser) and provide the information requested: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/904496814071/false#/invitation

I plan to sign up. It's a great opportunity to do something positive for our community and for wildlife.  

Thank you
John Bashaw
(920) 449-2000

If you have any issues with the sign-up, please contact Tammy at TCarterCCFW@gmail.com.

If you have questions about the Gopher Tortoise Monitoring/Maintenance please contact Cheryl Anderson: at azlebird@aol.com or Greg Borchardt: at stinkrats@gmail.com.  

Thank you

Register Here!

What is the speed limit on Cape Coral's canals?

Local Resident Tom Dawson's - Letter to the Editor of the Breeze

On March 18, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission announced the state has "passed the mark of one million registered recreational vessels across the state" and here in Lee County, at the end of 2021, there were 50,304 registered recreational vessels.

This increase in boats and boaters along with the increase in new residents on the Gulf-access canals in Cape Coral is creating a lot of tension over what the speed limit is for boats on those canals. As any boater knows the canals are filled with signs that say "Idle Speed No Wake." If there are these signs, it must be true?

Even our city council believed it should be true, so back in 2020 they added an ordinance to Chapter 10 of the Land, Waterway Use Restrictions. In Section 10-10 (b) it says: "The following areas are hereby designated as idle speed zones: (1) Any area which has been duly designated as a manatee sanctuary area or posted as an idle speed zone."

Unfortunately, our city council members and the city attorney at the time either misunderstood or never bothered to read the applicable State of Florida codes governing Manatee Protection Zones. In Florida Administrative Code 68C-22.005 (d) 5. It clearly states; "Slow Speed (All Year) …. including the residential canals of Cape Coral."

Further reading of the Florida codes says that a municipality can petition the state for a different speed limit under certain conditions in Manatee Protect Zones. The conditions don't include blanket speed limits for the entire Gulf access canal system. However, the state would approve a request for an idle speed zone within 300 feet of either a boat launch area or fuel dock.

In the spring of 2020, the city of Cape Coral, under pressure from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, put a notice in the city's quarterly newsletter "On The Move" titled "Outdated Signage in Local Waterways to Be Removed." You can read the notice yourself; it can be found on the city's website on the Community Newsletter page. Some key passages include:

"State law prohibits the placement of any signage in the waters of the state without a state permit." Meaning all signs, private and city posted, that say, "Idle Speed No Wake" must come down. The city also admitted that, "The City's tidal waterways are manatee speed zones and are marked appropriately with "Slow Speed/Minimum Wake" signage at the entrance to our canals from the river." The Gulf access canals are "tidal waterways" and as anyone who lives on them knows manatees forage for food in those canals.

There is a legal definition for "Slow Speed/Minimum Wake" - unfortunately many boaters and canal residents are not familiar with it. The state in F.A.C. Rule 68C-22.002 (4) defines it as follows:

"Slow speed requires that a vessel be fully off plane and completely settled into the water. The vessel must then proceed at a speed which is reasonable and prudent under the prevailing circumstances so as to avoid the creation of an excessive wake or other hazardous condition which endangers or is likely to endanger other vessels or other persons using the waterway. Due to the different speeds at which vessels of different sizes and configurations may travel while in compliance, there is no specific numeric speed assigned to Slow Speed."

The city has a Waterway Advisory Board and in my remarks to the board last September, I advised that information and education were keys to addressing many of our boating related problems. The State of Florida only mandates basic boater education classes for those people born on or after Jan. 1, 1988. We know the bulk of our new residents don't meet the requirement so they get a boat and hit the waters without learning the rules.

A city employee told the Waterway Advisor Board it can do nothing to remove the illegal speed limit signs in the canals that private residents have on their property. Beyond the article mentioned previously, the city has not taken any substantive measures to inform canal residents and boaters the current rules and regulations. Even the current "Canal Owner's Manual" which was written in 2009 doesn't address any boating rules and regulations.

The following are some of the recommendations made to the city's Waterway Advisory Board

1. Repeal city ordinance 10-10 (b) and harmonize the city regulation with one that mirrors F.A.C. 68C-22.005 (d) 5. "Slow Speed (All Year) - including the residential canals of Cape Coral."
2. Add the state's definition of Slow Speed Minimum Wake to city ordinance 10-10.
3. Notify all canal homeowners and boaters what the legal speed limit is and post this information online.
4. Notify all canal homeowners the need to take down all of the illegal "Idle Speed No Wake"signs on their property.
5. Obtain a permission from the state to establish "Idle Speed No Wake Zones"at boat ramps and gas docks.

Finally, for all boaters new and old in Cape Coral learn all the boating rules and regulations by taking an approved Boating Safety Course and earning your State of Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card. This course covers all of the Federal, and State regulations along with boating basics that Florida boaters need to know. A listing of approved course providers is available at myfwc.com.

Tom Dawson

Cape Coral

Median Beautification in Cape Coral is a Priority!

NWNA Members:

Beautifying Cape Coral is a priority for the NWNA because you made it so.  One effort underway that is already making an impact on the beauty of our city is the Adopt-a-Median program.  The first median in this new program is completed.  Funded by generous donations from Arnold Roberts Signature Homes, Inc., and Experience Real Estate Group, LLC, the median is located just east of Sirenia Vista Park on Ceitus Parkway.  The project was led by the Cape Coral Friends of the Environment, our 501 (c)(3) sister organization.

The City of Cape Coral is also a partner in the program and was instrumental in making it happen.  Check it out (see photo).  It's a shining example of what we can do when we all work together toward a common goal.  A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held shortly, and I will let you know the details when it is announced.  I would love to see you there.

Michael Ilczyszyn at the new landscaped median.

The median on Ceitus was funded by the two aforementioned businesses and it sets a high bar on what we can make the bare medians look like.  Additional medians will take additional funding and donations, so I come to the purpose for this message.

On May 21, 2022,  a fundraiser will be held at the Yacht Club from 6-9 pm for the purpose of raising additional funds for the program.  It will also raise awareness.  If you would like to participate in the fundraiser, admission is $25 per seat for 7 rounds of Bingo with prizes.  Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided (or BYOB).  We expect attendance to be around 300 people, so it's a great opportunity to meet others who are interested in making our city an even more beautiful place to live.  In addition to the bingo games, raffle tickets will available for purchase with chances for door prizes, basket raffles, and special raffles for larger prizes such as kayaks and iPad Air.  As of today, over 80 businesses have donated to the event.

Please consider attending. Details are included in the flyer below.  For tickets contact Tricia White at paw@gttsp.com.  The event is expected to sell out so it is unlikely that tickets will be available at the door.

John Bashaw
(920) 449-2000

Watering Schedule Changes in Cape Coral

NWNA Members:

Effective midnight on Monday, May 2, 2022, we are restricted to a one-day watering schedule.  Please see the communication from the City of Cape Coral regarding the schedule.

Cape Coral Communication and Watering Schedule

Clean-the-Cape was a huge success!

The NWNA Clean the Cape Event held on Saturday, April 9th, 2022, was a huge success thanks to a lot of dedicated people who worked very hard to make it happen.  Keeping our section of the Cape clean is paramount to the quality of life expected by the local residents and wildlife living in this beautiful area of Florida!

City Council Member Keith Long with daughter, Todd Hoagland, Code Compliance Manager with John Bashaw NWNA President.Sometimes you gotta bring out the big guns, right?Everyone is pitching in to help!

Did someone say pizza?

Check out the video of us after the clean-up at the pizza party!

Thanks for coming out today to help out!

Embers Lake Apartment Complex - Spring 2022

Developer Reynolds Asset Management

Embers Lake Apartment Complex to break ground in Cape Coral Spring 2022

84 acres on the north side of Embers Pkwy and west side of Nelson Rd.

Name: Embers Lakes  

84 acres on the north side of Embers Pkwy and the west side of Nelson Rd.

Anticipated Construction Start:  Spring, 2022
Anticipated Lease-up Start: December 2023
Phase 1:  690 Units - Phase 2:  647 Units
Amenity rich luxury apartments

Long anticipated project will have huge impact on Cape Coral

We've written about this project for several years because its impact on Cape Coral will be huge.  Located on the north side of Embers Parkway just west of Nelson Rd., it has been on and off over the years, even though approved by City Council some time ago.  But, it is now at the point that the Ft. Myers News-Press and Cape Coral Breeze are reporting this 1,337 unit luxury apartment complex will break ground in the Spring of 2022 with expected completion in December 2023.   

The 84-acre property has been acquired by Reynolds Asset Management of New Jersey, a multi-million dollar real estate investment and development firm specializing in multi-family projects.

The development will have many amenities such as clubhouse, pool, fitness center, private workspace, a resident lounge, a dog recreation area, children play areas and 76 electric vehicle charging stations. 

According to the News Press article, CEO Lou Reynolds said the company couldn't be more excited to develop this community in the Sunshine State. "This project will be transformative to not only those who will call it home but the rapidly growing Cape Coral community as a whole."

He went on to say that Cape Coral's continued growth and unavailability of apartment housing currently offered were important factors as well as continued investment in the city by local government.

Name:  Embers Lakes

Anticipated Construction Start:  Spring, 2022

Anticipated Lease-up Start: December 2023

Phase 1:  690 Units

Phase 2:  647 Units

Below are some of the depictions by Reynolds Asset Management of what the complex will look like.

Looking out onto the lake from the pool deck.

Pool and Clubhouse closeup.

Closeup of building and lake.

Lake 1 looking east.

Video depiction by Reynolds Asset Management

a multi-million dollar real estate investment and development firm specializing in multi-family projects

http://www.reynoldsasset.com

It's Almost Time to Clean-The-Cape!

Can't Wait to See You All!

Clean the Cape
Saturday, April 9,2022 8:30-11:30 am
Tropicana Park - 4101 Tropicana Pkwy W, Cape Coral, FL 33993

If you haven't done so already, please use the signup link below to register.  Note that registration helps us with estimates. Registration is not mandatory in order to participate.

Keep Lee County Beautiful Registration Link

Meet at Tropicana Park at 8:30 a.m.to get t-shirts (while supplies last), bags, safety supplies, and answers to any questions regarding the event.   PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES, A LIMITED SUPPLY OF WATER TO FILL THEM WILL BE AVAILABLE. YOU WILL WANT TO WEAR HATS, CLOSED-TOE SHOES, AND SUNSCREEN. YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO BRING CHAIRS FOR THE PIZZA PARTY. Trash collected in bags will be brought back to Tropicana Park for disposal in the Waste Pro dumpster. DO NOT BRING BULK ITEMS TO TROPICANA.  Bulk items should be brought to the Bulk Waste Center at 1200 Kismet Parkway; (however, the bulk drop-off site entrance is off NW 14th Avenue, at the western portion of the complex).   We will collect trash throughout the morning and reconvene at 11:30 AM for a pizza party and conversation. This is a great opportunity to help your community or to receive those needed service hours! But in case you are wondering why this is important, take a look at this graphic????

Here We Grow March 2022

Commercial Development looking strong for SW Pine Island Rd in 2022

For years, people living near Burnt Store Rd. area have been clamoring for a bank in the local area.  A preliminary plan has recently been submitted for a branch of the Achieva Credit Union to go on a piece of property they've owned since 2015 at the Coral Shores Shopping Center.  That location is just west of the 7/11 and faces Pine Island Rd. 

We've received questions about what is being built on the southeast corner of Chiquita and Pine Island Rd.  As we reported many months ago, that will be a Daybreak Market convenience store with gas pumps.  It will be to the west of the North Cape Postal Service Center being built on the west side of Bob Evans Restaurant.

The Chiquita/Pine Island Rd. intersection is a hot commodity these days.  A preliminary plan has been submitted to the city for a new Goodwill store to be built on the north side of Pine Island Rd., just west of Aldi. 

We reported in the past that an ABC Liquor Store with some small retail shops would be coming to the northeast corner of Chiquita and Pine Island Rd., just west of the planned Goodwill.  The liquor store is currently in permitting.

On the northwest corner of Chiquita and Pine Island Rd., preliminary plans are afoot to build a Wawa convenience store with gas pumps.  That piece of land has seen many concepts come and go over the years, but Wawa is a known entity which leads us to believe this time the plan will stick. 

Clean-The-Cape Event Day - It's Almost Time!!

It's Almost Time!!

Clean the Cape

Saturday, April 9,2022 8:30-11:30 am

Tropicana Park - 4101 Tropicana Pkwy W, Cape Coral, FL 33993

Please use the signup link below to register so we can get an estimate of participation.  

Keep Lee County Beautiful Registration Link

The NWNA is partnering with Waste Pro, Keep Lee County Beautiful, and the City of Cape Coral to make our city beautiful. We will meet at Tropicana Park at 8:30 a.m. on April 9 to hand out t-shirts, bags, safety supplies, and answer any questions participants may have.  PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES, A LIMITED SUPPLY OF WATER TO FILL THEM WILL BE AVAILABLE. YOU WILL WANT TO WEAR CLOSED-TOE SHOES AND SUNSCREEN AND MAY ALSO WANT TO BRING CHAIRS FOR THE PIZZA PARTY. We will collect trash throughout the morning.  Trash collected in bags will be brought back to Tropicana Park for disposal in the Waste Pro dumpster. Bulk items should be brought to the Bulk Waste Center at 1200 Kismet Parkway; (however, the bulk-drop off site entrance is off NW 14th Avenue, at the western portion of the complex). We will reconvene at 11:30 AM for a pizza party and conversation. This is a great opportunity to help your community or to receive those needed service hours! But in case you are wondering why this is important, take a look at this graphic????

Cape Coral Wildlife Trust Event

NWNA Members: This week I represented our association at the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust's ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony marked the acquisition of two parcels of land at 1118 NW 13th TER. The two lots at this address are two of the fifty-seven lots acquired by the CCWT for the purpose of providing a safe haven for threatened or other wildlife species in Cape Coral. The CCWT is acquiring these lots to augment the city and county's conservation initiatives.  Their funding sources for this important initiative include donations, grants, and events. The lots added to the CCWT bank during the event today were donated by Dona Zeuli and George Baliotis.   The Cape Coral Wildlife Trust's sister organization is the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, an organization you may be familiar with. Together, these two organizations are doing great things for our city and for the wildlife affected by growth. As President of the NWNA, I am committed to partnering with these organizations and will support their important work. If you are interested in joining the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife or making a donation to the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, please check out these two websites. https://ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ https://capecoralwildlifetrust.org/ NWNA President John Bashaw

Area Map

Florida SUN Trail Project - Phase 1 Making Progress

Florida SUN Trail

The Florida SUN (Shared-Use Nonmotorized) Trail is a statewide system of paved trail corridors for bicyclists and pedestrians.

What will the Cape Coral SUN Trail look like?

The project will create a pedestrian and bicyclist connector between Del Prado Blvd. and the Burnt Store Trail. It will run along Kismet Parkway, then south on El Dorado and west on Van Buren to Burnt Store Rd. The trail will be 12 feet wide with at least two feet of the clear zone on either side. The trail will fall entirely within the City-owned Right of Way.  

SUN Trail is a statewide system of paved trail corridors for bicyclists and pedestrians. In 2017, the City of Cape Coral received a $1.8 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to design a new bicyclist and pedestrian pathway.

Project Timeline

Construction Phase I: Work Started on May 17, 2021; Anticipated Completion - Winter 2022

Runs from Van Buren Parkway at Burnt Store to El Dorado, then up to Kismet and east to Nelson Rd.   Phase I is 3.5 miles of trail. As of March 2022, construction has made it to the intersection of NW 11^th Court and Kismet.

Construction Phase II: Anticipated Start in 2025. Phase II is 3.0 miles and will run further east along Kismet from Nelson Rd. to Del Prado Blvd. 

Construction also includes new storm drains, repaved driveways and sidewalks, and installing sewer and water sleeves for future utilities.

Flood Insurance Update

NWNA Members:

Please see the Flood Insurance update from Council Member Gloria Tate. 

John Bashaw
(920) 449-2000

Here is the latest update on our work on flood insurance premiums. I hope you find the information helpful. When reaching out to your Congressman and Senators please share this information.

Thank you

Council Member Tate 

The Flood Insurance Pricing Transparency Act would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to publish the formulas it uses under Risk Rating 2.0. Press release follows. We do not yet have a bill number for this. 

Cassidy, Gillibrand Introduce Bipartisan Flood Insurance Pricing Transparency Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today introduced the Flood Insurance Pricing Transparency Act. Cassidy's bill requires Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to publish the formulas used to calculate mitigation credits for policyholders under Risk Rating 2.0. It also requires FEMA to release a toolkit that could be used to estimate the cost of insurance for new construction, without compromising proprietary information. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) is a cosponsor of the legislation. FEMA is continuing its plans to allow Risk Rating 2.0 to go into full effect on April 1, 2022, despite the widespread uncertainty as to how it will impact homeowners. "FEMA continues leaving Louisianans and five million Americans in the dark about rising premiums and changes to NFIP," said Dr. Cassidy. "Our bill requires FEMA to provide clear information to policyholders to help lower premiums and reduce flood risk." "Thousands of New Yorkers rely on the National Flood Insurance Program to protect their property when a flood occurs," said Senator Gillibrand. "This bipartisan bill would ensure that the flood insurance rating process is significantly more transparent, which would in turn help policyholders lower their premiums and flood risk." "With FEMA set to institute new National Flood Insurance Program premium rates on April 1 under its Risk Rating 2.0 program, NAHB commends Sens. Bill Cassidy and Kirsten Gillibrand for introducing bipartisan legislation to provide transparency to this process," said Jerry Konter, Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders. "By allowing homeowners to determine how FEMA sets premium rates for insured properties based on their location, elevation and other factors, this bill will enable consumers to estimate in advance any changes in their premium rates. It also provides property owners the ability to assess if and how much their insurance rates might decline if they take actions to reduce their homes' risk of flooding." "Nationally, stakeholders agree that greater transparency and continued public education are crucial to the equitable implementation of Risk Rating 2.0," said Michael Hecht of the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance. "RR 2.0 premiums are generated based on complicated calculations, combining numerous geographic factors and property factors. Active and prospective policyholders, alongside builders, bankers, real estate professionals, and local officials alike will all benefit from a tool that clearly illustrates the weight of each factor. Ultimately, this calculator will empower users to better understand their flood risk and grasp the new rating system, while encouraging NFIP participation and even adoption of mitigation measures." "The bipartisan Flood Insurance Pricing Transparency Act would provide greater clarity on the long-term impacts of FEMA's new Risk Rating 2.0 system under the National Flood Insurance Program and provide our residents with greater transparency into their premiums," said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. "We thank Senators Cassidy and Gillibrand for introducing this legislation and call on Congress to swiftly pass the bill." "The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) thanks Senators Cassidy and Gillibrand for their leadership on flood issues and for their introduction of this important bill. As Risk Rating 2.0 has been implemented, it has become clear that independent insurance agents need more information about how the new methodology uses its rating factors to calculate NFIP premiums, especially when they involve mitigation credits. Agents have requested such transparency on behalf of themselves and their policyholders, who deserve to understand how their data is being used to calculate premiums and whether mitigation efforts could change those premiums," said Jon Gentile of PIA, Vice President, Government Relations. "PIA is also pleased that the legislation would require FEMA to create a tool that could be used to estimate the cost of an NFIP policy without compromising proprietary information. Such a tool would not allow unlicensed members of the public to produce quotes, but it would be helpful to agents for policyholders to be able to see for themselves how their rates will change. This tool would enhance public understanding of Risk Rating 2.0 and is a common-sense way of addressing our transparency concerns. We again thank the senators for introducing this legislation, and we will encourage its passage." The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides flood insurance for over five million policyholders, including roughly 500,000 in Louisiana, and provides over $1.3 trillion in coverage. Last month, FEMA publicly acknowledged the existence of an internal study finding that the implementation of Risk Rating 2.0 to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) could cause 20% of policyholders to drop out of the program due to skyrocketing premiums. This followed a Cassidy letter to FEMA demanding a delay in Risk Rating 2.0. Amanda Wood Senior Federal Advocacy Director Becker & Poliakoff 1275 K Street, N.W. Suite 850 Washington,  DC 20005 (202)506-4848   Awood@beckerlawyers.com www.beckerlawyers.com Follow Becker on... (please be aware that my email address has changed - gtate@capecoral.gov) Gloria Raso Tate Cape Coral City Council District 1

North Cape Postal Service Center - USPS

John Smart the DRC Chairman for the NWNA, explains the details of this construction project for us. What a pleasure it will be to visit the new post office right in our own neighborhood, to drop off packages, pick up mail or packages and supplies.  Another addition to a fast-growing community!

The Palms at Cape Coral - Project Update

NWNA DRC Chairman John Smart, is updating us from behind the Palms construction site on Pine Island Rd.

NWNA Spring Clean-the-Cape Event 2022

Are You Getting Excited?

Join us as we work together with city officials to clean and beautify our neighborhoods.

 Saturday, April 9,2022 8:30-11:30 am

Tropicana Park - 4101 Tropicana Pkwy W, Cape Coral, FL 33993

The NWNA is partnering with Waste Pro, Keep Lee County Beautiful, and the City of Cape Coral to make our city beautiful. We will meet at Tropicana Park at 8:30 a.m. on April 9 to hand out t-shirts, bags, safety supplies, and answer any questions participants may have.  We will collect trash throughout the morning and reconvene at 11:30 AM for a pizza party, small prizes, and conversation. This is a great opportunity to help your community or to receive those needed service hours! Please send an email to Environment@nwcape.com letting us know you plan to participate so we can get an accurate estimate for T-shirts and Pizza. Include: ·     YOUR NAME and CONTACT INFO (phone or email). ·     Names of your team participants and T-shirt sizes - note that a limited number of T-shirts will be provided by KLCB (sizes S-XL), distributed on a First Come, First Served. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES, A LIMITED SUPPLY OF WATER TO FILL THEM WILL BE AVAILABLE. YOU WILL WANT TO WEAR CLOSED-TOE SHOES AND SUNSCREEN AND MAY ALSO WANT TO BRING CHAIRS FOR THE PIZZA PARTY. But in case you are wondering why this is important, take a look at this graphic????