Watch as John Bashaw the president of the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, INC., gives an introduction to the organization and explains our mission within the community.
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Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, put a notice in the city’s quarterly newsletter “On The Move” titled “Outdated Signage in Local Waterways to Be Removed.”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
- 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.”
- Add the state’s definition of Slow Speed Minimum Wake to city ordinance 10-10.
- Notify all canal homeowners and boaters what the legal speed limit is and post this information online.
- Notify all canal homeowners the need to take down all of the illegal “Idle Speed No Wake”signs on their property.
- 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.
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.
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