STATE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD - Calusa...
Transcript of STATE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD - Calusa...
STATE OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD 'Our Welfare and Future'
March 17, 2016
Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association,
Inc.
Formed in 2004 to
• Advocate for sensible public policies and development activities.
• Strive to improve our property values & enhance our quality
of life
Agenda
• NWNA News and Updates – Denis Catalano
• Dredging - John Karcher
• Bike Lanes - John Karcher
• NW Spreader Ceitus Barrier - John Karcher
• Road Paving - John Bashaw
• Burnt Store Road Widening - John Bashaw
• Modular Homes - John Bashaw
• LCEC / City Issue - Ken Weiss
• UEP & Buried Utilities - John Smart
• Seven Islands - John Smart
• Resort at Tranquility Lake - Doug Kidd
• New Shoreline / Marine Initiatives - Doug Kidd
• Questions
NWNA News & Updates
• Financial Report = $10,386.69
• Number of Members = 942
• Committee Volunteers = 51
• Board Members =17
• Communication Updates:
68 Bulletins & 4 Newsletters during 2015
19 Bulletins to date 2016
NWNA Participation with external groups
• Public Safety Advisory Committee
- Denis Catalano
• Cape Coral City Parks Steering
Committee – Sharolyn Hunter
• Residential Design Standard
Committee – Doug Kidd
• Pedestrian and Bicycle lanes
Advisory Committee – John Karcher
NEWS from surrounding Neighborhoods
• At Surfside – Trader Joes Grocery
store & an expanded Starbucks
• In Sam’s Club parking lot – A Bank, an
Urgent Care, & a Buffalo Wild Wings
• Tarpon Point Convention Center
construction starting this summer
• ~450 residential building permits pulled
this year in Cape Coral.
Dredging
Bike Lanes
NW Spreader Ceitus Barrier
Presented by: John Karcher
Dredging
• Our objective:
Keep our Northwest waterways
open to navigation.
The NWNA has been instrumental in
making this a reality.
Dredging - The NW Spreader has been
dredged from Rosemary Bridge south
• The spoils piles have been removed, and the
grounds in the north part of the Sirenia Vista park
area have been graded.
Gator Slough looking North from OBSR.
The Dredging is done. The spoils piles are in the
process of being removed.
In unit 60, Gator Dredging was working the AJO
canal on the southern side of NW 11th Terrace,
moving towards the east side of NW 42 Pl, clearing
the channel into Wazee Lake and the spreader.
This dredging is now complete.
Bike Lanes
The Florida Board of Tourism reports the
number one question asked is:
What Cities in Florida are Bike friendly?
Our Immediate Goal …
Mirror the existing bike lanes that are in place from Tropicana to Gulf Stream.
Adding the same from Gulf Stream north on OBSR to Kismet.
A NWNA Plan has been submitted to the City and is being reviewed.
Old Burnt Store RD is on the plan in 2016 to be paved.
Paving will be done from Yucatan, North to Kismet a
Perfect time to act on adding bike lanes!
OBSR from Tropicana N. to Yucatan ,will be
paved when the UEP 2 has been completed.
Cape Coral Kick Off Meeting
• On 2-24, I attended the Kick Off meeting of the Cape Coral
Advisory Committee, beginning the development of the Master Plan for Pedestrian and Bicycle lanes.
• Attending were members from:
Florida Department of Transportation
Lee County Department of Transportation
Lee County Health Department
Cape Coral Police Department
Cape Coral Staff Department heads for, paving, bike lanes and parks
3 members of the Cape Coral Bike Ped Organization
7 consultants who work with cities around Florida on these projects
The NWNA now has a seat on this committee
On April 20th there will be a meeting to include
the public’s input in the planning.
NW Spreader Ceitus Barrier
• March 17, 1977. Cape Coral developer Gulf American Land
Corporation’s (GAC) bankruptcy was finalized. (The builders
of Cape Coral i.e. the Rosen brothers)
• A provision of the bankruptcy was:
Consent Order No. 15 between the State of Florida
Department of Environmental Regulation, and GAC to
provide for the construction of a freshwater retention
system consisting of a "perimeter spreader waterway" to
serve as a storm water "distribution system for intercepting
and releasing discharges of water" into Matlacha pass.
Therefore, a boatlift had to be installed to navigate
the system.
Ceitus barrier/Boat lift - a bit of history…
Cape Coral’s North Spreader Waterway Boat Lift
The barrier was completed in 1984.
• The lift was blown out by a breach to the west.
• The Ceitus structure was then removed in July 2008.
North Spreader Canal Ecosystem Management
Agreement Process
• Twenty Stakeholders were accredited to the North
Spreader EMA. The Stakeholder Group meetings
beginning in July 2008 through May 2010.
• Simply put 12 members of the stakeholders group, did
not agree to the, NET ECOSYSTEM BENEFIT that the
city agreed to do and insisted on putting the barrier
back in.
• Today it is still in the courts. Most recently a closed
door, non-binding arbitration session took place, that
failed to produce a settlement on Jan 20th 2016.
• NWNA & the City are in agreement that the barrier
should NOT be replaced.
Road Paving
Burnt Store Widening
Modular Homes
Presented by: John Bashaw
Road Paving
• What is the Issue?
– Thirty miles of roads in NW Cape Coral were in
need of paving/resurfacing. But thanks to NWNA’s
attention to this issue, 11 miles have been paved
last year. 19 miles to Go!
Road Paving (Continued)
• What is the NWNA Doing on the Issue?
– Transportation Advisory Commission Meeting
– Met with city staff to lobby for completion of “our” 30 miles of
resurfacing
– Worked with city staff to finalize the Local and Major road
resurfacing plans
• What Results Do We Expect and When?
– NWNA will continue to work with the city until completion.
– Schedule and Map can be found at:
– www.capecoral.net/
5_Year_Local_Road_Resurfacing_Plan_1_15_15.pdf
Burnt Store Road Widening
What is the Issue?
North phase of the widening is underway
Three phases in the project
Future phase, the four lane roads will become a
Super Street
What are the Members’ Concerns?
Berms are not included in the design to
attenuate noise
Right-of-Way is too close to residences
Burnt Store Road Widening (Continued)
Construction
North phase runs from
Diplomat to Van Buren
with a Northern
transition to Kismet
and a Southern
Transition to NW 9th
Terrace.
Burnt Store Road Widening (continued)
• Future Phases
– Central segment from Tropicana Pkwy
to Diplomat Pkwy, 16/17 - $4.8 million
construction estimate
• 50% TRIP Grant
– South segment from Pine Island Road
to Tropicana Pkwy, 18/19 - $8.7 million
construction estimate
Burnt Store Widening (Continued)
What does the four lane design look like?
Burnt Store Widening (Continued)
What is the NWNA Doing on the Issue? Right-of-Way Committee participation
NWNA has been vocal on the issue for over 10 years
City Manager has requested a berm cost analysis
What Results Do We Expect and When? Will be the “watchdog”
Your voice at city hall and in planning meetings
Additional information is available on-line •http://www.burntstorewidening.com
Modular Homes
• What is the Issue?
– Modular Homes are being built by Gold Key
Homes of America in Cape Coral.
– Residents have voiced their concerns about the
homes.
• What are the Members’ Concerns?
– Property values may be impacted.
– Do these homes meet code?
– Not what we expected in Cape Coral!
Modular Homes (Continued)
• What is the NWNA doing on the Issue?
– Voice of the members at City Hall
– Builder has agreed to improve the appearance
and design
– City has Formed a Residential Architectural
Standards Stakeholder Committee
• Committee of citizen/professionals to advise city staff,
Mayor and Council
• May lead to Cape Coral residential design standards
Modular Homes (Continued)
• What Results Do We Expect and When?
– Residential Architectural Standards Committee
Kickoff Meeting was on March 15.
• Doug Kidd (NWNA Member is on the Committee)
– Builder has committed to making changes on most
new homes built.
– Focus continues that we do not think this style
home is acceptable in Cape Coral.
– We are in direct contact with the city staff.
LCEC/City Issues
Presented by: Ken Weiss
LCEC/City
Your Electric Bill and Comparison of a
Rural Electric Cooperative vs Municipal Electric
Utility
• Electric Charges on a sliding scale based on KWh
used, AND;
• Presently, you pay the City of Cape Coral 7%
“Public Service Tax” (PST), and a City of Cape
Coral 3% “Franchise Fee” along with a State
“Gross Receipts Tax”.
LCEC and You
• LCEC is a Not for Profit Rural Electric Cooperative,
owned by its members/customers.
• Margins are put back into the infrastructure and
allocated to its members.
• Conversely, A Municipal Electric Utility is owned and
governed by the Municipality (Cape Coral City
Council).
• The Citizens fund this municipality.
Expiration of the Current LCEC Franchise:
(What is on the table.)
OFFICIALLY:
“The City is looking at it’s options and doing its due diligence”
in deciding how to address the expiration of the current LCEC
franchise.
CITY NEGOTIATIONS WITH LCEC: Other Items on the Agenda
– CITY Looking for NEW REVENUE ?
“There is no free lunch.” – An increase in the “franchise fee”
(eyed by city officials) will be passed on to YOU and added to
your electric bill. (Basically a disguised tax increase.) Same
with other proposals by city officials such as a City directed
“Capital Improvement Fund” for solar, green energy, or hugely
expensive underground electric transmission lines.
LCEC/City (Continued)
LCEC is Presently owned by the
Customers it serves YOU
LCEC/City (Continued)
• Changing to a Municipal (City) owned
electric utility is a potentially costly
endeavor with many unknowns:
Rates
Operating Costs
Liability
Risk from Major Storms
LCEC/City (Continued)
• The whole decision making process
to date (Review of the LCEC
Franchise) has been conducted
behind closed doors.
• NWNA will continue to follow this
issue
UEP
Buried Utilities
Seven Islands
Presented by: John Smart
North 2 UEP NWNA Areas
North 2 UEP Timeline for 2016
• April/May: Contractor prequalification
• June/July: Bidding
• August: Initial assessment resolution
• September: Final assessment resolution
• September: Approve construction contracts
• September: Start construction
• Construction Time: 18 months
North 2 UEP
• Road reconstruction and pavement.
• Old Burnt Store Road gets two lane widening
with bike lanes.
• No vibratory equipment being used.
• Those on Matlacha water will be switched
over to Cape Coral. Will not have to pay
water assessment, but will pay waste and
irrigation assessments.
North 2 UEP Approximate Costs
• Plumber’s connection: $1200-1500
• Septic Abandonment Permit: $75
• Water meter purchase/install: $310
• Utility Account Deposit: $100
$1,685 to $1,985 for hookup costs
• SW 6 & 7 Assessment: $16,752
Matlacha water users save approximately
$3,000.
Future UEP in NWNA Areas
Tentative Schedule
North 3: 2019-2021
North 5: 2023-2025
North 7: 2027-2029
Buried Utilities – City Gauging Interest
• City exploring possibilities, benefits and acceptance.
• North 2 UEP area west of Burnt Store Rd.
• Bury electric, cables, add fiber optics.
• Take advantage of road opening for UEP.
• Provide LED street lighting.
• Aesthetically pleasing – raise home values.
• Protected in storms but power source still vulnerable.
Buried Utilities The “Look”
Buried Utilities Costs Per Parcel
Approx. Service connection totals
For homes with overhead service now:
$6,124 + $2,500 = $8,624
For homes with underground service now:
$6,124 + $500 = $6,624
No existing service: $6,124
Buried Utilities Next Steps
• Measure Council interest.
• Measure Property owner interests by sending notices
to home and land owners to vote whether they want
it or they do not want it.
• Must have 50% + 1 person voting in favor of buried
utilities to proceed.
• Parcel Count: Developed 767 – Undeveloped 1,140
Total parcels: 1907
Seven Islands
• The city exhibited 5 concepts at a February Town Hall.
• These concepts will be presented to the City Council at an April 6th Committee of the Whole Meeting in Council Chambers at 4:30 pm. There is a public comment period.
• At the Town Hall, some spoke out against development but the NWNA believes development is inevitable based on the city’s purchase of the land, hiring of an engineering firm and its strategic planning for economic development.
• The NWNA conducted a detailed survey of members’ opinions on development last year, well before the City of Cape Coral began its own public process.
Seven Islands
Questionnaire input - 61% of membership
Like to See • Parks 70% • Waterfront Dining 66.5% • Single Family Homes 59.8%
Not Like to See
• Fast Food 87.6%
• Multi-Family (3 stories or higher) 84.9%
• Hotel or Condo (over 3 stories) 83.5%
Top 3 Concerns
Automobile Traffic - Crime - Noise Pollution
Seven Islands
• The results were published, shared with city officials and presented to membership. Several presentations have been given to membership on the topic.
• The majority of our members have stated they don’t want high rises on the islands and this has been communicated to city officials as well as reflected in interaction with TV and print media.
• The charrettes had a mix of input from residents of all areas of Cape Coral. There were two concepts that resulted from public input – Plan A and Plan B.
Seven Islands – Concept A
Seven Islands – Concept B
Seven Islands Charrettes
• The most popular concept at the charrettes was B due to its theme of low intensity development, creation of lagoons and organic flow provides public areas that maintain a connection to the surrounding environment
• Concepts C, D and E build off the themes of B but overwhelm it with expanded marinas, tall buildings and density.
• Density brings increased traffic which is a major concern of our members.
• With increased boating centered at the south end of the NW Spreader, a look at waterways and rerouting of boat traffic would have to occur to counteract negative impacts in Matlacha.
Seven Islands Charrettes
• The charrettes gives B legitimacy as a product of public input. However, building height was capped at 4 stories while height was extended to 6 at the Town Hall.
• We believe the theme of concept B takes us in the right direction but are wary of any attempts to increase building height.
• We want development on the Seven Islands to celebrate what the NW has to offer not overshadow it.
• We believe the Seven Islands is the stick by which future development in the NW Cape will be measured. We need “smart growth” that emphasizes the character that makes this area so special. We will continue to work with the city to accomplish this.
Seven Islands – Concept C
Seven Islands – Concept D
Seven Islands – Concept E
Resort at Tranquility Lake
A Vision – Shoreline & Marine
Initiatives
Presented by: Doug Kidd
Resort at Tranquility Lake
• 188 acre upscale RV resort
• 265 motor coach sites
Resort at Tranquility Lake
• NWNA has worked closely with the city & developer
• City approval Oct 5, 2015
• Final design & permitting underway
• On-site sales coming soon
• Construction start: Early 2nd half of 2016
Shoreline & Marine Initiatives
A. Tidal Creek Restoration
• 5060 Acres west of the NSC
• Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
• Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program Workshop
• FGCU / Everglades Wetland Research Park Study
B. NW Cape Shoreline & Pier
• 19 Acres Owned by the City of Cape Coral
• Accessible Pathways
Tidal Creek
Restoration Area 5,060 Acres West of
North Spreader Canal
TWO
PINES
CREEKS
FISH
HOUSE
CREEKS
BIG DEAD
KEY CREEKS
BUZZARD
BAY
CREEKS
SHORELINE
AREA
SOUTH
PASS
CREEK
MID-PASS
CREEK
NORTH
PASS
CREEK
CHARLOTTE
HARBOR
CREEK
SIRENIA
VISTA
PARK PINE ISLAND
CHARLOTTE
HARBOR
Tidal Creek Restoration …Partnering with Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
North Spreader Canal Tidal Creek Restoration …. Achieving a Net Ecosystem Benefit
• Redirection of Current Tidal Flow & Upland Drainage
- More Closely Mimic Historic Distribution
• Protect Matlacha Pass
- Enhance Fisheries Habitats
- Reduce Exotic Vegetation
- Reduce Invasive Species
• Net Reduction of:
- Erosion
- Breaching
- Mangrove Destruction
CHNEP Workshop
FGCU / EWRP Study
Tidal Creek Restoration …. Our Partners
NW Cape Shoreline
… making the City’s hidden gem accessible to all
Cape Coral’s
19 Acre & 0.4 Mile
Shoreline on
Charlotte Harbor
City R/W
State
Property
State
Property
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
Old Burnt Store Rd
NW 47th Ave
Charlotte Blvd
0.6 MILE
DRY ROUTE
0.3 MILE
WET ROUTE
0.8 MILE
BEACH
WALK
19 ACRE NW
CAPE SHORELINE
PROPERTY
WET FOOT / DRY FOOT
SHORELINE
ROUTE MAP
Charlotte Harbor
Preserve State Park
Ch
arl
ott
e
Blv
d
NW 36th Ter
Caloosa Pkwy
NW Cape Shoreline & Pier
Boardwalk & Trails
… the possibilities
QUESTIONS??