Redfish Pointe project hits bump

Mar 27, 2025 By CJ HADDAD 6 min read

A polarizing proposed development in Cape Coral that is seeking a land use change from the city may have hit a wall.

In a draft recommendation from the city regarding a change from natural/preservation to mixed-use where the proposed Redfish Pointe Development would be located, city staff is recommending denial of the amendment request.

The conclusion of the draft states: “…the applicant is requesting that 110-acres, consisting primarily of wetlands and surrounded by land designated as parkland, preservation land, and single-family residential, be amended to mixed-Use. The history of this site fails to show that the applicant had development rights to mixed-use development, or that a reasonable investment- backed expectation for mixed-use development exists. Development of the site, which presently lacks infrastructure, as a Mixed-Use development would result in impacts that intrude upon a well-established residential neighborhood, subject a hitherto undeveloped area to the impacts of storm surge and sea level rise, and have negative impacts on nearby wetlands and listed vulnerable species habitat. Staff recommends Denial of the proposed amendment request.”

The staff recommendation as drafted is part of the process, not a final determination, city officials emphasized, adding it is not appropriate for staff to comment at this time.

“It’s indeterminate what else will be needed. Drafting a staff recommendation is an involved process, and this document is just that — a draft. Also, staff does not generally comment on topics before they’re presented to City Council,” the city’s Communications Office said in response to a Breeze email.

The property owner’s consultant also stressed that the draft staff recommendation is part of the process.

A statement provided to The Breeze from the property owners provided by Joe Mazurkiewicz of BJM Consulting states: “The property owners and our group of professionals remain committed to working with city staff to ensure accurate information is at the forefront of discussions regarding our land use amendment proposal.

“While we acknowledge the city staff’s initial recommendation, we believe there are important clarifications to be made, and we are confident that our experts and consultants can address any concerns with well-supported data and industry expertise.

“Our team has worked alongside the city for many years, and we look forward to finding solutions that balance responsible growth with the needs of the community.”

Redfish Pointe, which sits just east of Tarpon Point totaling 350 acres, has more than 4,500 linear frontage along the Caloosahatchee River. The “Redfish Pointe Mixed Use Preserve District,” Future Land Use text amendment, was submitted to the city. The 110.21 acres for development improvement plans features a 90.37-acre mixed use site to include 800 multifamily units, resort hotel, restaurants, retail shops, office space, and parking garage.

According to the staff recommendation draft, the applicant (Zemel Trust) is requesting that 110 acres, consisting primarily of wetlands and surrounded by land designated as parkland, preservation land, and single-family residential, be amended to mixed-use.

A portion of the city draft states, “Presently, no public or private infrastructure exists within the property, and roadways would need to be extended several hundred feet (at a minimum) to access the developable portion of the site. One roadway access extending from existing right-of-way would require traffic accessing the site to utilize a local road through an existing residential neighborhood. A proposed access, from the north, would avoid most impacts to existing residential development, but would involve crossing through City-owned land (requiring City approval) and thousands of linear feet of wetlands to access the developable portion of the site. Utilities would need to be extended to the property, though they are present adjacent to the site.”

Protect Our Wetlands, a ground-roots organization made up of local residents, has conducted multiple protests of the development where organizers presented their case as to why they say the Redfish Pointe development south of Rotary Park would deplete wetlands and destroy a natural buffer against storms.

Of the draft recommendation, Paul Bonasia, a leading member of Protect Our Wetlands Cape Coral said: “We’ve been patiently waiting for these results, and are very pleased that the city planners have validated a lot of our concerns about the benefits of the wetlands and its ability to suppress storm surge and decrease flooding.

“These are recommendations from qualified people who were hired by the city to do this. I hope these are the facts they listen to when they have the planning and zoning meeting.”

Annette Barbaccia of Miloff Aubuchon Realty Group, has represented the owners since 2017 when they first approached her with the idea they wanted to sell. The property has been owned by the current landowners since the 1950s, and at that time, the family did have development rights until the ’90s when the city rezoned it to preservation.

Barbaccia said there has been a lot of “misinformation” spread. She said environmental consultants were brought in to examine the property, and identified a section in the middle of the 350-acre site that contained many exotics and could be developed. She points out only one-third of the property will be marked for development, while the remainder will be preserved.

“The family took it to heart and hired a range of professionals and environmental consultants… they really got a number of people involved to help them understand the property,” Barbaccia said in a March 4 interview with The Breeze, adding there is nothing in the proposal that will see the removal of mangroves.

A future developer would have to obtain approvals from the DEP and Army Corps of Engineers for any design and development of the property, as well as conduct other studies when it comes to flood impacts.

A portion of the city’s draft recommendation states, “Development of this area, particularly the roadway, could negatively impact the protections offered by the substantial wetlands in this area as well as place commercial and residential development proposed for this area in harm’s way.

“This greater likelihood of dangers to development such as flooding coupled with the large amount of wetlands located on-site, both within the amendment area and also that which is owned by the applicant (but not subject to the amendment), would indicate that the current Natural Resources/Preservation future land use map classification that was placed on this property in 1989 was appropriate then and continues to be appropriate today.”

Regarding the city’s conservation and coastal management element, the draft recommendation states, “The placement of a mixed-use development in an isolated upland pocket surrounded by wetlands is wholly incompatible with the protection and conservation of nearby wetlands.”

The topic does not appear on the April 2 Planning and Zoning agenda.

The next Planning and Zoning meeting after that is May 7.

To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com