The South Cape Downtown Community Redevelopment Plan, last amended in 2019, underwent a lengthy discussion during an agency special workshop Thursday.

City staff took the Cape Coral City Council, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency governing board, through the 120-page document section by section, as some had some new verbiage, or updates needed.

City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, who also is the CRA’s executive director, said once they finish up on the plan, it will then go to the city and scheduled before local planning agency staff. There is 60 days to complete the review by the LPA with recommendations sent back to the commissioners. If approved, it will go before City Council at a public hearing.

“We have somewhat of a process. It’s not something we can conclude in 30 days. Maybe November,” he said.

The CRA commissioners will continue the discussion regarding the short-term and mid-to long-term capital projects during its Wednesday, March 27 meeting, at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers.

Council acting both council members and CRA commissioners was also discussed. Tom Hayden asked if the language in the enabling legislation that authorized council members to act in both roles should be strengthened to make it more difficult for future councils to divest themselves of the CRA roles as the next city council could say does not want the dual responsibility assumed by this council when it eliminated the CRA board it had appointed and took over its duties.

“It will keep future councils from causing a disruption,” he said.

It could be done as long as there are not limitations, or state law – causing it to change to a super majority.

One of the sections discussed Thursday dealt with flood elevation and the need for flood-proofing. With the majority of the buildings in the CRA district built prior to FEMA base flood evaluation requirements, new buildings must be “flood-proofed to the minimum base flood elevation, which frequently is above the street elevation.”

Ilczyszyn said they have engaged with the city’s lobbyist to contact the Water Management District boards and look at state statutes regarding flood proofing. He said they wanted to put language in the document letting any developers know it is an active issue that is trying to be resolved.

“We are basically developing lot line to lot line. You walk up to a set of stairs then to get into the commercial establishment you have to be at a baseline plus one,” he said.

Branding was another topic of discussion for parking lots with additional colors and logos.

“Branding is part of our strategic plan in the South Cape,” Ilczyszyn said, adding that they can have signs created, installed and maintained. “This is something if and when you all are ready. It is something we can do.”

Cape Coral Parkway was an item that received a good amount of discussion.

Ilczyszyn said there has been back and forth with some previous directors that the parkway should function like Southeast 47th Terrace and have restricted slowdown traffic, while others believed that on street parking should be moved to secondary streets.

With the construction of the new Cape Coral Bridge, there is a plan to create six lanes on Cape Coral Parkway with pedestrian walkways at signalized intersections, midblock with lights and walkways over to keep traffic flowing.

“That battle and balance is constantly turned back and forth,” Ilczyszyn said.

Commissioner Robert Welsh asked if they would be able to have time slots of when people could not park westbound, or at nighttime.

“There likely is an opportunity to take the secondary streets by restriping them, remove the Cape Coral Parkway parking and replace with angular parking on side streets that can probably add to the parking total. I know once the bridge project is done, one of the key things the county is focused on is Cape Coral Parkway and Del Prado to have three lanes move freely through that,” Ilczyszyn said.

He said they have explored the time frames once before and the logistics was tow trucks because if individuals were not out of a parking spot by a certain time they were being towed away.

Many commissioners spoke in favor of eliminating parking spots on Cape Coral Parkway, as there would be enough confusion once the bridge project begins.

“I think anything we can do to expedite making it six lanes is the right thing to do and not wait for the bridge,” Commissioner Richard Carr said.

There was also discussion regarding a connection of the Rubican Canal to Bimini Basin. Ilczyszyn said an idea that has merit is similar to the Luminary Hotel in Fort Myers, He said they could do a similar project that would make it look connected, instead of having a navigable connection.

Shade was another topic, which not only included trees, but awnings or arcade shade that would overreach and provide a shade structure to get out of elements.

Ilczyszyn said when you envision out 50 to 100 years, when taller buildings with architecture design start becoming the attraction, you have to use verticality to provide shade, or structure.

Welsh said the awnings instead of the trees would be fine, as it would provide a unique downtown feel with more character.