City Council approves new land use district

Dec 9, 2022 By CHUCK BALLARO 3 min read

During its penultimate regular meeting of 2022 Wednesday, Cape Coral City Council approved the creation of a new land use classification that would create commercial and mixed-use opportunities on a road that has great potential.

The council voted 8-0 to create the Burnt Store Road District future land use classification, known by the acronym BURST.

The Burnt Store Road Corridor and surrounding areas will play a major part in future growth of this part of the city, both commercially and for residential.

Permitted uses for the BURST include retail, office, office/warehouse, light manufacturing, institutional, multi-family residential, single-family residential attached uses (3+ units), larger scale commercial retail and government uses such as parks and public facilities.

New residential uses permitted in the BURST may only be developed within a mixed-use building.

In other business, in a discussion that was set aside during last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting, council discussed the revisions of Chapter 2 and Chapter 19 in the Code of Ordinances regarding fees imposed at time of payment regarding Utility Capital Expansion Fees and water and sewer utilities.

City Council also got an update on recovery from Hurricane Ian. Alvin Henderson, Emergency Management Director, said there has been talk regarding bringing in FEMA trailers for people in need of temporary housing.

Henderson said those FEMA trailers would not be permitted in Special Hazard Zone areas, but said he would like to see those temporary housing units located on people’s property so they can stay local, be able to fix and look after their homes and work with the contractors to get their homes repaired in flood prone areas.

“We’re hoping FEMA might loosen those rules based in past practices we’re aware of,” Henderson said.

The city has asked for reimbursement on several projects, including one Tuesday. The city has not received its first bill yet, but expects one soon.

Terry Schweitzer said as of Wednesday 381,756 cubic yards of construction debris has been picked up, more than 1.4 million cubic yards of vegetation has been collected and in the canals 24,476 cubic yards has been removed.

The city is collecting 120 units per day of debris, down from an average of 180 as there is now less debris to pick up. There are 12 canal crews working and the city is looking to add other crews as the holidays approach.

City Manager Rob Hernandez said there will be an event Friday led by city employees at Keep Lee County Beautiful where they will go into the high-visibility corridors and do litter and debris removal.

Mayor John Gunter warned that time may be running out soon on residents to have their debris removed by the city, and will revert back to the homeowner and business to remove the debris.

“It’s key to make sure that notification is made because we’re 70 days into this process, which I would say we’re halfway through this, and there will come a time when that service will cease,” Gunter said. “They need to take the opportunity that’s there now.”

Hernandez said the city will amp up notification of everyone that the third pass for hurricane debris removal will be the final one, and that if the debris is not hurricane related, they will not pick it up.

To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com