Islands need to incorporate or they will lose their identity
To the editor:
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Cape Coral council meeting concerning the vote on the voluntary annexation property. However, I too, felt it was a done deal. Why? Cape Coral could not care less about Matlacha and Pine Island. The Cape’s council sits for them, not us. They are not concerned about lifestyle, aesthetics, traffic, etc. of our community.
The city sees only development, which equals tax revenues. If acres of pristine open land has to go, so be it. That parcel borders our community. The development of this piece will change the entire presentation of our area forever. I don’t think the City of Cape Coral cares. Maybe not even Lee County. Did our protectorate strenuously object to the annexation?
Time to incorporate Matlacha and Pine Island. Do it now or we will slowly be eaten up by other “voluntary annexations” and development approvals. Take a look at leepa.org.
Not to mention the parcels owned by Cape Coral, look at the parcels that now border the city of Cape Coral boundaries. I am not a real estate expert. However, I am thinking that some of those owners can volunteer to be annexed by the Cape and just so happens there is a development plan in the wings for that piece.
Look at the history of constant pressure by outside entities trying to push their agendas in our community. Radar towers, housing developments, commercialization of open land, zoning variances. We should be controlling our destiny here, not by the Cape Council or even the County Commissioners, who have far larger areas of constituents than tiny little Pine Island.
There was a feasibility study performed for greater Pine Island incorporation. We need to dust it off, update it and seriously consider bring it up for a referendum vote for Pine Island citizens to take control of their community.
Art Arway
St. James City