CAPE CORAL, Fla. — City staff recommended denying a zoning change that could be the future sight of a shopping and hotel development.
Hear what the report says below:
The hundreds of acres of wetlands in Southwest Cape Coral are some of the few left in the city.
It’s surrounded by Rotary Park and homes, but a real estate group says it has big plans for the site if the City Council will approve re-zoning it.
The group wants to turn the 100-acre site into multi-family homes, a resort-style hotel, shopping and more.
"When we moved down here in 2016 we were told, don't worry, Joe, nobody's ever going to develop back there. It's landlocked,” said Joseph Bonasia with Florida Right to Clean Water.
When Paul and Joseph Bonasia, nearby homeowners and environmental activists found out about the plans back in 2021, they started fighting for their pieces of paradise.
"In 2022 Hurricane Ian hit. My house got flooded, hundreds of homes around here got flooded as well," the Bonasias said. "I had presumed that, given Hurricane Ian and all the flooding that they had dropped these plans."
In a City staff report, they suggested denying the rezoning of this land because they say it lacks infrastructure and there's a concern for storm surge when another storm rolls through.
"We very pleased to hear that, because it supported a lot of the concerns that we have been voicing for the last few years,” said Bonasia.
Many of the neighbors near the site agree with the Bonasias. Many even have signs in their yards against the development and an online petition has nearly 4,500 signatures.
"We're trying to preserve all the green space that we can within Cape Coral,” said Paul Bonasia, Protect Our Wetlands Cape Coral.
Ultimately, City Council members will decide whether they agree with the city staff's recommendation.
The next planning and zoning meeting is set for May 7.
