CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The City of Cape Coral is looking into changing the land designation for more than 1,000 acres in northwest Cape Coral. That could mean more retail and other businesses, a lot closer to home.
The city said to Fox 4, "By changing this to one district, we can set consistent design standards and prevent unwanted uses, like storage or stand-alone housing."
Watch Bella's full report below:
However, what many of the people who live here now want is to prevent more traffic.
"Like any other large city or any other growing city, they fail to work on infrastructure before they decide to build,” said Henry Ellis, a resident in northwest Cape Coral.
Henry Ellis lives within 500 feet of the proposed new district and was a part of the group of people who got a letter in the mail to tell him about the new neighbors he could have.
"I don't mind driving three miles down the road to go to Publix. I don't need a Walmart across the street,” said Ellis. "You start putting large, multi-family or mixed developments in, it's going to cause a lot of traffic issues.”
For Ellis, a major concern is infrastructure, especially since his area is not supposed to get city water until 2035, and most of the proposed area is not until 2045.
"I mean, we're running out of water as it is. I may have to dig another well, just from the fact that since we've been here, they've added six houses on my street,” said Ellis.
FDOT is conducting a study that would take the current two lanes of Burnt Store Road to four and six lanes.
Ellis says he's not opposed to commercial development, as long as the people who already live in northwest Cape Coral are a part of the conversation.
"I think the whole community of Cape Coral actually should be involved in this, at the very least northwest, on both sides of Burnt Store, because that's who it's going to affect," said Ellis.
There will be a public hearing on these changes at Wednesday's City Council meeting on Jan. 8.
