By Helen Dorothy, Cape Coral
News Press Cape Mailbag
The Cape Coral City Council meeting last week once more ended in a stalemate. No
decision but the decision to gather more information before making a decision.
Definitely, for those of us in attendance regarding the issue, we once more
breathed a sigh of relief. The least savory option presented by the city manager
was the public/ private partnership. Who amongst us believes that the owners of
the golf course, who have been unable to keep the grass mowed four times a year,
would be able to treat the city of Cape Coral with fairness and respect?
Furthermore, considering all the people in Cape Coral who have lost their
property due to the downturn in the market, loss of a job, etc., why should the
city buy the property priced at 15 times assessed value?
The news that
there are other offers on the table is interesting, but they are still talking
to the city manager. I believe the majority of us would prefer that nothing be
done. Many of the City Council members seem to have dollar signs from tax
revenues uppermost in their agenda, tax dollars from new housing and light
commercial construction.
But for every dollar in taxes the City Council
generates, they will spend two trying to retrofit the property. There are no
roads but one single lane accessing the property, which means it will be
necessary to make other access roads where none exist now. There is no
infrastructure on the land so it will mean adding brand new water, waste pipes
to existing old water/ waste pipes, which will stress the entire
system.
The new upgraded building sites are a minimum of four to six feet
higher, according to code, than existing structures so what emerges from new
construction will look like a city on a hill. I have several new houses in my
neighborhood and they look like they are sitting on their own private hills. All
the water runoff will travel to properties that are lower causing possible flood
damage.
A linear park circling the property is a trite offer from the
owners of the property. All you can do with it is walk, run, ride a bike. No
opportunity to picnic, play ball, enjoy the birds and the small wildlife that
would live there.
One more thing, the budget director’s comments about
what the department of Land for Public Trust said in the past may not be
relevant to what they would say today. Why not ask for a new proposal in writing
so you can share it with the community? I trust the City Council will do their
homework and come up with the best decision they can make, and if that proves
impossible, like I said, we would rather see the property stay like it
is.
