An applicant requested an amendment that would allow up to 8.8 acres of land with frontage along Tropicana Parkway in northwest Cape Coral to be developed with multifamily or single-family attached units.
Applicant Stonewater II LLC sought the amendment to a condition of the Stonewater Planned Development Project that requires a portion of the site to be developed with nonresidential uses. The site at 1020 Tropicana Parkway W. is currently undeveloped. The surrounding area consists of Mariner High School to the west and single-family homes and vacant residential lots to the north, east and south.
Cape Coral Hearing Examiner Anne Dalton heard the case March 19. However, Dalton has yet to make a recommendation to City Council as of March 21, city Senior Public Information Specialist Kaitlyn Mullen said.
“My suggestion is that when it is advertised for the City Council, you have another opportunity to speak,” Dalton said to residents who spoke in opposition of the amendment. “I would urge you to go to the City Council meeting, because as I said, the buck stops with them.”
The project name in the PDP amendment application is Stonewater Townhouses with a draft site plan of 178 dwelling units in 24 buildings and 1.6 acres of nonresidential development at the intersection of Tropicana Parkway and Nelson Road.
BJM Consulting Inc. President Joe Mazurkiewicz represented the applicant at the hearing examiner meeting. Mazurkiewicz said the amendment is being requested because the parcel configuration does not support any substantial nonresidential development due to the lack of depth.
“This property is about 135-foot in depth along Tropicana and will not support good nonresidential development,” he said.
Cape Coral Senior Planner Justin Heller supported that statement, saying staff found the site along Tropicana Parkway lacks adequate depth for quality commercial development, and the owner lacks the ability to assemble additional land for additional depth.
“We also see that it will be less intrusive to nearby property owners to develop this portion of site with residential development,” Heller said, citing more noise, light pollution and traffic during operating hours as opposed to residential next to residential development.
City staff recommend approval with three conditions, with one condition ensuring any future development on the land within 260 feet of Nelson Road North be developed with nonresidential uses.
Both Mazurkiewicz and Dalton addressed a letter of opposition received, citing traffic concerns, adequate parking and an access point with the draft site plan of 178 townhomes.
However, Mazurkiewicz said the site plan submitted with the application was just to show what the property could look like.
“We presently have nobody in line to develop this property,” he said. “We presently have no plans that we’re showing to anybody on this property. We’re allowing a greater flexibility of developing this site, which would allow the development of some single-family attached if that market is there.”
While Mazurkiewicz said there are no current plans for townhomes, four residents spoke in opposition to the proposed use, saying it’s very likely the product will result in being townhomes if that’s what the applicant has projected up to this point.
Concerns about traffic and safety along Tropicana Parkway and Nelson Road also were cited by residents as a concern if the amendment was granted. Residents said they were not made aware the property would be developed as anything other than commercial.
Despite the concerns, Mazurkiewicz said the applicant can develop compound use as is, building 178 townhouses over the top of office or commercial space if so desired.
“This was always meant to be developed,” he said. “The only thing we’re doing here is allowing free standing residential. We could do it with compound use right now.”
City Council will vote on the proposed amendment at a future regular Council meeting.
