Cape Coral Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of an ordinance establishing a Mixed-Use Ten, or MUX, future land–use map classification within the city’s comprehensive plan. The proposed change is anticipated to provide additional options for development within the city.
Principal Planner Chad Boyko said some areas that can take advantage of the proposed MUX land–use classification would be along Pine Island and Burnt Store roads.
While the city currently has the mixed-use land classification adopted in 1989, MUX addresses mixed-use development for larger, unplatted tracts.
“The mixed-use classification is one of the most changed future land-use classifications over the years,” Boyko said. “We’ve tweaked it numerous times to try to find the right balance between residential and commercial.”
Out of the developments occurring out of the existing mixed-use classification, Boyko said most have been geared toward residential development.
MUX is intended to give some guidance for large tracts seeking a range of uses within their development. It has some proposed parameters, including a minimum development size of 10 acres and a minimum residential density of 50 dwelling units per acre.
MUX will allow for 50% nonresidential and 50% residential development, however, it could also allow for 100% nonresidential development.
Boyko said the level of density and intensity is the goal of the proposed land–use classification.
Due to the intensity allowed, the areas will need to be served by centralized sanitary sewer, irrigation and potable water services through the city.
“If you’re doing a density of 50 units per acre and a floor-area ratio of anywhere close to 3.0, that couldn’t be accomplished on well or septic properties, you would need city water, sewer and irrigation,” Boyko said. “Therefore, we’ve put that into the designation that you would have to have those utilities available. We also said that if you have utilities that can be available through a developer agreement or utility agreement, that would be possible, as well.”
Considering MUX is aimed for high–intensity developments, staff is proposing any development could only be approved through a planned unit development process.
“The reason for that is when you have a development that can be as dense and intense as these can, the planned unit development process allows for a higher level of scrutiny from both staff, the hearing examiner and the City Council,” Boyko said.
BJM Consulting President Joe Mazurkiewicz spoke on behalf of Blue Waters Development’s Victory Park, a 260-acre, master-planned development situated in the northeast region of the Cape.
“We now have a large tract of land that could take advantage of this flexibility and this proposed land use,” he said. “This kind of flexibility would promote the intensity and density to actually build a higher-class project. We think this is a major step forward for the city of Cape Coral.”
Given the unanimous recommended approval by the commission, the item will be sent to Council for a transmittal hearing, where Council will determine whether or not to transmit the item to the state for review. After being handed to the state for review, it will come back to Council for a final vote.
