December Monthly Bulletin
Hi Everyone,
On behalf of the Redfish Pointe Opposition team, I want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season. We also want to thank all of you for your support over the last 6 months and look forward to your continued support in 2024.
I will cover the following in this month’s message:
- December Public Meeting at Cape Coral Library to include Snowbirds
- Results October Mail the City Council Campaign
- November’s Veterans Day Parade Participation
- Next Planned Events
- Opportunities to volunteer your time in support of our goals
- Current Stats
December Public Meeting at Cape Coral Library to include Snowbirds:
I delayed publishing this monthly bulletin so I could include an update on our December 5th Public meeting. We had an excellent turnout, 138 residents attended, and we had three news outlets attend. WINK News, FOX4 and the Cape Coral Breeze.
WINK News Clip — FOX4 News Clip The Cape Coral Breeze Article will publish this weekend but here is the link to the article published on Friday.
All available seats were reserved. The following were our speakers:
Wetlands Conservation Keynote speaker: Matt DePaolis, the Environmental
Policy Director of Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). Matt has a master’s degree in marine biology and a law degree with certificates in environmental and ocean and coastal law from the University of Oregon. He shared his insights and expertise on wetland conservation and restoration.
Current Situation and History of Redfish Pointe Speaker: Paul Bonasia, Lead Coordinator for Protect Our Wetlands in Cape Coral team as well as Communicator and Webmaster. Paul spoke about the history of the property and current opposition.
Link to presentation deck on YouTube: Current Situation and History of Redfish Pointe
Impacts to the Community of Redfish Pointe Speaker: Joseph Bonasia, the SWFL Regional Director of FloridaRightToCleanWater.org and Citizens’ Climate Lobby Volunteer Liaison to Senator Rick Scott’s office. Joe spoke about specific impacts from this proposed development and citizen desire to pursue purchase of this property.
Link to presentation deck on YouTube: Impacts to the Community of Redfish Pointe
Parting thoughts and Upcoming Events Speaker: Ruth Hague, Media and News Coordinator for Protect Our Wetlands in Cape Coral.
Here is the link to the recording on YouTube: Public Meeting December 5th 2023
Our first public meeting was on July 15 at Rotary Park and the biggest takeaway was that we needed a much larger venue to accommodate more residents that are opposed to Redfish Pointe. The library meeting room proved to fill our needs and accommodated all who wanted to attend comfortably. The AV systems was a big improvement and during the Q&A sessions we were able to have audience members ask their questions using a mobile microphone so all could hear the question. We increased the length of the meeting to provide more time for questions, which was an improvement.
“Snail Mail” Campaign to CC City Council- Response from city hall:
Last month I noted that we have surpassed our goal! A percentage of the 75 supporters who mailed the 600 letters received responses: Jessica Cosden sent letters to many, Robert Welsh responded to at least one person, I was informed someone received a letter from Mayor John Gunter, and Dan Sheppard called several people with some conversations lasting 40 minutes. I view this as a win, as we have not received any responses in the past.
Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade. We had 22 people participate in this year’s march. We met our goal of raising awareness in the community about the importance of mangroves and wetlands. Video while passing the reviewing stand: Click Here
Efforts underway:
Effort to Purchase the land for conservation.
We have initiated an effort to have the land purchased by a conservation organization. Our primary objective is to have the city pursue purchase of the land with city, county, state, and federal funds. We will be looking to acquire county, state and federal funds. This is our ultimate goal.
37th Annual Cape Coral Art Festival & Marketplace.
Saturday and Sunday January 13th and 14th. We have a table under a canopy and will be raising awareness in the community. Thousands of people attend this event each year. If you want to volunteer for a 4-hour shift, click here.
22nd Annual Burrowing Owl Festival.
February 24th. We will be raising awareness in the community. If you want to volunteer for a 4-hour shift, click here.
Opportunities to volunteer your time in support of our goals:
We have many opportunities available for you to volunteer your expertise and time. There are tasks you can perform from your home computer or phone and those that might require you to drive locally. This will be a long fight. We need as many residents as we can to pitch in and contribute to this effort. Protect Our Wetlands in Cape Coral is comprised entirely of volunteers who all have other responsibilities; we want to be able to continue our opposition and awareness efforts long-term. Click Here to volunteer to help.
Accomplishments:
- Sent November monthly newsletter
- Participated in the Cape’s Veterans Day Parade
- Created 4 new YouTube videos
- Held a Public meeting on December 5th
- Residents frequently attended Planning & Zoning and City Council meetings
- Our core team has been actively posting on our Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/782429800094706
Current Stats:
- Followers on Facebook: Was 616; Now 630
- YouTube: was 12 subscribers; Now 20
- Website contacts: was 400; Now 420
- Petition signatures: was 3,539; Now 3,675
- Yard Signs Distributed: was 320; Now 325
- Total Donations to date: was $4800. Now $6,545
Website: https://protectourwetlandsincapecoral.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/782429800094706
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProtectOurWetlandsinCapeCoral
November Monthly Bulletin
Hi Everyone,
I will cover the following in this month’s message:
- Important yard sign message
- Redfish Pointe In the News
- October Mail the City Council Campaign
- November’s Veterans Day Parade Participation
- December Public Meeting at Cape Coral Library to include Snowbirds
- Opportunities to volunteer your time in support of our goals
- New YouTube video: Save Cape Coral Wetlands- Storm and Flood Protection
- Accomplishments and Current Stats
Important Yard Sign Message:
Code enforcement has removed some of our yard signs that were improperly placed.
They must be 10 ft. from any property line. They cannot be in the right of way, medians, strip of grass between sidewalks and roads, nor can they be attached to street signs or light poles. Please move your sign if it meets any of these criteria. If you do not have a sidewalk place them 10 ft. from the road.
In the News:
- October 5, 2023 – Cape Coral Breeze: Thank you to Cape Coral City Council by Chris Robben https://www.capecoralbreeze.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor-guest-opinions/2023/10/05/thank-you-to-cape-coral-city-council/
- October 13, 2023 – Fox 4 news: CAPE CORAL: Signs pushing back against development proposal. https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/lee-county/cape-coral-signs-pushing-back-against-development-proposal
- October 26, 2023 – Cape Coral Breeze: Mangroves the best storm defense by Joseph Bonasia https://www.capecoralbreeze.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor-guest-opinions/2023/10/26/mangroves-the-best-storm-defense/
“Snail Mail” Campaign to CC City Council- We surpassed our goal!
Our goal was to mail 500 letters to the Cape Coral City council members, and I’m pleased to inform you that we have surpassed that goal! I want to thank the 75 supporters who mailed 600 letters. Our understanding is that letters legally need to be logged where emails do not. In the future, I’m confident that our supporters will step up and make their voices heard again.
Efforts underway:
Effort to Purchase the land for conservation.
We have initiated an effort to have the land purchased by a conservation organization. We will be looking to acquire County, State and Federal Funds.
We are participating in the Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade.
We will be marching in the Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade on Saturday November 11 9:00 am to 12:00 pm to raise awareness of the importance of Wetlands, and Mangroves. I believe it would be inappropriate to overtly oppose Redfish Pointe Development during the Parade, so we will be promoting a positive message about the importance that Wetlands and Mangroves have to residents of Cape Coral. We have had many supporters indicate they will participate. There is no limit to how many people can march so there is still room for you! Email us via our contact fom.
December Public Meeting at CC Library to include Snowbirds.
Our last public meeting was July 15 at Rotary Park, and we had a huge turnout. The venue could not accommodate the 200 residents who attended. We have reserve a 190-seat meeting room at the Cape Coral Library on Tuesday December 5. Our Keynote speaker will be Matt DePaolis, Environmental Policy Director, Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). Matt has a master’s degree in marine biology and a Juris Doctorate with certificates in both environmental and ocean and coastal law from the University of Oregon. There will be 2 other speakers and plenty of Q&A time. We will be sending Invitations to the Cape Coral City Council & Lee County Commissioners. We hope the media will cover the event.
Unfortunately, there is not unlimited space, and the library is firm that we do not exceed the capacity of the room and fire regulations. Therefore, residents who want to attend will need to reserve seats. A communication will come out the week of November 12.
Opportunities to volunteer your time in support of our goals:
We have many opportunities for you to volunteer your expertise and time. There are many tasks you can perform from your home computer or phone and those that might require you to drive locally. This will be a long fight and we need many residents to pitch in and contribute to this effort. We are all volunteers and have other responsibilities, so we need to make sure we are able to “keep the lights on” in the long term. Click Here to volunteer to help.
https://protectourwetlandsincapecoral.org/volunteer-opportunities/
New YouTube video
Save our Wetlands in Cape Coral -Storm and Flood Protection
Accomplishments:
- Sent October monthly message.
- Received news coverage 3 times.
- Residents frequently attended planning zoning and city council meetings.
- One New Video published on our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@ProtectOurWetlandsinCapeCoral
- Our core team has been actively posting on our Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/782429800094706
Current Stats:
- Followers on Facebook: Was 566; now 616.
- YouTube: 1 new video published! Now 16 subscribers
- Website contacts: was 380; now 400.
- Petition signatures: was 3,427; now 3,539.
- Yard Signs Distributed: was 290; now 320.
- Total Donations to date: was $4,200; now $6500.
October Monthly Bulletin
Hi everyone.
I will cover the following in this month’s message:
- Important yard sign message
- Recap of the Protest March on September 27 at Rotary Park
- Potential Redfish Pointe Timeline
- Efforts underway
- Mail/Call Campaign to CC City Council and area Politicians
- Organized effort to meet/interview City Council Members
- Effort to Purchase the land for conservation.
- Participation in Cape Coral Veterans Day Parde 11/11/2023
- December Public Meeting at CC Library to include Snowbirds.
- Opportunities to volunteer your time in support of our goals.
- Accomplishments and Current Stats
Important Yard Sign Message:
It has come to our attention that code enforcement has removed some of our yard signs that were improperly placed. I contacted them and here are the rules.
Our signs are considered temporary signs. Single family homes are allowed 3 signs not exceeding 4 sq ft in area. They must be 10ft from any property line. They cannot be in the right of way, medians, strip of grass between sidewalks and roads, nor can they be attached to street signs or light poles. Please move your sign if it meets any of these criteria. If you do not have a sidewalk place them 10 ft from the road.
Protest March Huge Success on September 27 at Rotary Park:
As you might be aware already the Protest March on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian was a huge success! I was thrilled to see close to 90 residents show up in the RAIN to voice their opposition to Redfish Pointe. Residents came prepared with rain gear and umbrellas in one hand and an opposition sign in the other! I can only imagine if it was not raining, we might have had over 110 attend. Not only was it successful due to the great turnout but we had 5 news outlets attend: NBC2, FOX4, Cape Coral Breeze, News-Press, and WGCU PBS! It does not get better than that! Links to all. You can see our protesters created quite a visual message during the 5-minute march to SW 6th Place along Rose Garden Road chanting and waving signs! We had 3 powerful speakers and held a Q&A session before marching back. All in the Rain! I thank all who attended and made this a huge success. We also had someone at the P&Z meeting that morning informing them of what was transpiring as they met.
We placed yellow crime scene tape across the 100-foot proposed entrance to Redfish Pointe at SW 6th Place:
“We are considering this as a Future Crime Scene:
A Crime against the Hydrology and Ecology of Rotary Park,
A Crime against the Flora and Fauna in the wetlands, and
A Crime against the Citizens of Cape Coral who are Unwilling to accept the increased risk of Storm and Flood Damage.”
Potential Redfish Pointe Timeline:
There are indications that Redfish Pointe maybe on the agenda in October:
- Early October Planning and Zoning hearing – Land Use Plan (Redfish Pointe)
- Late October Cape Coral City Council meeting – Land Use Plan introduction meeting (Redfish Pointe)
We are tracking this, and any developments and we will inform you and take appropriate actions. Be ready to attend these meetings.
Efforts underway:
Mail/Call Campaign to CC City Council and area Politicians
We are organizing an effort to mail letters and call City council members and area Politicians. Our understanding that Letters and Calls need to be legally logged where Emails do not. If you would like to participate in this campaign, Click Here.
Organized effort to meet/interview City Council Members
We are organizing an effort to meet with City council members to hear their perspective on development in Cape Coral and specifically about Redfish Pointe. So far communication has been one way – Us to Them. We want to know where they stand.
Effort to Purchase the land for conservation.
We are initiating an effort to have the land purchased by a conservation organization and if you would like to offer assistance, please contact us here. We will be looking to acquire County, State and Federal Funds.
Participation in Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade 11/11/2023
We will be marching in the Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade on Saturday November 11 9:00 am to 12:00 pm to raise awareness of the importance of Wetlands, and Mangroves. I believe it would be inappropriate to overtly oppose Redfish Pointe Development during the Parade, so we will be promoting a positive message about the importance that Wetlands and Mangroves have to residents of Cape Coral. We will need people to assist with fabricating our float and attend the parade. Click Here to volunteer to help.
December Public Meeting at CC Library to include Snowbirds
We are planning on holding a public meeting at the beginning of December (date TBD) with the idea that we will provide an opportunity for snowbirds to attend. It might be appropriate to invite City Council Members there. Click Here to volunteer to help.
Opportunities to volunteer your time in support of our goals:
Besides the efforts listed above we have many opportunities for you to volunteer your expertise and time. There are many tasks you can perform from your home computer or phone and those that might require you to drive locally. This will be a long fight and we need many residents to pitch in and contribute to this effort. We are all volunteers and have other responsibilities, so we need to make sure we are able to “keep the lights on” in the long term. Click Here to volunteer to help.
Volunteer Oppertunities
Accomplishments:
- Rallied residents to Protest March on the eve of Hurricane IAN.
- Sent September monthly message.
- Residents frequently attended planning zoning and city council meetings.
- One New Video published on our YouTube Channel. Link
- Our core team has been active posting on our Facebook group. Link
- 1 news article published in the Breeze. Link
- Core team members attended 2 remaining Real Estate meeting on 9/13 and 9/16
Current Stats
- Followers on Facebook: Was 480; now 566
- YouTube: 1 new video published! Now 12 subscribers
- Website contacts: was 350; now 380
- Petition signatures: was 3,200; now 3,427
- Yard Signs Distributed: was 250; now 290
- Total Donations to date: was $3,810; now $4,200
NBC2
https://share.icloud.com/photos/034CH05OzmTf2mrepuPpvhcJQ
Breeze
News-Press
WGCU
FOX $
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f2-9oCrWZctUyBcJHKK-cjfA
Website: https://protectourwetlandsincapecoral.org
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/782429800094706
Petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-redfish-pointe-development-south-of-rotary-park-and-protect-wetlands-in-cape-coral
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProtectOurWetlandsinCapeCoral
September Monthly Bulletin
Hi everyone. I hope all of you fared well during Hurricane Idalia. I was very relieved it did not impact us to the degree Hurricane Ian did.
I will cover the following in this month’s message:
- Recap of the City Council Meeting on August 30
- Real Estate Agents meetings at Rotary Park
- Potential Timeline
- Long Term Planning
- Accomplishments and Current Stats
- Final Thoughts
Recap of CC meeting on Wednesday Aug 30
The meeting was a huge success! We had at least 95 residents show up…What a great turnout. Link to recording. Ruth, I, and the other organizers thank all of you for showing up!
I spoke first and asked all who were opposed to Redfish Pointe to stand up, the visual of all of us was a powerful message! This accomplished several key facts: Communicated the scope of the opposition to this project to the City Council, demonstrated our ability to rally residents to attend the meeting (even though it was not on the agenda), and provided to those attending the meeting the fulfillment of having contributed to this effort and having their voice heard. I want to thank our 8 scheduled speakers who covered all the major objections to Redfish Pointe. There were additional residents that spoke, and I thank them also. We have their attention.Cape Coral Breeze Article on the Meeting
Real Estate Agents meeting at Rotary Park Tuesday Aug 25 5:00 pm
The real estate agent for the Zemel’s, Miloff Aubuchon Realty Group, organized the first of 3 meetings at Rotary Park in response to our public meeting on July 15. This was invitation only and they invited residents of SW 1st Ct to the meeting. I assume the remaining 2 meetings (Tuesday, Sept 13 @ 5:00 pm, and Saturday, Sept 16 @9:00 am) they will invite Pelican Blvd. and El Dorado Pkwy. residents. Along with Annette Barbaccia, the Real Estate Agent, they had 3 consultants: Avalon Engineering, Traffic, and Environmental. 18 residents attended the meeting and it lasted 2 hours. Obviously, there were many questions besides the 3 presentations by the consultants. If you are invited to either of the remaining 2 meetings, please take notes and let me know what transpired.
Potential Redfish Pointe Timeline
There are indications that Redfish Pointe maybe on the agenda in October:
- Early October Planning and Zoning Hearing-Land Use Plan (Redfish Pointe)
- Late October Cape Coral City Council Meeting-Land Use Plan introduction meeting (Redfish Pointe)
We are tracking this; we will inform you of any developments and will be planning to take appropriate action accordingly.
Long-Term Planning Actions
We want to be able to plan events over the next few months to keep our campaign in the minds of the community. Here are my current plans. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please respond to this email.
- September: Anniversary of Hurricane Ian- Event/Action TBD
- October: Email campaign at the beginning of the month (correspond to potential Redfish Pointe review)
- November: Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade – We have submitted for entry and will need volunteers to walk in the parade. This will expand community awareness, provide political exposure, and demonstrate our long-term commitment to preserving wetlands.
- December: Snowbird public meeting at the library. Provide an opportunity for those not in town for the July 15 meeting to become informed as well as update all interested residents on what has happened since the July meeting.
- January: We have a booth at Cape Coral’s 2-day Arts and Crafts Festival. Spread the word-40,000 people visit this event.
Conservation 20/20
We had one of the organizers apply for a vacancy on the Conservation 20/20 review committee and was confirmed. Please congratulate Joseph Cruz. Conservation 20/20 is a Lee County program that purchases land for conservation and is well funded.
Accomplishments
- Rallied residents to attend City council meeting with great video and written communications.
- Sent August monthly message.
- Had at least 1 person speak at every city council meeting held in August.
- Distributed flyers at the Rotary Park Dog Show to spread the word.
- Frequent attendance at Planning & Zoning meetings.
- Launch of YouTube Channel-original videos, news videos and Council meeting links posted. Link
- 2 new videos were created and posted on Facebook and YouTube. 700 views Video1 Video2
- 1 news article published in the Breeze. Link
- Handed out questions to attendees of the Real Estate meeting on Aug 25.
- Distributed 29-yard signs.
Current Stats
- Followers on Facebook was 400, now 491
- YouTube Just launched-all our videos in one place! 6 subscribers
- Website contacts: was 300, now 350
- Petition signatures: was 2,500, now 3,226
- Yard Signs Distributed: was 200, now 250
- Total Donations to date: was $3,810, now $4,200
Final Thoughts
Keep your yard signs posted and in clear view of traffic from both directions; this is our voice between actionable events. Also, talk to your neighbors, family and friends. In speaking with many residents who attended the city council meeting last night, we learned that there are still many people that still don’t know what this proposed development entails and means for our community. We are working hard to change that and hope you will join us in those efforts moving forward.
Sincerely,
Paul Bonasia
Protect our Wetlands in Cape Coral Webmaster
Website: https://protectourwetlandsincapecoral.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/782429800094706
Petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-redfish-pointe-development-south-of-rotary-park-and-protect-wetlands-in-cape-coral
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProtectOurWetlandsinCapeCoral
August Monthly Bulletin
This is a lengthy update as there is a lot to cover but I believe you will be better informed.
I will cover the following:
- Recap of the Public meeting held on Saturday July 15.
- Explanation of the current situation
- Yard Sign Campaign
- What you can do to help
- Current Stats
- Needed
Recap of Public meeting on Saturday July 15
The meeting was a huge success! We had close to 200 residents show up! What a great turnout. We could not have anticipated that we would exceed the capacity of the venue and at our next meeting we will seek a bigger venue. I want to thank all the residents who showed up in support of our opposition to Redfish Pointe. Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane attended, as he is a resident of SW Cape Coral, addressed the residents and noted his opposition to Redfish Point.
The commercial Real estate agents, who represent landowners (The Zemel Trust), also attended the meeting, and witnessed firsthand the frustration of the community with this project. Residents spoke to them and asked if the Zemel’s would consider selling the land at fair market value to Conservation 20/20. Conservation 20/20 is a land acquisition and stewardship program to protect natural areas in Lee County for the benefit of present and future generations in Southwest Florida.
Fox4 and the Cape Coral Breeze were on hand and interviewed residents and the real estate agents and published articles.
Breeze Link: https://www.capecoralbreeze.com/news/local-news/2023/07/17/effort-to-stop-redfish-pointe-development-under-way/
My parting message was that the most effective way for your voice to be heard is to show up at city council meetings. Redfish Pointe does not have to be on the agenda for you to speak. Our strategy is to have residents speak at every meeting in opposition to Redfish Pointe. This paid off as the meetings are recorded and used by the media, which occurred the night before the meeting on Fox4.
Wear a blue shirt or top to distinguish us as a group united.
If you are unable to make it to the meeting, you can email the council members monthly. Their email addresses are on our website. Many of you have communicated your sentiments on the website and on Facebook and that is all you need to compose an email.
Explanation of the current situation
From what we currently understand the Zemel’s have 2 major legal processes to follow:
- Amend Cape Coral Comprehensive Future Lands Use Plan for their property and request access through Cape Coral City property.
- Change the zoning of their property.
- Request an easement through Cape Coral CIty Property and Cape Coral City Conservation Easement.
Land use is determined by a city or county’s comprehensive plan, which governs the future use of property within the boundaries of the city or unincorporated county. Zoning, on the other hand, represents the current permissible uses of specific properties within a given city or county.
Example: The properties Land Use would be changed from Preserve to Multi Use. The zoning would be similar to Tarpon Point: Multi Family and Pedestrian Commercial.
- The City of Cape Coral has a Comprehensive Future Land Use Plan. LINK Here: https://www.capecoral.gov/department/community_development/city_planning_division/comprehensive_planning/index.php
The Zemel’s (ZZW Development, LLC.) through their agents need to have this plan amended as it currently indicates their property as PRESERVE. A Future Land Use text amendment, the “Redfish Pointe Mixed Use Preserve District” has been submitted to the city of Cape Coral. The landowners state the amendment would establish 110.22 acres for development and improvements, approximately one-third of the property, while continuing to preserve the remaining two-thirds.
Attached is the document submitted to the city for an amendment review that was obtained by a public records request. CC City Staff preliminary comments are in Bold Green
Changes to the Future Land Use Plan require several steps and ultimately will be the decision of the City Council. Public meetings on this must occur.
- After that is done, the Zemel’s will submit a zoning change that will go to the Cape Coral Planning and Zoning Committee, and they make a recommendation to the City Council. Public meetings on this must occur.
- Finally, they need to file for an easement through City property to gain access to their property.
These 3 major steps have sub elements, and this whole process can take 18 months or more.
Yard Sign Campaign Update
We have had an overwhelming response to our yard sign campaign. These signs show a voice of solidarity in our efforts to stop this terrible idea. It only takes a spark to start a fire. With these many sparks, we stand a chance of creating a pretty big fire! All requested yard signs have now been distributed. If you haven’t done so yet, please consider making a monetary contribution to help cover the cost of signage and communication efforts to our neighbors. Also, if you requested a sign and have not received one, please let us know. Thank you!
What You can do to Help
We have a lot of people ask, “what should we be doing next to help stop this?” We are so glad you asked! Here is a list of ways that you can make an immediate impact and have a voice.
* Sign our petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-redfish-pointe-development-south-of-rotary-park-and-protect-wetlands-in-cape-coral* Visit our website to familiarize yourself with the project and what is being proposed: https://protectourwetlandsincapecoral.org*Follow us on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/782429800094706* Request a yard sign: Contact – Protect Our Wetlands in Cape Coral® Make a monetary contribution to help offset the cost of yard signs and mailings to our neighbors: Please mail a check to:
Protect Our Wetlands in Cape Coral c/o Paul Bonasia5241 Pelican Blvd.Cape Coral Fl 33914* Spread the word. Talk to your neighbors and share our website. * Attend Cape Coral City Council Meetings:August 2 – 9 am Planning and ZoningAugust 2 – 4:30 pm Cape Coral City Council General MeetingAugust 16 – 4:30 Cape Coral City Council General MeetingAugust 23 – 9 am Committee of the WholeAugust 30 – 4:30 pm Cape Coral City Council General Meeting
Redfish Pointe does not need to be on the agenda. Anyone can speak for 3 minutes at the beginning during the public comment period. Wear a Blue Shirt or top.* Email City Council Members and Staff
JGunter@CapeCoral.gov (John Gunter, Mayor)
BSteinke@CapeCoral.gov (Bill Steinke, District 1)
DSheppard@CapeCoral.gov (Dan Sheppard, District 2)
THayden@CapeCoral.gov (Tom Hayden, District 3)
PCummings@CapeCoral.gov (Patty Cummings; District 4)
RWelsh@CapeCoral.gov (Robert Welsh; District 5;)
Klong@CapeCoral.gov (Keith Long; District 6)
JCosden@CapeCoral.gov (Jessica Cosden; District 7)
Current Stats and Updates
Followers on Facebook: 411 Website contacts: 265 Petition signatures: 2,447YardSigns Distributed: 210Total Donations to date: $4,185New! Key Documents Page. I have posted links to key documents that have been obtained from public records request to the City of Cape Coral. You can find the link in the main menu or Click Here
NeededSomeone knowledgeable in Homeowners and Flood Insurance who can research how many claims were made in SW Cape Coral for Flood damage and the average claim amount.
- Someone who is knowledgeable in building construction who can research what height buildings need to be above Base Flood Level and determine whether trucking in fill or dredging would be the cost-effective solution for a developer.
Sincerely,Paul Bonasia and the Protect our Wetlands Team.
July Monthly Bulletin
Hi All,
Thanks for your support in opposition to the Redfish Pointe development. Community outcry does produce results as recently demonstrated by Hunters Run golf course preservation efforts. (click here)
Our July Goal: Have residents act by emailing City Council members, signing our petition, attending city council and planning meetings. Spread the word. We need to be heard. Email example
NEW! Online Petition: We are launching our online petition and I ask you to take a moment and use the link to sign the petition. Then share the link with your friends. Our goal is 2000 signatures! Link to Petition
Contact us to get a yard sign. 100 additional yard signs were recently purchased with donations from residents. Click here
July Meetings to Attend:
There is a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting scheduled for July 12 at 9:00 am at city hall.
Currently there is a Cape Coral Council Meeting on July 12 at 4:30 pm at City Hall Council Chambers. Please note that the agenda for the meetings is published 1 week before so we are not certain Redfish Pointe will be on the agenda. Our strategy to is have residents speak at every meeting regardless if Redfish Pointe is on the agenda.
NEW! A public community meeting is being planned for Saturday July 15, 9:00 am to 10:00 am at Rotary Park. We will have several speakers and need a large turnout! We will be inviting local TV news media to attend, publicly demonstrating our active opposition to Redfish Pointe. (details to follow)
I thought it would be a good idea to recap the progress we have made in June.
Our June Goal was: Raise awareness in the community using multiple information channels.
Facebook: New public “Protect Our Wetlands in Cape Coral” Facebook account was launched. We now have over 100 followers. Facebook
Yard signs: Yards signs were distributed, and we received an additional order of 100 signs, which are currently being distributed.Donations: The yard signs were paid using $760 in donations from residents.Post cards: We had 500 postcards made and have been distributing them.Mailings: 100 homeowners on Pelican Blvd were mailed and recently over 100 Residents on El Dorado Parkway West were mailed letters raising awareness about this proposed development.Neighborhood Canvasing: We have some volunteers actively canvasing the neighborhood, contacting homeowners’ associations and local businesses.News Articles: There was a news article published in the Cape Coral Breeze. Link on website.Mailing list: We have over 150 concerned citizens sign up through the website. We had 40 as of June 1.Attendance at Council meetings: We have had several residents speak at council meetings in opposition to this development.Contact with Council Members: Residents have met with, spoken to, or emailed the council members.Website: During the month we made several updates to the website to provide additional information.This bulletin, the website, and Facebook are a result of a collaboration between active opponents to the project.
Paul BonasiaProtect our Wetlands in Cape Coral -Webmaster.Website: https://protectourwetlandsincapecoral.orgEmail: protect.our.wetlands.in.cape.coral@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/782429800094706Petition: https://chng.it/mZbcyR7shY
June Monthly Bulletin
Hi All,
Thanks for adding your name to our mailing list of concerned citizens who are opposed to the Redfish Pointe development.
This is my first monthly bulletin and I thought it would be a good idea to recap the history of this effort.
Background Information
Community concern started two years ago when plans to build a large development on the property south of Rotary Park became known. Plans initially included access to the property from SW 1st court and the property owners bought two homes on the west side to create an entrance. One resident on SW1st Ct. contacted neighbors to alert them and they began to voice their disapproval, as their narrow residential street is not suited for the proposed resort traffic, not to mention the anticipated heavy construction traffic. There was also concern for wildlife and the loss of natural storm protection that these wetlands provide.
A Facebook group was created to share info. Letters to the editors of our local newspapers were published. Public records requests were made to the city clerk and information was obtained. Presumably in response to this public response, the developer changed their plans, which now call for an entrance via Rose Garden Road. This new plan would take the entrance road through city land, zoned as conservation preserve, and then proceed east to the back of the homes on SW 1st Ct, then south parallel to the homeowners’ backyards.
Hurricane Ian battered Cape Coral and further raised community concerns about the loss through this development of the city’s natural storm protection. On March 15th, plans for the Redfish Pointe development were introduced publicly during a “Catch the Vision” event and reported in local media. (View video from this meeting:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pixnm66cWIc )
Currently
The Zemel Trust, which owns the property, look to sell the property to investors to construct the planned 800 residential units, 300 hotel rooms, and 200-slip marina. (See realtor’s listing: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/00-Rose-Garden-Rd-Cape-Coral-FL/28080930/ .)
Residents continue to file records requests, speak at city council meetings, and meet with council members and city staff. Recently a website ( protectourwetlandsincapecoral.org ) was created to detail the plans and raise awareness. Opposition to the project is expanding to organizations, community leaders, and other residents.
We currently have forty people on our mailing list and anticipate this will grow as more residents are made aware of the proposed development.
This bulletin and the website are a result of a collaboration between active opponents to the project.
Paul Bonasia
Protect our Wetlands in Cape Coral -Webmaster.
https://protectourwetlandsincapecoral.org