Cape Coral Yacht Club, bubble curtain projects delayed due to lack of permits

A massive project in Southwest Florida is delayed.

Construction was supposed to start at the popular Cape Coral Yacht Club in April and close it down for two years.

But now, trouble with permits will keep the club open for a while.

City leaders fear it could be months before they get the paperwork necessary to begin renovations at the club.

“Our permits from Army Corps have been delayed which is crucial to start any construction with any seawalls, the boat ramp, we really can’t do anything,” said Cape Coral City Councilman Tom Hayden.

Hayden said the city got the news last week.

The Army Corps of Engineers still hasn’t processed the necessary paperwork. Attempts to reach the Army Corps for comment were unsuccessful. When the permits are issued, the yacht club will close for two years.

“It sounds like what everyone else is facing,” Hayden said. “There’s staff shortages and they don’t have as many people to work on these permits as they used to so that’s part of the reason for the delay.”

As a result, the yacht club will remain open, which is good news for regulars.

But in the long run, the delays will make the renovations costlier.

And it’s not the only project on hold.

The city can’t finish its plan to fight toxic green-blue algae.

“We’re having the same issues with our bubble curtain permits with (Department of Environmental Protection) and Army Corps on that, they’re just delays right now,” Hayden said. “It’s just hard for any municipality, county to schedule things cause we just don’t know when the environmental permits are involved. It’s just more difficult.”