Cape Coral residents question if city can handle planned projects

The 12th annual Catch the Vision real estate brought news of several exciting projects coming to Cape Coral. But people want to know if the city has the infrastructure to support these shopping centers, restaurants and more.

Everyone knows Cape Coral is growing. Construction, traffic and more people are all part of the city’s future. Neighbors got the chance to hear all about it Monday at the Catch the Vision event.

Marc Wozny is excited to see it all come to life.

“I love the downtown entertainment district,” Wozny said. “I think they’re modeling what they did in Fort Myers. It’s fantastic. I like the separation, especially in the southwest where they separate commercial from residential.”

David Fulkerson, a business owner in the heart of downtown, feels the same way. He believes the developments make Cape Coral an even better place to live and work.

“Cape needed to be brought up to where the rest of Southwest Florida is,” Fulkerson said.

There’s the rub: Residents like Cape Coral’s vision for the future, but many wonder if the city can handle it all. There will be a need for more housing, roads and utilities.

Fulkerson says he knows people are getting hit hard by Utilities Extension Project assessments.

“I paid $13,000, and now I hear they’re up to $40,000, so I think that’s a little bit crazy,” Fulkerson said.

One city councilman told WINK News that Cape Coral must pass along those costs. As for the influx of cars on the city’s already-packed roads?

“You just have to know when to go somewhere here,” Wozny said. “Grocery shopping at 8 in the morning? It’s gonna take long. Go at 10 in the morning; have an extra cup of coffee.”