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CAPE CORAL BREEZE Cape Coral’s Community Newspaper Since 1961
Vol. 62, No. 7
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
50 Cents
Cape food truck ordinance up for final vote Council set to hold second public hearing today at City Hall By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers.com
Cape Coral City Council is expected to decide today whether to impose regulations to eliminate “food truck based outdoor restaurants” while also establishing a new land use in the city for food truck parks. The controversial ordinance set for its second and final public hearing has been in the works for nearly a year with the measure gaining support from council after staff redrafted the city’s proposed Mobile Food Vehicles code to be similar to Lee County’s regulations. As proposed, the city's new regulations
would treat all MFVs alike (except ice cream trucks), requiring them to leave their service locations at night and remove any gear. Seating areas, tented or not, would not be allowed, nor would the regulations allow on-site utility connections. A new use, Mobile Food Court, would allow “Food Truck Parks.” Such parks would require full site improvements including bathrooms, parking, sidewalks and the like. They are intended to accommodate regular and long-term deployment of food trucks with the proposed regulations patterned after those adapted from Bonita Springs.
The regulations would exempt vehicles operating at a private event for a duration less than one day, vehicles operating as part of a special event or during a state of emergency. If approved, the ordinance would go into effect 90 days after adoption to allow for communication and outreach to MFV operators who would need to come into compliance with the new regulations. The operation of Mobile Food Vehicles requires licensing by the state. According to state licensing records, there are approximately 222 city-based vendors with approximately 66 providing a city location
Inside today’s Breeze Cape High grad Shane McClanahan selected to Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
— INSIDE
Cape woman dies in three-car crash
See FOOD TRUCKS, page 4
City to consider economic development grant to foster industrial facility
AT A GLANCE
NEWS OF NOTE
for their truck. The city could not say how many food trucks would be affected should the ordinance pass. The city's Office of Communications could not provide a number when asked how many such businesses are currently operating in the city, saying that information was not readily available and a public records request was necessary. A public records request for a listing of food trucks included all enterprises with a catering designation for the city's business tax. “We don't have a report for just food trucks,” the City Clerk's Office said via email. In other business
62nd annual Cracker Day Rodeo opens Friday at Lee County Posse Arena
A Cape Coral woman was killed and another Cape resident seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash Monday morning on U.S. 41 and Zemel Road in Charlotte By CHUCK BALLARO County. news@breezenewspapers.com According to the Florida he 62nd annual Cracker Day Rodeo Highway Patrol, the acci— one of the oldest annual events in dent occurred at 7:50 a.m. North Fort Myers — will return to Monday when the driver of a the Lee County Posse Arena this weekend. pickup truck towing a utility Set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. trailer south on U.S. 41 27-29, the rodeo pays tribute to the tradition approaching Zemel Road of working ranchers moving cattle throughout lost control and crossed the the state. median and onto the northSherry Groff, arena president, said they bound lanes of U.S. 41. lucked out with Hurricane Ian as the arena off There the pickup, driven Bayshore Road was just far enough away by a 28-year-old man from from the river. Zephyrhills, collided with “We had the bleachers lifted up and we the front of a northbound had to weld them back in place. But aside SUV driven by a Cape Coral from that, all we had were some limbs down,” man, 32. Goff said, as opposed to Hurricane Irma in The impact forced the 2017 which forced cancellation of the event SUV into the right lane of after it twisted the scoring tower. “We’re U.S. 41 where it was struck going good this year and we’re ready.” in the side by a sedan driven The youth rodeo will happen on the first by a 48-year-old woman night on Friday beginning at 6 p.m., with the from Miami. While the regular rodeo taking place on Saturday at 6 driver of the sedan suffered p.m. (with slack happening for barrel racers at minor injuries, a passenger in the car, a 64-year-old 8 a.m.) and Sunday at 2 p.m., following woman from Cape Coral, Cowboy Church at 10 a.m. was killed. She was proThe rodeo on Friday will feature the youthnounced deceased on the oriented events such as barrels, breakaway scene, according to the FHP. roping, pole bending and goat tying for all The driver of the pickup competitors up to age 17. and his two passengers, a The open rodeo will take place Saturday 29-year-old man and a 40night and Sunday afternoon with slack hapyear-old man, both from pening Saturday at 8 a.m., where the barrel Dade City, all received racers, team ropers and others compete for the minor injuries. money, but are not in the formal rodeo. The Cape man driving the SUV suffered serious injuries. FHP reported that the accident is still under investigation and officials are trying to determine if a semi By CHUCK BALLARO truck/trailer was also news@breezenewspapers.com Every year, the Cape Coral Construction involved as a non-contact Industry Association showcases some of the vehicle. most elegant model homes and best designs in the city. On Thursday, the CCCIA held its 17th annuNDEX al Builders Showcase of Homes at the Palmetto Legal Notices . . . . 5-8 Pine Country Club, where homes of all types and price points were feted for everything from Local Tides . . . . . . . 3 overall design to landscaping. Lynn Boldissar, new executive director of the Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 3 CCCIA, said the event is to praise the builders Weather . . . . . . . . . . 2 and contractors for all the work they put in throughout the year. “It’s an economic development tool for the area because not only do they show our models,
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The events at this rodeo tend to be a little different. There is still bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing, but there are also unusual but popular events such as the Buddy-Pick-up and the new cowgirl trifecta, where they have to breakaway rope a calf, race barrels and tie a goat, all in the same event. There also will be more than 20 vendors selling everything from cowboys hats to Mexican food. The rodeo serves as the biggest fundraiser for the arena, a non-profit organization which was founded in 1960 and has survived as an all-volunteer group that gets no financial support from any government entity. “Last year was our biggest year ever as far as attendance and fundraising. This event pays the bills and insurance and everything else that needs to be done to go another year,” Groff said. Admission for adults is $25, $10 for children 12 and under and free for those 5 and under. Parking is $5. Military and first responders get in for $20. Lee County Posse Arena is at 17401 Palm Creek Drive, For more information, visit leecountyposse.com.
Action from an earlier rodeo at the Lee County Posse Arena, host site of the upcoming Cracker Day Rodeo. FILE PHOTO
By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com A city staff recommendation to enter into an Economic Development Incentive Agreement with a business with which the city has been working with for more than four years is on Cape Coral City Council's consent agenda Wednesday. The agreement would authorize a $250,000 Business Infrastructure Grant to assist Graefen Cape Coral, LLC. with land improvement and development costs associated with the construction of a 50,000-square-foot industrial facility built-to-suit for ABC Supply Company at 760 Northeast 19th St. According to the agenda documents, investment at the new facility is "about" $10 million, and the developer has submitted $2,500,000 of eligible grant expenses. ABC Supply previously operated in a 10,000-square-foot facility that was “too restrictive in size to meet the company’s growth.” “The Economic and Business Development Office staff has been working with the owner and developer for more than four years to find a new location to support the company’s expanding needs,” the agenda states. The company projects to create 30 new jobs and retain 29 existing positions with an average wage of $50,000 as a result of the project. The recommendation on the council agenda is for approval. Because it is part of the Consent Agenda, the topic will not have discussion unless pulled by a council member. An approval would result in a budget amendment. T Other items on the Consent Agenda include: ■ Resolution 17-23: Approve SHIP Subrecipient Agreements between the City of Cape Coral with Pine Island Cape, LLC; Department: Development Services; Dollar Value: $250,000; (Local Housing Trust Fund) “The City annually receives State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) Grant Program funds from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to implement affordable housing programs/activities within the City of Cape Coral,” the agenda documents state. “The City’s allocation for 2022-2023 is $1,931,633. The City utilizes non-for-profit and for profit sponsor agencies to implement these programs. Pine Island Cape, LLC requested SHIP funding for the development of a multi-family rental project. This project has previously committed funding from a variety of state, local, and private funding including, but not limited to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Lee County, and the City of Cape Coral. See ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT, page 2
CCCIA honors the best in home design
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See CCCIA, page 4
The Windward Construction team is all smiles with the trophies it won for its model home The Makai, during the CCCIA Builders Showcase of Homes Thursday at Palmetto Pine Country Club. CHUCK BALLARO