On Nov. 5, 2025, the Cape Coral City Council adopted Ordinance 46-25 by a 7-0 roll call to amend the Future Land Use Element for the 7 Islands subdistrict. The amendment removes a previously allocated 110,000 square feet of commercial floor area and adjusts language to align the comp‑plan subdistrict with a new master concept plan under development.

Chad Boyko, principal planner for the city, told council the change eliminates references to a prior D-1 master plan and updates the comp‑plan to reflect the new concept plan that applicants and staff have been developing over recent months. The council heard there is an accompanying land‑development‑code (LDC) package (Ordinance 55-25) that would implement zoning and use rules for the new MX‑7 mixed‑use 7 Islands district; that LDC amendment was presented and scheduled for second and final hearing on Nov. 19, 2025.

Key elements described for the 7 Islands package include:
– Clarifying building height and allowing the first two stories dedicated to parking not to count against occupiable story limits (while capping overall height at 115 feet);
– Allowing occupiable rooftops (so long as they do not contain enclosed structures) and adding certain uses (single‑family in some contexts, food vendors, professional services) while removing others (research & development, institutional uses not compatible with a destination center);
– Removing an earlier drive‑through restriction from the zoning code and relying on the forthcoming development agreement and LDC rules to impose any needed limits on drive‑through facilities.

Council action was unanimous (7 ayes). The planning and zoning commission earlier recommended the LDC companion (Ordinance 55-25) by a 7‑0 vote; council set the second public hearing for that ordinance on Nov. 19, 2025.

The adoption advances the city’s review process ahead of a development agreement and the next formal land‑use and zoning approvals required for the 7 Islands master concept.

Speakers and staff referenced above are drawn from the meeting transcript.