CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — City leaders narrowed two very different proposals for the Cape Coral Yacht Club down to one.

For years, Cape Coral families came to the Yacht Club to swim, launch their boats or spend the day at the beach. Now, parts of this iconic waterfront spot are a construction zone, and what it could eventually become is still up for debate.

One by one, Cape Coral neighbors stepped up to the microphone. Dozens came to City Hall, many with a similar message.

“We do not want a hotel or a resort-style pool at the Yacht Club, and certainly not townhomes,” one resident said.

“We’ve all been waiting a very long time to enjoy what’s probably the best part in the city since Hurricane Ian,” another resident said.

“Who are we developing this for?” a third resident asked.

After hearing those concerns, council gave staff direction to take a closer look at one of two private development proposals. KMB Marine and Yacht Clubs of America’s plan includes a 130-slip marina, a 685-space parking garage, restaurants, community space and a six to seven-story hotel.

The other proposal from Forest Development went even further, adding townhomes and automated boat storage. Staff says KMB’s option more closely matches the city’s original vision.

“For me, looking at the two proposals, the more positive aspects of the proposal, and again neither one of them are perfect, would be the KMB proposal,” Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter said.

But the hotel remains one of the biggest sticking points for some neighbors.

“I understand why these developers would want to put a hotel there, but that’s not the place for a hotel,” Cape Coral resident Marie Kavanaugh said.

The mayor stressed moving it forward does not mean approving it. The city still has to work through those details, including the hotel, pool, costs and public access.

For Lani and Ryan Benner, they say they’re ready to see progress but don’t want to lose what made the Yacht Club special.

“I think at this point, like we just really kind of want to see something happen,” Lani Benner said.

“That was our draw to come to building our life down there was that whole ecosystem around the Yacht Club, and we wanted that for our kids,” Ryan Benner said.

This is not final approval. City staff will now work with KMB to nail down the details before any final plan comes back to council.