CAPE CORAL, Fla. —
Cape Coral City Council will revisit the North 3 utility extension project on Monday, with expectations of repealing initial assessment resolutions and restarting the process to address concerns from residents.
Patricia Carlton, a homeowner in the North 3 area, said she plans to attend the meeting to better understand the situation.
“Oh, I definitely want to go to the council meeting and see exactly how it’s handled and what is happening, because I just want to make sure that this is really stopped,” Carlton said.
Social media discussions have caused concern among residents, with some believing the council would vote to approve the North 3 assessments. However, the council will not be voting on a new plan or final assessment amounts.
Instead, the council is expected to repeal three initial assessment resolutions approved on Sept. 28, which include assessments for potable water, wastewater, and irrigation. The public hearings scheduled under those resolutions will also be canceled.
While the North 3 project is not being canceled, the city plans to discard the current assessment plan, which would have cost some families more than $40,000 each, and start over. The council aims to redesign the project without the Alternative 5 road improvements plan, rebid the work, and eventually return with new costs and assessments.
Carlton expressed concern about the financial impact of the project on her household.
“It was, would be over 65,000 for this parcel, which would be a large percentage of my home. It would basically put my home in the red because everybody, lots of people have mortgages,” Carlton said.
Carlton also referenced a social media post by mayoral candidate Lisa Cohen-Adkinson, who initially claimed the council was trying to push the North 3 vote through before the election. Adkinson later issued a correction after reviewing the agenda.
“Yesterday, I sounded the alarm because the North 3 UEP was quietly placed back on the agenda right before the election. Given city hall’s history, it looked incredibly nefarious. However, after a deep dive into the official agenda packets…” Cohen-Adkinson said.
The city estimates the redesign could cost approximately $3 million, with construction bids potentially increasing by 5%. The redesign is also expected to add about 12 months to the project timeline.
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