CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Cape Coral’s Utility Extension Project (UEP) is stirring up frustration among residents due to its high costs. During a recent WINK Listens event, one man expressed his concerns about the project’s financial burden.
Carlos Roldan, a Cape Coral resident, shared his situation.
“Basically, I’m going to have to have a loan for $100,000 to pay the city,” said Roldan.
Roldan lives in a house in the Northwest Cape and owns the adjacent lot and the one behind his home. He purchased these lots one by one and built a house on one, with plans to use the extra space for a pool and garage.
However, his plans have hit a snag due to the costs associated with the UEP.
“They told me you’re gonna have to pay for three,” said Roldan. “I said, ‘What do you mean? I got one home. I only need one meter.’ Say, ‘Yeah, but you got three lots?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but I’m not. You’re not going to put a meter in the empty lot. I’m not going to draw water. I only got one home.’ So they cannot give me a straight answer.”
The estimated cost for hooking up each lot to the city’s utilities is more than $30,000, depending on when the work begins. Roldan had combined all three properties into one, paying one tax bill for his single home.
“You have one house, you know, maybe if you decide to split the lots, okay, now you split it. Now you have to pay for whatever they go the city hook up. But if I’m not going to use it, why I’m going out to pay $30,000 for something that is going to be there for me not to use,” said Roldan.
WINK News reached out to the city for clarification on Roldan’s assessment fees. The city explained in a statement that assessments are based on lot size, not the number of houses. Larger properties, like Roldan’s three-lot site, are considered more than one standard parcel because they benefit from more utility frontage.
“A lot of my neighbors have two lots… a lot… I’m not the only one,” said Roldan.
Despite the explanation, Roldan remains dissatisfied with the city’s response.
“Yes, it’s nice to have city water, of course. Why not? But not to that price,” he said.
Click here for Cape Coral’s FAQ page for more information on the UEP.