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Proposed Cape animal shelter granted lease approval for city site

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Cape Coral City Council unanimously approved a 99-year lease agreement Monday night with Cape Coral Animal Shelter Corp. to build and operate the Cape’s first no-kill animal shelter on city-owned property near Sun Splash Waterpark.

With more than half of the $2 million cost of construction already raised, board member Gloria Tate hopes the group can break ground before the end of this year.

“This is a very exciting day for us and we hope for you, too,” Tate told Council.

The group formed last year after Gulf Coast Humane Society dropped its plan to operate a shelter in the Cape due to poor fundraising results.

The lease agreement for $1 per year is for use of 4.2 acres next to the Austen Youth Center behind Lake Kennedy Senior Center.

In other business:

* Having secured a $1.78 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, the city can now go about the business of designing a proposed seven-mile non-motorized multi-use trail in north Cape.

The 12-foot wide path will run along Van Buren Parkway from Burnt Store Road to El Dorado Boulevard continuing to Kismet Parkway then on to Del Prado Boulevard. Bridges will have to be constructed over three canals.

Total cost of construction is estimated at $8 million for which the city has applied to FDOT for another grant to cover the entire cost. The city does not know when FDOT will make a decision on awarding a grant to fund the construction cost.

* The Florida Department of Environmental Protection delivered a Plant Operations Excellence Award before council for the city’s North Reverse Osmosis Water Plant operation. The award recognizes the plant as the best water treatment plant serving a community more than 150,000 residents in the DEP’s South District covering nine counties.

* Council approved an ordinance amendment to the city’s Commercial Activity Center land use classification proposed to encourage greater development flexibility within the classification, specifically enabling development of duplex housing.

The CAC designation previously did not allow duplex development on parcels less than 20 acres.

The amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan must be submitted to the state for approval before implementation.

Council’s next regular meeting is Monday, Feb. 13.