Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan moves forward
Once its final version is approved by the Cape Coral City Council, staff will move to implement its Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan over the next 20 years, at least. The plan was presented Monday at Council’s special workshop meeting at City Hall.
The plan, a product of many months of research and study, sets a course to create some 250 new miles of sidewalks, separate bike paths and multi-use paths. Implementation is estimated to cost $72.4 million over 20 years.
The goal is to increase the number of people walking and biking while decreasing the number of crashes along mostly major roadways. Safety projects include signal enhancements at major intersections and adding crosswalks.
The city will continue to apply for state and federal grants for sidewalk construction. It has $6 million in grants in the pipeline for Fiscal Years 2017-2020, and seven other grant applications are pending.
The city recently received a $1.8 million grant from the State of Florida to pay for design components of the Kismet Parkway multi-use Sun Trail. The next phase of the project has $3.6 million tentatively funded in 2019 for the first phase of construction. Phase 2 construction funding currently is pending.
Consultant Alta Planning & Design has proposed the idea of possibly allocating a portion of gas tax receipts from 2018 through 2022, and suggesting the city include the plan as part of future UEP construction and road repaving.
* Economic Development Master Plan
In other business, city staff presented the final four initiatives of its new Economic Development Master Plan, which is comprised of six initiatives. The four revealed Monday were attracting key and emerging sectors; developing a competitive workforce; enhancing and revitalizing infrastructure; and encouraging entrepreneurs and small business development.
Each initiative was broken down into specific objectives and actions to stimulate economic growth. The goal is to recruit new businesses while retaining and expanding existing businesses.
City Manager John Szerlag called the plan “a blueprint for the future of Cape Coral.”
Council and staff believes the most important factor is developing a competitive workforce through education. This, they say, can be achieved by recruiting a university to expand in Cape Coral, which currently lags behind in the average number of college degrees. The city would need to identify sites and offer incentives and assistance for residents to improve their value to businesses.
Council reaction was mixed.
“I would rather see us help make schools better instead of creating some kind of city charter technical school,” said Councilmember Richard Leon. “Schools already have expansion plans. We are a perfect place to offer medical and environmental education.”
Councilmember Rana Erbrick pointed to both educational trends and the Cape’s own past history with its attempts to attract institutes of higher learning.
“Colleges have an online presence. The only reason you need a classroom is for like lab work,” she said. “We haven’t had much luck over the last 20 years in this area.”
The city paid $6.8 million for a 171-acre site on the northwest corner of Del Prado Boulevard and Kismet Parkway in February of 2003 in hope of developing an “academic village” campus. The project was intended to be developed in partnership with the Lee County School District, Lee County and “various universities” to bring a branch campus here along with ancillary uses including a possible performing arts center, technical facilities and more.
Despite efforts to bring the project to fruition, the property remains undeveloped.
Councilmember Rick Williams said it would not take a huge campus for someone to concentrate, for example, on offering a marine biology program in this area.
Council’s next meeting is 4:30 p.m. Monday in Council Chambers.