CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Big changes are now in motion for Burnt Store Road as a Cape Coral Planning and Zoning committee wants to turn that corridor into the gateway for the city.
A new proposed zoning ordinance that will be recommended to the city council, would bring in new businesses and exclude many others, like car washes and self-storage facilities.
In Cape Coral, people like Shannon Stingle say they notice two things on almost every road.
“Car washes, a lot of storage units,” said Stingle.
On Friday, other people like Elva -Helene Leonetti agree.
“A lot more car washes are being built, they are popping up everywhere, like wild mushrooms and also storage facilities,” said Leonetti.
Those businesses are what the planning and zoning committee said won't be allowed when they start to develop Burnt Store Road, north of Van Buren Parkway.
Considered a gateway to the city, the proposed rezoning map would allow commercial development on large plots of land that could include new restaurants and shopping centers for North-West Cape Coral.
A goal, planning and zoning officials said on Aug. 3 is to avoid what leaders called, "Del Pradoization."
The word, "Del Pradoization" refers to the road, Del Prado, where the planning and zoning commission said they want better landscaping for Burnt Store Road saying they want to example areas like Del Prado where parking lots meet the roadway.
Ideas that have been recommended to Cape Coral City Council, and are appealing to those who do take advantage of the city’s many car washes, like Leonetti.
“It's a hike to live there, to go anywhere. so it would be a definite plus," said Leonetti.
A Cape Coral spokesperson told me it will be up to the city council to approve the ordinance.
A decision the city isn't expected to complete until mid-2023.
