Cape Coral mobility-fee ordinance fails after weeks of debate and public pushback

Cape Coral City Council failed to adopt Ordinance 42-25, a city-initiated mobility plan and mobility fee intended to replace the city—s 2006 road impact fee, after a 4-4 vote on Sept. 3. The ordinance would have set a phased fee schedule for residential and nonresidential development and created a mobility plan that includes roadway, multimodal and transit projects through 2045.

City planners and a hired consultant told councilmembers the new mobility fee was based on a technical report and a 2045 plan of roadway, intersection and multimodal projects. "The mobility plan for the city ... includes a road and intersections plan, a multimodal plan, a transit plan, and several mobility programs," Jonathan Paul of New Urban Concepts told the council during the public hearing. Laura Dodd, the city—s principal transportation planner, described the ordinance as a repeal and replacement of the "antiquated" road impact fee.

The proposed fee would have varied by assessment area and land-use type and been phased in over four years. For a single-family detached dwelling, Council staff and consultants described a four-year phasing that would have raised the fee in the rest of the city…