Residents press city to preserve old Cape Coral golf course; staff signals robust public process

Residents and conservation advocates urged the council on May 7 to protect the old Cape Coral Golf Course and to prioritize conservation and passive uses in future plans.

Lori House, representing Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, told council she and her group have conducted bird and mammal surveys and urged the city to commit as much of the site as possible to a preserve or passive-park uses. House referenced earlier community action — a “Save Our Recreation” petition effort — and asked city leaders to heed public preferences for conservation and ecotourism components.

Resident David Halsey suggested relocating some yacht club-related elements to the golf-course site to avoid building flood-prone structures at the yacht club and to save on costs by reusing existing design plans. Several other speakers urged the council to use a careful, open public-engagement process and noted the site’s existing wildlife value.

City Manager Mike Schneider thanked speakers and said staff will treat the old golf course as an opportunity for an inclusive, extensive public-involvement effort. He said staff plans surveys and town halls (referencing prior 2019 community engagement for the yacht club) and expects a larger scale process for the golf-course planning, with cross-agency and stakeholder input.

Council members expressed support for public input and noted the site’s potential as a regional park; they also said final land use and amenities will depend on design, funding and permit constraints.