Cape panel to vote on farm animal, predator ban

[Reptscue]

By Pete Skiba
pskiba@news-press.com
Originally posted on July 31, 2007

Cape Coral city officials plan to consider outlawing cows, horses, chickens, turkeys, mules, horses, swine, pythons, boa constrictors and monitor lizards among other ... uh ... pets and wild animals at a 9 a.m. meeting tomorrow.

The city Planning and Zoning Commission plans to hear an ordinance about barring certain animals in residential areas and possibly recommend city council adopt the measure.

The meeting at 9 a.m. tomorrow in City Hall, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd., should be something to cluck, bray or oink about for people who keep those kind of pets.

In something more along the lines of a boater’s paradise, the commissioners also plan to discuss the the city’s plans to apply to the state for a $200,000 grant.

The grant if approved by the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program for the Chantry Canal Project.

Cape Coral contracted with Avalon Engineering for the design of a third saltwater boat ramp at Chantry Canal Park. As part of its mission to serve the boating-enthusiast portion of the city's 160,000 residents, Cape Coral City Council approved a parks and recreation request of $135,573 for the final design and permitting fees for the boat-launch site.

A grant of $1 million also came from Lee County to help build the facility.

The new boat ramp and park will sit on about 15 acres the city owns at the southernmost end of Southeast 24th Avenue on the canal and the Caloosahatchee River.

The two saltwater boat launch sites in operation, the Yacht Club and Horton Park, have 46 parking spots for boat trailers between them and they almost always are busy, said Mike Kalvort, parks and recreation deputy director.

In other business commissioners plan to consider:

Shops at Santa Barbara, a strip mall planned for 1346 Santa Barbara Blvd., across from Gulf Coast Village requesting to rezone vacated land build on it and possibly add parking.

Allowing self-storage units on 1-acre lots.

The News-Press, news-press.com, Cape Coral, Cape panel to vote on farm animal, predator ban

[Reptscue]

The thing I'd like to know is how animals and a boatramp have anything to do with each other.

[VoodooChile]

LOL Well they can't JUST have a meeting about banning horses, chickens, lizards, snakes, and whatever else without discussing something to MAKE MONEY.

[FLVenom]

The city council cannot do anything, FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission) has the exclusive jurisdiction over all exotic wildlife, as the city cannot over rule what FWC has complete jurisdiction over. What the city can try to do, is with zoning requirements about people who keep large cats in the neighborhood, but that's it.

[VoodooChile]

Someone apparently needs to inform these doodahs of that fact.

[flherp]

They might also need to consult the state as Florida has right to farm laws on the books. If the property on which the cows, horses, etc. are kept is agricultural property, local government cannot simply change its use by enacting new zoning or other new regulations.

See:
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0823/SEC14.HTM&Title=->2005->Ch0823->Section%2014#0823.14

[VoodooChile]

Well that is good news for those people, then..

[Varnyard]

Cape Coral city officials plan to consider outlawing cows, horses, chickens, turkeys, mules, horses, swine, pythons, boa constrictors and monitor lizards among other ... uh ... pets and wild animals at a 9 a.m. meeting tomorrow.

Horses must be a real threat, they said it twice, that is just too funny!! I can hear it now, I got jail time for having a chicken, LOLOLOL!!!