Cape Coral, FL Approves Self-Storage Moratorium

Posted by Modern Storage Media on Apr 18, 2024 5:40:00 PM

UPDATE: APRIL 18, 2024

Cape Coral council members have voted yes to no longer accepting applications for self-storage facilities. Applications pending before this vote will not be impacted.

The self-storage moratorium will end on April 17, 2025.

Councilmembers can also shorten the time frame if they feel it is necessary in the future. They told media outlets that it was a difficult decision because they are supporters of property rights, "but also support smart growth in Cape Coral."

PREVIOUS STORY: MARCH 20, 2024, "Cape Coral, FL Considers Self-Storage Moratorium"

Last year, in a unanimous decision, the city of Cape Coral, Fla. had approved a moratorium on new self-storage facilities until January 2024 (read about the temporary self storage ban here). This nine-month period was designed to halt self-storage expansion and give city leaders time to consider and/or adopt new regulations around the construction of self-storage facilities.

Now that the period is over, ordinances that would impose a moratorium on new self-storage facilities and car washes will be introduced at a Cape Coral city council meeting later today. Should the ordinances advance to a second public hearing, the city would no longer accept applications for, or issue permits for, any new self-storage or car wash facility within any zoning district in the city.

According to Ordinance 15-24, there is approximately 1.5 million square feet of existing self-storage space in Cape Coral and 1.6 million square feet in the permitting process or under construction. The ordinance states, “in order to prevent the proliferation of self-storage facilities consuming essential commercial property, too fast, in close proximity to one another, it is necessary to study the issue to determine the numbers and locations that are appropriate to the city.”