I make it my job to be on top of what affects my customers in making a buying decision on waterfront property. To that end, I do my best to know what is happening with the Bird Section Cut Through To Alligator Creek. This has been an ongoing process for a long time but continues to make progress. It gets local newspaper coverage and occasionally television coverage. When you involve local politicians, wildlife officials and local property owners in making the decisions on whether this idea is feasible you certainly get a lot of “cooks in the kitchen” so to speak.
First, I have seen the naming of this project take on many titles: Additional Harbor Access Project, Alligator Creek Bypass and most recently Bird Key Cut Through (which is not accurate, because there is not a bird key that I know of in the bird section of Punta Gorda Isles). With all of this aside, here are the basics that I have deciphered from reading many sources on the topic. First, the City of Punta Gorda has funded and continues to fund this effort which is a very good thing to have the city behind it. Secondly, the city has decided on the cost of the special assessment, $501 dollar per waterfront household with less than 85 feet of waterfrontage (over 85 feet than the assessment amount is doubled best I can figure). I think it is fine they figured out a cost to the property owners but the project is far from being approved.
At this time, there are many opinions coming from different directions: An Economist Firm, a Law Firm, a Environmental Firm and City Officers to name a few. The economist opinion is that property values will go way up to those property owners that benefit the most from it. But how to you determine who foots the bill? Basically, my understanding is they have drawn an imaginary line of demarcation that splits the boat ride time to Ponce to be equal to the boat ride time to Alligator Creek. Seems fair at first glance but no one really knows if this will increase their property values. From my professional standpoint, I wonder if significantly reducing the boat ride time in the Bird Section, which is quite large, will end up devaluing the property values elsewhere in the Isles where they benefit from their short boat ride location. Essentially, saturating the market will equivalent properties. Just some food for thought.
To finish the subject at hand there are several major crossroads on this project as follows:
There are unincorporated water accessed units (WAUs) that needs to be paid and who will pay it.
There is a church that will incur significant cost at over $16,000.
There is a piece of land privately owned that is under negotiation.
The US Army Corp of Engineers needs to approve the project.
The National Marine Fisheries Service needs to approve the project.
The good news is that there has been tremendous progress made and there is good forward momentum. It will certainly be a very long time to know if this project will ever happen.
