The Conditional Use Model Home Application is the City of Cape Coral form used to ask for approval of a model home as a temporary, conditional use. It is one of the Planning Division applications for a Cape Coral permit, handled by the Department of Development Services, City Planning Division. Owners, applicants and their authorized representatives use it when a home will be used to market a model design. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the city publishes the original at capecoral.gov.
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What is Conditional Use Model Home Application – Cape Coral, FL?
The Conditional Use Model Home Application is the City of Cape Coral form that asks the City Planning Division to approve a house as a model home, a temporary conditional use meant to market a model design or similar products.
Under the Article 5 language printed on the form, a model home is intended to facilitate the sale of the model design, or products similar in design to it. It is not meant to allow the full scope of real estate activities and is restricted primarily to the sale and marketing of the model. Model homes are permitted as a temporary, conditional use, not to exceed 10 years, in residential zoning districts (R1, RE, RML) or within a Planned Development (§ LDC 5.10.14).
The seven-page document combines several parts:
- a requirements checklist;
- property, owner, applicant and authorized representative information;
- a notarized signature page;
- an Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page for hearings before the Hearing Examiner and City Council;
- an Acknowledgement Form;
- the Model Home Site Conditional Regulations on parking, handicap standards, garage offices, signs and extensions.
Approval as a model home is recorded against the title. The form is not a building permit application and does not replace the other approvals the regulations mention, such as a Limited Site Development Plan for a model home parking lot.
Who needs to file Conditional Use Model Home Application – Cape Coral, FL?
Property owners, or applicants acting for them, who want a home in the City of Cape Coral approved as a model home file this application with the City Planning Division. The regulations on the form limit the use to residential zoning districts (R1, RE, RML) or a Planned Development.
- Owners. List every owner. If the property is not owned in a personal name (an LLC or corporation, for example), the owner signs all applicable forms in a corporate capacity, and the form asks for a copy of the corporation papers.
- Applicants. The Applicant Information block is for an applicant who differs from the owner.
- Authorized representatives. An owner can name the person who will make the presentation by completing the Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page. It covers the request before the Hearing Examiner and City Council.
- Garage-office models. Applicants who will use a garage as a model-home office must submit the extra plans and surety listed in the regulations.
The form is for model homes only. It is not for general real estate sales activity at the property.
When to file Conditional Use Model Home Application – Cape Coral, FL
File the application when you want a home approved as a model home; the form sets no calendar deadline. It must be complete when you submit it: the form says the application must be legible and all items must be provided at the time of submission.
Timing rules that follow approval are printed on the form. Any decision is subject to a thirty (30) day appeal period, and work done during that period or during an appeal is at the applicant's risk. Hearing dates are confirmed when you receive the Notice of Public Hearing. After the unit is approved, a temporary certificate of occupancy stays open for five years. The Director of Development Services may approve an extension, and the initial approval plus the maximum extension allow a cumulative 10 years.
Documents you need
- Application fee and additional recording fees, as item 1 of the checklist; ask the Planning Division for the amounts.
- Letter of intent stating the actual request.
- Acknowledgement Form with the owner's signature notarized.
- Applicant's portion of the request, typewritten, with the signature notarized.
- Copy of any deed restrictions, if there are deed restrictions on the property.
- Certified survey done within six (6) months, when the city requires it (the checklist says it MAY be required).
- Projected number of peak hour trips; a traffic impact study is required if more than 300 peak hour trips are projected.
- Development plan drawn to scale (not less than 1" = 50') showing dimensions, boundary lines, North arrow, legal description, buildings, setbacks, driveways, parking and traffic flow.
- Landscaping plan: continuous strip along all property lines and streets, single-family landscaping per Section 5.2.3.B.1, irrigation method, utility lines and easements.
- Copy of the corporation papers, if the owner is a corporation.
- Garage-office plans, only if a garage is used as a model-home office: the garage-office facility plan, the plan to return the garage to its original use and the refundable surety.
- Affidavit of authorization from the property owner, only if parking is planned on an adjacent parcel not owned by the applicant, plus the surety deposit.
- All other additional required supporting documents, as item 9 of the checklist.
How to fill out Conditional Use Model Home Application – Cape Coral, FL
Review the requirements checklist
On page 1, go through items 1 to 9 and gather each one: fee, letter of intent, notarized signatures, deed restrictions, survey, trip estimate, development plan, landscaping and other documents. Tick each item as you collect it.
Enter the property information
Under PROPERTY INFORMATION, fill in Project Name, Location/Address, Strap Number, Unit, Block, Lot(s), Plat Book, Page, Future Land Use and Current Zoning.
List every property owner
Under PROPERTY OWNER (S) INFORMATION, enter each owner's name, phone, email, address, city, state and ZIP. There are two owner blocks; list all owners.
Add applicant and representative details
Complete APPLICANT INFORMATION only if the applicant differs from the owner. Complete AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE INFORMATION only if you use one.
Complete the signature page
Enter the corporation or company name if applicable, type or print each owner's and the applicant's name, and sign. Do not fill in the notary block yourself; the notary completes it when the signatures are sworn.
Complete the Authorization to Represent page
Write the name of the person giving the presentation, the Unit, Block, Lot(s) and Subdivision or legal description, and have each property owner print their name and sign with their title.
Complete the Acknowledgement Form
Enter the day, month and year, the corporation or company name if any, and the owner's name and signature. The notary section is completed in front of the notary.
Check the model home regulations
Read the Model Home Site Conditional Regulations on pages 6 and 7 and confirm parking, handicap access and, for a garage office, the extra plans and surety.
Review, download and assemble
Check names, parcel details and signatures, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Assemble the package with the checklist items and submit it through the channels under How to submit.
How to submit Conditional Use Model Home Application – Cape Coral, FL
Submit the application to the City of Cape Coral Planning Division, preferably through the city's CSS online portal. The agency's applications page says applicants are encouraged to use the portal.
- Online: use the CSS online portal named on the city's Planning Division Applications and Documents page. The page notes that not every document is a fillable PDF yet.
- Questions: write to [email protected]. The form prints Tel. (239) 574-0553, Fax (239) 574-0591 and P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, FL 33915-0027 for the City Planning Division.
- After receipt: the city reviews the application for completeness and invoices it. The form says all fees, including advertising and recording costs, are submitted with the application; the amounts are not repeated here, so confirm them with the Planning Division.
The city says it will never request payment by electronic funds transfer, wire transfer or third-party payment apps such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or Zelle. Include the notarized pages and every attachment from the checklist. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting an incomplete or illegible application; the form says all items must be provided at the time of submission.
- Leaving signatures un-notarized; the form states that all signatures must be notarized.
- Handwriting the applicant's portion of the request when it must be typewritten.
- Skipping the traffic impact study when more than 300 peak hour trips are projected.
- Drawing the development plan at a scale smaller than 1" = 50' or leaving out the North arrow or legal description.
- Signing as an individual when the property is held by an LLC or corporation; the owner signs in a corporate capacity.
- Omitting the copy of deed restrictions when the property has them.
- Planning off-site parking on an adjacent lot without ownership or an affidavit of authorization and a surety deposit.
- Starting work during the 30-day appeal period and assuming it is protected; the form says that work is at the applicant's risk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Conditional Use Model Home Application in Cape Coral?
It is the City of Cape Coral City Planning Division form used to request approval of a model home as a temporary, conditional use. The use may not exceed 10 years and is allowed in R1, RE and RML residential districts or within a Planned Development.
How long can a model home operate in Cape Coral?
Not more than 10 years. After approval, a temporary certificate of occupancy stays open for five years, and the Director of Development Services may approve an extension; the initial approval plus the maximum extension allow a cumulative 10 years.
Does the Conditional Use Model Home Application have to be notarized?
Yes. The form says all signatures must be notarized. The signature page, the Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page and the Acknowledgement Form each include a notary block, and the checklist also asks for a notarized applicant's portion.
Do I need a traffic study for a Cape Coral model home?
Only in one case. You must give the projected number of peak hour trips, and a traffic impact study must be submitted if more than 300 peak hour trips are projected.
Can someone else represent me at the hearing?
Yes. Complete the Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page, naming the person giving the presentation. It authorizes that person to represent you before the Hearing Examiner and City Council; owners sign, and the signatures are notarized.
Is there a fee for the model home application?
Yes. The checklist lists an application fee and additional recording fees, and the Acknowledgement Form says you are responsible for all fees, including advertising and recording costs. Confirm the current amounts with the Planning Division at [email protected].
Where do I submit the model home application?
Through the CSS online portal, which the city's Planning Division page encourages for applications. For help, write to [email protected] or call (239) 574-0553. The city reviews it for completeness and then invoices it.
Can I fill out the Conditional Use Model Home Application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the City of Cape Coral and does not file the application; you submit it through the city's channels.
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