The Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application is the City of Cape Coral form, issued by the Department of Development Services, City Planning Division, to request approval to display merchandise outdoors. It is one of the Cape Coral permit applications published by the City Planning Division. Property owners, applicants and their authorized representatives use it when the display they want is not already allowed by the city's standards. 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 Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application – Cape Coral, FL?
The Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application is the City of Cape Coral, Florida, form used to ask for approval of an outdoor display of merchandise at a business property. It is issued by the Department of Development Services, City Planning Division.
The six-page package has four parts: a requirements checklist with the fee notice, property and contact information, a signature page with a notary block, and an Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page. It ends with Section 3.6.1, Outdoor Display of Merchandise, the city regulation that governs the request.
Under that section, outdoor display is prohibited in all residential districts except the A district, and in the P1, MX7, MXB, PV and INST districts. In the C, CC, NC, SC and A districts it is prohibited unless it meets the listed standards on improved property. Certain items, such as pre-bagged ice, propane or tires at auto repair businesses, may be displayed with an existing licensed business that retails them. All other outdoor display must be approved by the Special Magistrate after review at a public meeting, and the Special Magistrate may approve, deny or approve with conditions.
The form does not issue a building permit. It is a planning application that leads to that review.
Who needs to file Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application – Cape Coral, FL?
The main group is property owners, or applicants acting for them, who want to display merchandise outdoors in a way that needs Special Magistrate approval under Section 3.6.1. That is any outdoor display that is not one of the items the regulation lets an existing licensed business display where it retails them.
Other people who may be involved:
- Applicant (if different from owner). The form has its own applicant block.
- Authorized representative. A representative named on the form needs the Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page. If the representative is an attorney, the attorney may sign the application and the Acknowledgement Form, and no Authorization to Represent is required.
- Owners that are companies. If the owner does not own the property in his or her personal name, the owner signs all applicable forms in a corporate capacity, and a copy of the corporation papers goes to the City Planning Division.
Check the district first: the regulation prohibits outdoor display in residential districts other than the A district, and in the P1, MX7, MXB, PV and INST districts.
When to file Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application – Cape Coral, FL
File the application before you put out any merchandise that Section 3.6.1 does not already allow. The form prints no separate due date.
Timing after you file follows the form's notes. Advertising costs are billed to the applicant and must be paid before the hearing. The hearing date is confirmed when you receive the Notice of Public Hearing stating the day and time of any applicable hearings. The agency's page adds that, once an application is received, it is reviewed for completeness and invoiced. The form gives no processing time.
Displays tied to a special event approved under Article 5, Section 5.9.10 are outside the restriction, according to Section 3.6.1.
Documents you need
- Letter of Intent with the actual request and any reasonable limitations or special conditions for the display, to protect surrounding property and public health, safety and welfare.
- Applicant's portion of the request typewritten, with the signature notarized.
- A copy of any deed restrictions, if there are deed restrictions on the property.
- Development plan drawn to scale (not less than 1" = 50'), showing dimensions, boundary lines, north arrow, legal description and existing and proposed buildings.
- On the development plan: building setback distances and square footage, driveway locations and dimensions, and parking layout with number of spaces and traffic flow.
- Location, dimensions and quantity of each category of merchandise proposed to be displayed.
- Any additional information required by Display of Merchandise Regulation Section 3.1.16 (page 7), which the checklist refers to.
- Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s), notarized, when someone other than the owner or applicant acts for the owner; not required if the representative is an attorney.
- Copy of the corporation papers, if the owner is a corporation.
- Acknowledgement Form, which the form says must be signed by the owner or applicant along with the other forms.
How to fill out Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application – Cape Coral, FL
Check the requirements list
Page 1 lists five items with check boxes: Letter of Intent, typewritten and notarized applicant portion, development plan, merchandise description, and Section 3.1.16 information. Gather each before you fill in the form.
Enter the property information
Fill in Business Name, Location/Address, Strap Number, Unit, Block, Lot(s), Plat Book, Page, Future Land Use and Current Zoning.
List the property owners
Enter each owner's name, phone, email, address, city, state and ZIP. The form has two owner blocks, and the note on page 4 asks you to list all owners.
Add applicant and representative details
Complete the applicant block only if the applicant differs from the owner. Complete the authorized representative block only if one applies.
Complete the signature page
Enter the corporation or company name if applicable, then type or print each owner's name and the applicant's name with their signatures. All signatures must be notarized.
Fill in the notary block
Leave the notary section for the notary: state, county, date, name of signer, identification, expiration date, commission number, signature and printed name.
Complete the Authorization to Represent
If someone presents your request, enter their name, the Unit, Block, Lot(s) and Subdivision (or legal description), and the owners' printed names, signatures and titles. Have this page notarized too.
Prepare the attachments
Prepare the Letter of Intent, development plan, merchandise description and any deed restrictions or corporation papers, following the requirements list.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every entry against the checklist, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, sign it before a notary and submit the package through the channels described under How to submit.
How to submit Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application – Cape Coral, FL
The City Planning Division encourages applicants to submit through the CSS online portal. You can also contact the division at [email protected] for help with an application.
- Online: the City of Cape Coral's Planning Division page says applicants are encouraged to use the CSS online portal. It gives no direct link for this form.
- Contact details on the form: City Planning Division, Tel. (239) 574-0553, Fax (239) 574-0591, P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, FL 33915-0027. The form does not say how to deliver the application.
Once the application is received, the city reviews it for completeness and invoices it. An application fee applies, and the applicant also pays all required advertising costs, billed before the hearing, and the cost of mailed notice to all property owners within a 500-foot radius. Ask the City Planning Division for current amounts. The city says it never requests payment by electronic funds transfer, wire transfer or third-party payment apps such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or Zelle.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the city's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving any signature un-notarized; the form states that all signatures must be notarized.
- Handwriting the applicant's portion when the checklist says it shall be typewritten.
- Omitting a copy of the deed restrictions when the property has them.
- Drawing the development plan at a scale smaller than 1" = 50' or leaving out the north arrow, legal description or setback distances.
- Signing as an individual when the owner does not own the property in a personal name; the owner signs in a corporate capacity.
- Not listing all owners, or leaving out the corporation papers when the owner is a corporation.
- Placing displays in required parking or inside the required setbacks that Section 3.6.1 sets.
- Paying the application or advertising costs by wire, transfer or a payment app, which the city says it never requests.
- Skipping the Authorization to Represent page when a non-attorney representative will present the request.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Outdoor Display of Merchandise Permit Application?
It is the City of Cape Coral form, issued by the City Planning Division, used to request approval of an outdoor display of merchandise. Under Section 3.6.1, displays not listed as allowed must be approved by the Special Magistrate after review at a public meeting.
Is this a Cape Coral building permit?
No. The form is headed Department of Development Services, City Planning Division, and asks for approval of outdoor display of merchandise, not construction. It is one of the Cape Coral permit applications the Planning Division publishes; other permits use other forms.
Can I fill out the Cape Coral outdoor display permit application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not submit the application to the city; you submit it through the City Planning Division's channels, which encourage the CSS online portal.
Does the application have to be notarized?
Yes. The form states that all signatures must be notarized, and the checklist adds that the applicant's portion must be typewritten. The Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page also has its own notary block.
What do I need to attach to the application?
A Letter of Intent, a development plan drawn to scale (not less than 1" = 50'), and the location, dimensions and quantity of each category of merchandise. Add a copy of any deed restrictions and, for a corporate owner, the corporation papers.
Is there a fee for the outdoor display permit application?
Yes. The form lists an application fee, and the applicant also pays all required advertising costs, billed before the hearing, plus mailed notice to owners within 500 feet. Call the City Planning Division at (239) 574-0553 for amounts.
Can someone else sign the application for me?
Only the property owner or the applicant signs, unless you name an authorized representative on the Authorization to Represent page. If the representative is an attorney, the attorney may sign the application and Acknowledgement Form, and no Authorization to Represent is required.
Where do I send the Cape Coral outdoor display application?
The City Planning Division encourages submitting through the CSS online portal and answers questions at [email protected]. The form lists P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, FL 33915-0027, Tel. (239) 574-0553 and Fax (239) 574-0591 but gives no delivery instruction.
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