The Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application is the form the City of Cape Coral Planning and Zoning Division uses to take requests to rezone a site to a PUD district and, where required, to approve its Master Concept Plan. Owners, applicants and their authorized representatives use it for residential, commercial, industrial, mixed use or public facilities projects. It is one of the Planning Division applications for Cape Coral permits and approvals. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the city publishes the original and receives the application through its own channels.
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What is Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application – Cape Coral, FL?
The Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application is the City of Cape Coral form used to request rezoning of a site to a PUD zoning district, together with Master Concept Plan approval where required, so that land can be developed as a cohesive unit.
The form is issued by the Department of Development Services, City Planning Division. Its 12 pages combine the application itself with the signature, acknowledgement and notary pages, an authorization to represent the property owner(s), a documentary evidence statement, and the PUD regulations from Section 3.4.7 of the city's Land Development Code.
Completing it starts a two-part approval: a rezone to the PUD district, which sets densities, intensities and permitted uses, and a Master Concept Plan (MCP), which sets design, layout and dimensional standards. Each PUD is rezoned to one of five districts, which you mark on the form: RPUD (Residential), CPUD (Commercial), IPUD (Industrial), MXPUD (Mixed use) or PFPUD (Public Facilities).
The form lists nine items to include as exhibits, among them a Letter of Intent, the MCP, a Traffic Impact Statement and an environmental survey. A decision on the request is subject to a thirty (30) day appeal period, and hearings are held before the Hearing Examiner and City Council.
It is a zoning and planning application. It is not a building permit, a site plan or a certificate of occupancy.
Who needs to file Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application – Cape Coral, FL?
Property owners, or applicants acting for them, who want land in the City of Cape Coral rezoned to a PUD district use this application.
- Sites under 10 acres: the application must include a request to rezone along with Master Concept Plan approval.
- Sites of 10 acres or more: the request may be for the rezone only, without an MCP reviewed at the same time.
- Minimum parcel size (LDC Section 3.4.7): one acre for a non-residential or mixed-use PUD; three acres for all other PUDs.
- Owners who hold title through a company: if the owner does not own the property in a personal name, the owner signs in a corporate capacity, and the city asks for a copy of the corporation papers.
- Representatives: the Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page names the person authorized to present the request before the Hearing Examiner and City Council. All owners must be listed.
The form also contains a section for amendments to an approved PUD in its regulations, but the application pages themselves are written for a new PUD request.
When to file Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application – Cape Coral, FL
A pre-application conference with the city is required before you submit a PUD application, and the form asks for the Pre-Application Meeting Date on page 1. File the application after that meeting. The form sets no calendar deadline of its own.
After you submit, hearing dates are confirmed when you receive the Notice of Public Hearing. Copies of all documentary evidence you intend to present must be made available to the decision-making body or Hearing Examiner and to staff no later than three business days before the hearing.
Any decision is subject to a thirty (30) day appeal period. After approval, you must pay the city to record the final signed Resolution or Ordinance with the Lee County Clerk of Court; until that fee is paid, restrictions on issuing City permits stay on the property.
An approved MCP becomes null and void if no Site Development Plan, building permit for vertical construction or subdivision plat is approved within 10 years, unless City Council approves an extension. A PUD may receive one two-year extension.
Documents you need
- Letter of Intent as a separate exhibit: request to rezone, general project description, why a PUD is more desirable than a conventional plan, and general site description with acreages.
- PUD Master Concept Plan as a separate exhibit: location of uses, dimensional standards, vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle circulation, open space, landscape and buffer plans, and off-site improvements.
- Phasing plan, only if applicable to the project.
- Sample formation of an HOA or other organization to operate and maintain open space and other on-site public or private improvements.
- Legal description of the property if it lies in a platted subdivision recorded in the Lee County plat book.
- If the property is not in a platted subdivision: a copy of the legal description, a certified survey of the site, and an electronic copy of the legal description in WORD format.
- Traffic Impact Statement estimating peak P.M. hour vehicle trips, based on the most recent ITE Trip Generation Manual.
- Traffic Impact Study, only if estimated P.M. hour trips exceed 300; you must also contact DCD to schedule a methodology meeting.
- Table or schedule of proposed uses and dimensional requirements: all uses including accessory, residential density, nonresidential areas in sq. ft., setbacks, building height and habitable floors.
- Environmental survey of the site.
- Copy of corporation papers, if the owner is a corporation.
- Notarized signatures on the application, Acknowledgement Form, Documentary Evidence page and, if used, the Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s).
How to fill out Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application – Cape Coral, FL
Enter the pre-application meeting date
On page 1, write the date of your required pre-application meeting with the city in the Pre-Application Meeting Date line.
Mark the type of PUD
At item 5, check one box: RPUD, CPUD, IPUD, MXPUD or PFPUD, matching the proposed development.
Answer the platted subdivision question
At item 6, check Yes and provide the legal description if the property is in a platted Lee County subdivision. Check No and attach the legal description and certified survey if it is not.
Complete the property information
Enter the project name, location or address, Strap Number, Unit, Block, Lot(s), Plat Book, Page, Future Land Use and Current Zoning.
List owners, applicant and representative
Give name, phone, email, address, city, state and ZIP for each owner, for the applicant if different from the owner, and for an authorized representative if applicable.
Sign the application before a notary
Enter the company name if applicable and the owner and applicant names and signatures, then have the notary block completed. All signatures must be notarized.
Complete the Acknowledgement Form
Fill in the day and month, the company name if any, the owner's printed name and signature, and the notary block.
Authorize a representative if needed
Enter the name of the person presenting at the hearings, the Unit, Block, Lot(s) and Subdivision or legal description, and each owner's printed name, signature and title, with notarization.
Sign the documentary evidence page
The owner or applicant prints a name, signs to agree to provide documentary evidence three business days before the hearing, and has the signature notarized.
Assemble exhibits and download the PDF
Prepare exhibits 1 to 9, check every entry, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and submit it through the channels under How to submit.
How to submit Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application – Cape Coral, FL
The city's Planning Division page encourages applicants to submit online through the CSS online portal; it lists [email protected] for help with an application.
- Online: use the CSS online portal linked from the Planning Division Applications and Documents page on capecoral.gov.
- Questions: email [email protected]. The form header also lists the City Planning Division at Tel. (239) 574-0553, Fax (239) 574-0591 and P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, FL 33915-0027. The form does not state a mailing address for submitting the application.
Include every exhibit from items 1 to 9 with the application, and make sure the signature pages are notarized. The Planning Division page says that once an application is received it is reviewed for completeness and invoiced. The form itself says all fees are submitted to the City of Cape Coral with the application. A fee applies, including administrative review, public hearing, advertising and recording costs; ask the Division for current amounts. The city states it will never request 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 channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting before holding the required pre-application conference with the city, or leaving the Pre-Application Meeting Date blank.
- Applying for a site under 10 acres without a Master Concept Plan; those applications must include a rezone request along with MCP approval.
- Leaving any of the nine exhibits out, or not presenting items 1 to 9 as separate exhibits.
- Not checking the type of PUD (RPUD, CPUD, IPUD, MXPUD or PFPUD) or the platted-subdivision Yes/No box in item 6.
- Omitting the certified survey or the WORD copy of the legal description when the property is not in a platted subdivision.
- Signing without a notary; the form states that all signatures must be notarized.
- Signing in a personal name when the owner holds the property through a company, or not listing all owners on the authorization page.
- Bringing documentary evidence to the hearing without making copies available to staff three business days before it.
- Overlooking the recording fee after approval, which keeps restrictions on City permits on the property until it is paid.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cape Coral Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application?
It is the City of Cape Coral form for requesting a rezone to a PUD district and, where required, Master Concept Plan approval. It is issued by the City Planning Division and covers five PUD types: residential, commercial, industrial, mixed use and public facilities.
Do I need a Master Concept Plan with my PUD application?
Yes if the site is under 10 acres: the application must include a request to rezone along with Master Concept Plan approval. For sites of 10 acres or greater, you may request a rezone only.
Does the form have to be notarized?
Yes. The form states that all signatures must be notarized, and the notary block says the oath may be taken by physical presence or online notarization. The application, Acknowledgement Form, Documentary Evidence page and any representative authorization each carry a notary block.
Are there fees for a PUD application in Cape Coral?
Yes. The form lists an administrative review fee, a public hearing fee, advertising costs billed before the hearing, and a recording fee after approval. Amounts are printed on the form and may change; confirm them with the Planning Division at (239) 574-0553 or [email protected].
Will PUD approval let me get a Cape Coral building permit?
Not by itself. The form says that until the fee to record the final Resolution or Ordinance with the Lee County Clerk of Court is paid, restrictions remain that prevent the city from issuing building permits, site plans, certificates of use or certificates of occupancy for the property.
When do I need a Traffic Impact Study?
When your Traffic Impact Statement estimates more than 300 peak P.M. hour vehicle trips, based on the latest ITE Trip Generation Manual. You must also contact DCD to schedule a methodology meeting.
Can someone else present my request at the hearing?
Yes. Complete the Authorization to Represent Property Owner(s) page naming the person giving the presentation to the Hearing Examiner and City Council. Every owner is listed, signs and has the signature notarized; for a corporation, supply corporation papers.
Can I fill out the PUD application online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the fillable 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's channels.
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