BEYOND VISION 2025
Fellow residents,
The Burnt Store Marina Section 22 Board of Directors sends our best wishes for the health and happiness of all residents. Please join us in extending our appreciation and thanks to former board President, Mike McFeeley, for his years of service and leadership. Mike’s initiation and management of the Vision 2025 program have led to numerous improvements to our community. The goal and mission of the new board will be to build on this progress with an updated vision and new programs for the coming years.
The explosive growth both north and south of the Marina will double the local population in the next few years. This growth will add both opportunities and challenges for all of us. Traffic on Burnt Store Road continues to increase; Lee County currently has no plan to improve the 5.5-mile stretch of roadway from the Charlotte County line to Van Buren in Cape Coral until 2033. Along with our fellow neighbors and friends in the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition, we will continue to pursue answers. We encourage residents to attend County Commission meetings and express your concerns regarding safety, and the delays incurred by Lee County either in person or in writing.
Burnt Store Marina is a gated community with publicly available services. Our new neighbors will want to access our facilities, including the Burnt Store Marina Country Club, Linkside Café, Cass Cay Restaurant, The Trading Post, Platinum Point Yacht Club and Safe Harbor Marina. It is the Board of Directors’ responsibly to understand the impact of these developments, and manage our attractions in a manner that benefits all residents, and increases the appeal, and protects property values.
Last year we hired a professional community planning consulting firm to assist us with future planning. We learned a great deal regarding limitations on our growth and development due to Lee County zoning regulations and restrictions. For example, the Fitness Center lies in a flood zone, therefore cannot be expanded without being torn down and replaced. Linkside Café cannot be expanded without adding at least 29 new vehicle parking spaces. That was the bad news. The good news is that we may be able to augment the Fitness Center with a facility near the maintenance storage area and Barking Lot. There may also be ways by re-shaping the Country Club parking lot to add the necessary parking spaces. These are just some of the challenges we face over the coming year.
Safe Harbor Burnt Store has spent tens of millions of dollars repairing damage caused by Hurricane Ian and subsequent hurricanes. There is still much work to do in replacing bulkheads and new docks over the next few years. These repairs have caused delays in upgrading existing facilities, as well as implementation of the major building plans and services along Matecumbe Avenue. These improvements will include upgrades to Cass Cay Restaurant, The Trading Post and add additional services. When completed, the marina will be one of the finest yacht marinas in Southwest Florida.
The Platinum Point Yacht Club is initiating programs that will appeal to both current and new members. Whether you are into yachting, fishing, sailing, and kayaking, or enjoy social activities like Bridge, Mah Jongg, Yoga, Bunco, Jam Sessions, Happy Hours, Sunset Socials or Grill Nights with live music, there is something for everyone. PPYC is offering special financial incentives to new members. PPYC continues to host the weekly Farmer’s Market on Fridays, and will conduct its annual Pancake Breakfast on February 14. This event runs from 8-11 a.m. and is open to the public. On March 12 PPYC will hold its annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony and boat parade. All marina boaters are invited to register at PPYC to participate in this traditional yachting experience.
Entry management will also be challenging. Approximately 500,000 vehicles entered Burnt Store Marina during 2025. This number will continue to grow, and will put pressure on entry systems and roadways. Current plans call for the resurfacing of Cape Cole Boulevard later this year, which will complete the three-year, $1.5 million resurfacing program initiated two years ago. Systems will continue to be maintained and upgraded as necessary to service residents, commercial vehicles, and guests.
Your Board of Directors recently completed the most comprehensive Reserve Study ever done by this community. The item forecasted to be of most concern over the next 10+years is our under-ground water systems. The systems are 30+ years old, and require continuing maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. We invested about a half million dollars on two new wells last year; one well for the golf course and one for community irrigation. These wells should assure us adequate supply of water for years to come.
We will also review and update metering and billing systems for all the irrigation systems. The meters are old and sometimes malfunction. All meters are read monthly, and residents are billed accordingly. We believe we can improve this system and reduce expenses in the process.
Fortunately, there were no hurricanes this past year. Just to be safe, your Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) has continued to grow and expand. There are now 25 members of the team, distributed throughout the Marina. Radios have been upgraded for better communication, and a satellite antenna has been added at Linkside Café.
There are also over one-hundred residents who have completed the American Heart Association Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification over the past two years. There are also 23 Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) strategically placed throughout the Marina. Please note those AEDs located nearest to you for future reference in case of an emergency. The AED locations are listed on the bsm22.org website. We plan on scheduling new training classes or renewal classes during February.
Your community is managed by dozens of volunteers. We encourage all residents to take part in the entities that control our destiny, including board positions on HOAs and condos, and the committees whose success will determine our future and/or by attending monthly board of director meetings.
The future of Burnt Store Marina looks bright; however, the responsibility is on each of us to meet our challenges head on and develop programs that enhance the wonderful community we call home. The goal of your Board of Directors is to protect our property values, maintain a beautiful, safe community, and avoid any unpleasant financial surprises. We plan to do this by expanding and modernizing amenities, upgrading community infrastructure, and ensuring that our community is appealing and sustainable.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
