Waterfront homeowners looking to protect their boats from the weather will benefit from a pair of modifications to the city of Cape Coral’s regulations.

Cape Coral City Council approved a slightly raised boat canopy height and also allowed one additional canopy on properties that have more than 80 feet of water frontage during its special Wednesday meeting.

Councilmember Bill Steinke, who spearheaded the effort, said the minor changes were a response for the citizens to have the opportunity to lift their boats higher away from the water, as many boats were displaced off their lift cradles during Hurricane Ian. He said the city also wanted to separate the span of canopies into two with the correct water frontage.

Steinke said canopy placements will not cause any additional infringe on neighboring properties.

The changes include verbiage to “only one canopy may be permitted per parcel.” According to the ordinance, “on single-family residential properties which have a water frontage length greater than 80′, a second boat canopy is permitted provided that the maximum combined area of all boat canopies permitted on the property do not exceed nine times the length of the property’s water frontage, or 1,500 square feet, whichever is less.”

The other addition includes “no boat canopy, when measured at its highest point, shall extend more than 20′ from the mean high-water line of the waterway or 16′ above the grade of the decking of the attached marine improvement, whichever is less.”

There may be one more consideration of the measure, which passed 7-0 with Councilmember Jessica Cosden excused from the meeting.

Mayor John Gunter said the public hearing for ordinance 56-24 was initially scheduled for Dec. 4 during a regular council meeting. He said it would have given the new council members an opportunity to weigh-in on the topic as well.

“I will make sure I am on the prevailing side and ask for a reconsideration vote on the meeting on the 20th to give council members an opportunity to weigh in on this discussion,” Gunter said.