Miyoshi Price
•9/2/2026
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral City Council approved spending up to $500,000 to address a sinking section of NW 16th Terrace, but the emergency funding will stop where public property ends — leaving a homeowner directly in front of the problem searching for another way to repair his badly damaged driveway.
The roadway depression is in front of 1521 NW 16th Terrace and is approximately 80 feet wide. City documents say the roadway continues to subside with “no indication that the movement has stopped.” Engineers recommended compaction grouting at 12 locations, reaching an average depth of approximately 40 feet, to stabilize the ground before the road is repaved.
Public Works Deputy Director and Chief Engineer Bill Corbett told WINK News that preliminary findings are also giving the city a better idea of why the ground is sinking.
“We're still waiting on the final issued report from our geotechnical consultant, but at this point in time, they are citing the subsidence being caused by the shallow levels of the aquifer,” Corbett said.
Corbett said the geotechnical investigation has been underway for roughly two and a half months and involved different phases of testing. Engineers studied the layers of soil underground, including their density and material type.
City money will repair the road, not Johnson's driveway
For Jack Johnson, who has lived in his home for more than six years, approval of the emergency funding brings mixed news.
Johnson's driveway sits directly in front of the section of road being repaired. He says his driveway has sunk, cracked and separated as the problems outside his home have worsened. Johnson told WINK News he has already spent approximately $17,000 trying to level the driveway. He said the repair initially looked good, but within about a week, the driveway had sunk again.
Johnson believes replacing it could now cost approximately $100,000.
“I get Social Security and my disability from the post office, which I'm retired from, and I'm 100% disabled veteran,” Johnson said. “So, as far as money goes, I get the same check every month.”
Johnson said the damage has progressed to the point where he cannot get his vehicle into one of his garages. He also described large cracks throughout the driveway and said portions have dropped significantly.
Although the city has approved hundreds of thousands of dollars for the road immediately in front of Johnson's property, Councilman Bill Steinke told WINK News that those public dollars cannot simply be extended to repair Johnson's driveway.
“The resolution that we were dealing with is for city property,” Steinke said. “Residential property, the city has nothing to do with how it is — how something's repaired or how something is developed there. That is always up to the property owner.”
Steinke said using city money to repair Johnson's property could also establish a precedent for the city paying for problems on other residential properties.
Councilmembers turn to Builders Care for possible help
Instead, councilmembers have worked to connect the Johnson family with Builders Care, the nonprofit arm of the Lee Building Industry Association.
Steinke said he approached the organization after learning about Johnson's situation and knowing that the city itself would not be repairing the private property.
“I informed them of the situation that we were having, and that the citizen — we had a citizen in need, and the citizen was a veteran, and would they be willing to help out?” Steinke said.
Steinke said Builders Care and Johnson have since connected and Johnson is going through the organization's application process.
Johnson confirmed he received the application and plans to complete it. However, he worries that money he has saved from selling his previous home could make him ineligible for assistance, even though he says those savings are part of what he and his wife rely on in retirement.
Builders Care assistance is therefore not guaranteed. Steinke acknowledged that the nonprofit has eligibility requirements.
“Builders Care, their objective is to help, so in any way that they can, as he would fill out the application and meet the criteria, I'm sure they'll do whatever they can to see that he does,” Steinke said.
What happens if the city's repair makes Johnson's problem worse?
Another concern raised during discussions was what happens if the city repairs the roadway but the settlement continues — or Johnson experiences additional problems on his property.
When asked specifically what would happen if the city's repair does not stop the problem and conditions on Johnson's property worsen, Steinke said he could not guarantee what would happen.
“That would all be hypothetical at this point. I can't make any, you know, guarantees of what would happen next,” Steinke said.
Steinke maintained the distinction between public and private property.
“If this were to continue on the private property, then the property owner would have to deal with the means by which he could address how it affected his property,” Steinke said.
He added that if he or other city leaders know of outside resources that could help a resident, they would work to point that person toward those resources.
For Johnson, the uncertainty is particularly concerning because he fears the sinking could eventually threaten more than his driveway.
“That's our biggest concern,” Johnson said when asked whether he worries the problem could move toward his house. “If it gets any worse, I would have to tear the driveway out to keep it from hurting the house.”
What happens next
The city's plan calls for injecting lightweight concrete underground to provide support beneath the roadway before it is repaved. Corbett told WINK News the city hopes to get a contractor to the site within the next few weeks.
The approved $500,000 is a not-to-exceed amount, not necessarily the final cost. City documents say the amount of grout needed cannot be known until work begins because of variable subsurface conditions.
Public Works also told WINK News there are other areas of Cape Coral experiencing settlement, but none are currently at the level of this location. Corbett said other areas have been settling for decades, while the NW 16th Terrace location developed much faster, making it materially different.
For Johnson, however, the city's road repair does not resolve the financial question waiting on the other side of the property line.
“All I want is it fixed,” Johnson said. “I don't want to sue anybody. I just want my driveway fixed, and along with that street.”
