Fort Myers Beach Comprehensive Plan

Residents created the Town of Fort Myers Beach (FL) in 1995 to take control of land-use decisions from Lee County. Spikowski Planning was the lead consultant for a highly participatory process that produced an entirely new comprehensive plan.

The new comprehensive plan revolved around a community design element that allowed the plan to bridge a major gap between the economic interests of its tourist economy and the many local residents who fervently opposed any further development. Assisting Spikowski Planning were Carol Cunningham & Associates; Dover, Kohl & Partners; Smith·Osborne Associates; Mohsen Salehi Consulting Services; and Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. This Comprehensive Plan became effective on January 1, 1999.

The entire Comprehensive Plan is now available on-line from the town's web site. Also, the entire plan, as amended through Ordinance 10-07, can be downloaded here; or just the original existing and future land-use maps; or just the revised future land-use map with the amendments that took effect on July 22, 2004 and another map amendment that took effect in 2010. Those with a printed copy of the entire plan can download replacement pages here that reflect changes made by Ordinance 09-03, and replacement pages that reflect changes made by Ordinances 10-02 and 10-07.

Those interested in individual chapters of the plan can download just those chapters here (these chapters include all changes made through Ordinances 10-02 and 10-07):

• Cover Page (with table of contents)
• Title Page
• Introduction — 1
• “Envisioning Tomorrow’s Fort Myers Beach” — 2
• Community Design Element — 3
• Future Land Use Element — 4
• Coastal Management Element — 5
• Conservation Element — 6
• Transportation Element — 7
•     Transportation Appendix A
•     Transportation Appendix B
• Utilities Element — 8
• Stormwater Management Element — 9
• Recreation Element — 10
• Capital Improvements Element — 11
• Housing Element — 12
• Historic Preservation Element — 13
• Intergovernmental Coordination Element — 14
• Procedures and Monitoring — 15
• Public Schools Element — 16

Those interested in the entire plan can also purchase a printed copy with the land-use maps from the Town of Fort Myers Beach. A printed copy is also available for review at the reference desk of the Fort Myers Beach Public Library. A wall-sized copy of the future land use map can be purchased from this web site or may be downloaded here.

See other sections of this website for details on amendments to this plan since it was adopted.

The Fort Myers Beach Comprehensive Plan received an award from the Florida Planning and Zoning Association as an "outstanding public report" for 1999.