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Toward a Greener Lee

Effective Planning Alternatives  for Rural Lee County

 

UPDATES FROM MORE RECENT PLANNING FOR THIS AREA:

 

This page provides information and links to "Toward a Greener Lee: Effective Planning Alternatives for Rural Lee County" - a preliminary planning study about southeast Lee County.

This study was conducted for the Estero Community Improvement Foundation,


		
  
		
		

		
Download the complete report by clicking
		here.

		

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

		
As the frontier of new growth moves deeper into rural and 
		environmentally sensitive lands, increasing attention must be paid to 
		the effects of that growth. Florida's current water shortages and 
		continuing destruction of natural resources indicate that much remains 
		to be done, especially in southeast Lee County. Most land there was 
		designated as a "Density Reduction / Groundwater Resource" (DR/GR) area 
		in 1990. 

		
The background and aftermath of the DR/GR designation is detailed in 
		Section 2 of this report. Since 1990, 35–40% of DR/GR land has lost this 
		protection without any comprehensive review of the cumulative effect of 
		those losses. Several shortcomings of the DR/GR designation result from 
		the area's sheer geographic size and amazingly diverse character. For 
		instance, a single set of regulations now applies to the entire area.
		


		

			

				

					Lee County is now 
					facing an influx of applications for major new mines in 
					areas previously used only for farming, nature preserves, 
					and rural residences. If many of the applications are 
					approved as proposed, DR/GR lands would be irrevocably 
					changed. Instead of an area whose natural resources and 
					opportunities for rural living were being protected from 
					suburban sprawl, this area would become an industrial zone. 
					Mining would take place perilously close to the Corkscrew 
					Swamp Sanctuary and other nature preserves, all to supply 
					limerock well beyond the current local markets for Lee 
					County's mines. 
					 
					
					
				

			

		

		
Historically, planning for rural areas has taken a backseat to urban 
		planning. Rural planning often starts and ends with requiring large lot 
		sizes and putting off all further consideration until growth pressures 
		become overwhelming. That approach is no longer acceptable in Lee 
		County. 

		
Every planning effort should start by asking the right questions. 
		Some of the important questions for planning in Lee County's rural areas 
		are highlighted here. Once the most important questions are formulated, 
		a successful planning process applies resources to find accurate answers 
		and to develop policy suggestions based on those answers. 


		

			

				In the past eight 
				years, major rural planning efforts have been undertaken by 
				coastal counties in south Florida: Sarasota, St. Lucie, Martin, 
				and Collier Counties. Each plan attempted to concentrate 
				development rights instead of requiring oversize lots in order 
				to preserve agricultural uses and protect natural resources. 
				These plans used widely varying techniques to achieve that goal. 
				Each plan is summarized in Section 3 of this report, and lessons 
				for Lee County are drawn in Section 4. 
				
				 
				
				
			

		

		
Lee County needs to actively review the DR/GR designation in 
		southeast Lee County. This review can be conducted in four parts: 

		
1. Understand the unique ecological character of the land. McLane 
		Environmental has just completed a review of technical studies of the 
		DR/GR area. Some data gaps remain, but the evidence is overwhelming that 
		in addition to irreplaceable groundwater resources, equally valuable 
		resources are above ground. The data gaps should be filled and DR/GR 
		policy revisions made to ensure these resources aren't obliterated or 
		lost piecemeal in coming years. 

		
2. Consider the land's potential for restoration and acquisition. 
		Farming practices have eliminated some native habitats and lowered 
		groundwater levels. However, this damage can be restored to re-create 
		natural flow-ways and repair drainage features that have lowered 
		historic water levels. Farmland should not be viewed as ruined land that 
		is now suitable only for development or mining. Preservation and 
		restoration of natural habitat should have the highest priorities. 

		
		
		

		
		

			

				

					3. 
					QUESTION: Is this the smart place for Lee County to grow? 
					When creating the DR/GR area in 1990, the Lee County 
					Commission answered this question NO. It was already clear 
					that the area's groundwater resources and Lee County's 
					tremendous surplus of land already allocated to growth made 
					urban expansion here unwise. The fundamental questions shown 
					below need to be answered before decisions can be made about 
					the future of the DR/GR area.
					;
					
					
				

			

		

		
4. QUESTION: How can mining best be integrated? Lee County responds 
		to each proposed mine through the rezoning process. Rezonings are 
		approved only for proposals that meet all Lee County requirements; there 
		is no guarantee of mining or other land uses that are not permitted by 
		current zoning. The rezoning process seemed adequate when mining served 
		only local markets. Lee County is now entering a new era where national 
		and international mining companies are trying to reserve future rights 
		for mining on a scale never before seen in Lee County. The decisions 
		made in the next two years will determine the future of DR/GR lands, not 
		just for the next generation or two when mining is taking place, but far 
		into the future. Completed mining pits will continue to influence 
		groundwater flows to and from public well fields, nearby wetlands, and 
		regional natural systems such as the Flint Pen Strand and Corkscrew 
		Swamp. Fortunately, Lee County need not (and cannot) approve any mine 
		applications that do not fully conform to county regulations. 

		
Lee County should assume in advance that the outcome of this effort 
		will be a healthy mix of planning techniques including new regulations, 
		incentives, and acquisition and restoration of land. 

		
This report concludes with specific suggestions for managing the 
		DR/GR planning process and for interim changes to the Land Development 
		Code.

		

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GET THE REPORT:
		

		
Bound copies of the complete report are now 
		available for $25 from the
		
		Estero Community Improvement Foundation.

		
A copy is also available on the reference shelf at 
		these public libraries: Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, East County 
		Regional, and South County Regional, call number REF 307.12 TOWARD.

		
Or download the complete report by clicking
		here.

		

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