FL - Islands give opinion on possible bill for Captiva
Island stakeholders voiced support for proposed legislation designating Captiva as a conservation area, while also expressing continued opposition to county-proposed changes that eliminate the island’s current building height and density limitations.
At the Lee County Legislative Delegation’s meeting on Nov. 30 in Fort Myers, area representatives from the Florida House and Senate heard about the possible bill to create a Captiva Island Conservation Area. The legislation would place the question on the ballot as a referendum for voters to decide on.
Rep. Adam Botana (R-District 80), who has offered to sponsor the bill, opened the discussion by explaining that the draft legislation was brought to him after the delegation’s last meeting. He spoke to Captiva and Sanibel constituents, who raised concerns about Captiva’s growth as a barrier island.
Currently, Lee County is proposing amendments to the Lee Plan and Land Development Code that would remove existing regulations and allow for increased building heights and density on the island.
Botana explained that the county had to submit the proposed changes to the state for review, and one agency provided a written opinion in response that they appeared to fly a “false flag” of resilience.
“That this was done pretty much for a developer, not for resilience,” he said of the amendments and the feedback from the Florida Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Community Planning and Growth.
_____________________
Read also
'You're gonna ruin the village': Siesta Key residents continue to push back against high-density hotel plan, WTSP.com / Dec 2, 2023
____________________
“So that is one of the main reasons that we have this bill,” Botana added.
A discussion item only on the agenda, the delegation opened the floor to public comment. Nearly 40 attendees spoke on the proposed legislation, with the majority asking for its support and passage.
“We need your help to maintain our current building heights and density requirements,” Captiva Civic Association Land Use Committee Chair and Protect Captiva Coalition member Lisa Riordan said.
The coalition is a group of organizations and individuals opposed to the county’s changes.
“And when I say we that includes the Captiva Community Panel, the civic association, the Captiva businesses and Realtors, Captiva Chapel by the Sea, the 12 South Seas condominium associations, the SanCap Chamber of Commerce, Sanibel City Council, the SCCF (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation), “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Society, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) and over 13,000 petitioners who signed a petition to send to the county board of commissioners,”she continued. “All in favor of keeping what we have in place and all for six months have loudly expressed our position in opposition to changes to no avail.”
“We thank you for this legislation and please support the bill to help us,” Riordan added.
