Smart Growth Lee

Memorandum

From

OFFICE OF THE COUNTY MANAGER

SMART GROWTH

I am requesting that we cancel the August 16 meeting, and convene September 20^th at the usual time and place.  The reason is that the EAR based plan amendments from other sections of County Government are still trickling in, but not in numbers sufficient for a meeting.  This should be remedied by September.

There has been progress on various County initiatives originating in or endorsed by Smart Growth Committee.

1.  Babcock Ranch I.  Just less than 74,000 acres have entered the public domain, 5200 in Lee County, which the County 2020 program also endorsed the purchase with County funds.  (August 1^st)

2.  Babcock Ranch II.  The remaining 17,000 acres are proposed to be developed, with approximately half being open space of various types, integral to the plan design.   The development will be part of a Development of Regional Impact (DRI), and the county has gone on record requiring the addressing of our smart growth recommendations on design, transportation, natural resources, and workforce housing.  The review process for this development is quite lengthy, and we have stated our approval vs. denial points fairly clearly.  The kick off meeting for the DRI was today, August 9^th.

3.  Water Quality.  The county has advertised for special assistance for Total Maximum Daily Load Reduction Planning.  The short list is to be reviewed by the Board August 15^th.

4.  Community Planning.  In pursuit of “Smart Villages” the Board will review a Smart Growth/DCD recommendation for Staff Initiated Special Planning Studies at its Management and Planning meeting on August 14^th.  The recommendations complement the Community Planning approach endorsed by the Smart Growth Committee, but covers those parts of the county with growth or redevelopment demand, but do not have an established community planning organization.

5.  North Fort Myers Community Plan.  The item (4) above spun out of the North Fort Myers Community Planning effort.  Over 30 North Fort Myers residents have formed themselves into an UNINCORPORATED association to promote better planning for North Fort Myers.  Not being a corporate body under state law, they are not eligible for planning funds under our normal community planning approach.  However, issues in North Fort Myers are compelling a response by county government to initiate preliminary work for some of those issues.  The North Fort Myers planning effort is a hybrid attempt to meet the approach in #4 above, and still have local citizen input and review drive the planning effort.

6.  Southwest Florida Feasibility Study.  This project is moving quickly, being our part of Everglades Restoration.  The Lee Master Mitigation Plan, developed through the Smart Growth initiative, served as the basis of the project identification and mapping of the SWFFS that is underway.  The agencies that participated in the Lee Master Mitigation Plan continued the approach through the SWFFS, under the energy of the several participants all deserving notice, but I will just note Dr. Lisa and Jim Beever.

Wayne Daltry, FAICP

Director, Smart Growth

239-335-2840, fax -335-2262