County board signs off on controversial changes for Captiva
The Lee County Commission approved amendments to the Lee Plan that removed the building height limitations on Captiva, despite strong continued opposition from Captiva and Sanibel stakeholders.
At its Zoning and Comprehensive Plan Amendment Hearing on Dec. 6, the board voted 4-1 for proposed changes to the Captiva chapter of the county’s comprehensive plan that eliminated language calling for “one and two story building heights” and the date when the regulations were created.
District 1 Vice Chairman Kevin Ruane cast the sole dissenting vote.
After hours of public comment from over three dozen speakers — the majority of them asking for the amendments to be denied — some commissioners shared their thoughts before the vote was called.
“What you have here is a lot of anxiety. What you have here is a lot of uncertainty,” Ruane said, referring to concerns repeatedly voiced by those opposed about increased density and intensity of use as a result of the changes. “The concern for fire, water, environment is certainly there, and the concern that they all have is ‘How do we deal with those issues?’ We’re also trying to actually adapt to water quality as best as we can as an opportunity for the Captivans to hook up to the (Sanibel) Donax Plant.”
“The concern I have is I’ve heard enough conflicting statements — I hope for resiliency and not density,” he continued. “I wish that South Seas has the greatest success possible, but in the same token the uncertainty has created where we are today and the uncertainty has created a lot of anxiety, and we’ve had enough people obviously contradict one another. I tried, and I thank this board for allowing us to have expanded deliberations and conversations, but I still think we’re not there and I will not be supporting this.”
District 3 Commissioner Ray Sandelli shared that the board represents the entire county.
“So my constituency is all of Lee County,” he said, adding that they are trying to do something consistent and protective for everyone post-Hurricane Ian. “I feel pretty comfortable with my vote.”
District 2 Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass also spoke to the storm.
“We’re all here because a hurricane hit last year. We’re trying to fix a problem and that’s why this was brought up in the first place,” he said, noting that he supported the amendments when they were initially presented in June by county staff. “Here we are months later, I was hoping that we could have got to a better place.”
Pendergrass pointed to the concerns raised about traffic, density, water, sewer and such.
“Those issues are done in the development stage order or zoning issue,” he said.
During public comment, those who spoke out in opposition to the amendments included residents, businesses, officials and organizations from both islands. Some entities represented were the Captiva Civic Association, Captiva Community Panel, Sanibel City Council, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, SanCap Resilience, Committee of the Islands, Lee County Chapter of the Climate Reality Project and Sierra Club Calusa Group. Many of those are also Protect Captiva Coalition members.
Those who spoke in favor of the changes included the South Seas owners group — the Timbers Company, The Ronto Group or Wheelock Street Capital — and its attorneys, consultants and staff.
Timbers Chief Executive Officer Greg Spencer, who also serves as president for the owners group, addressed South Seas possibly seeking 75-foot buildings when it does submit a planned development.
“We’ve said repeatedly that we are not going to ask for 75 feet, that we are fine with the 45-foot measurement and, frankly, when we do submit our zoning application that’s what we’ll submit,” he said.
To reach TIFFANY REPECKI / trepecki@breezenewspapers.com, please email