Captiva Community Panel works to save Captiva Plan from elimination
The possible elimination of community plans, the Captiva Community Panel president called “pretty heartbreaking” during its Tuesday meeting.
The ability for communities throughout unincorporated Lee County have had the chance to formulate community planning over the course of decades, which includes Captiva.
“Hopefully there will be a plan of action countywide,” Captiva Community Panel President David Mintz said of a lobbying effort, marketing or public education. “I think our job is working with our commissioner to protect as much of the code that affects Captiva — determine what the changes are and do anything we can to protect the provisions that protect the island.”
The changes to the community plans, he said all happened very quickly.
Last spring, he said, the Board of County Commissioners asked county staff to review the code and plans of 17 community plans throughout Lee County and get rid of any efficiencies, duplications, and various other things that make it confusing for people.
“There was no specificity as to what they should be doing other than taking a look at it and make suggestions and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners,” Mintz said.
Fast forward, on Aug. 25 the staff presented their recommendations of the changes to the plans and codes — a document of about 300 odd pages that included major changes to the Lee Plan and the Land Development Code. The Local Planning Agency, a citizen advisory committee to the Board of County Commissioners, was tasked to review the changes. During that Monday, Aug. 31 meeting, the Local Planning Agency approved transmittal by a 4-2 vote.
Mintz said at a Sept. 3 meeting, a zoning hearing for the Board of County Commissioners, regarding a separate matter unrelated, Commissioner Kevin Ruane said the document was too large, and happening too quickly for the community plans.
Mintz said Ruane made a motion to change the Sept. 16 meeting to Oct. 7 for the transmittal meeting of the community plans. He said the Oct. 7 meeting probably will not take place either because of scheduling issues.
The Executive Regulatory Oversight Committee met Wednesday, Sept. 9, and the Land Development Code Advisory Committee was scheduled to met Friday, Sept. 11.
The Board of County Commissioners are slated to vote on the transmittal Oct. 7. A tentative meeting is scheduled Oct. 20 for the first public hearing for LDC Amendments and the second public hearing is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 3. The adoption is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 4.
“What the changes are — are hard to get your arms around at this point. The changes on the plan are basically wholesale removal of all the community plans including the Captiva Community Plan within the Lee Comprehensive Plan,” Mintz said. “The Captiva Community Plan was the purpose that the panel was created for.”
The purpose of the panel is to make recommendations and amend the plan to make sure it is consistent with the needs of the Captiva environment and community. Furthermore, Mintz said the Captiva Community Panel made recommendations and drafted many provisions in the Land Development Code that applied to Captiva.
There could be the elimination of the policies and objectives that the panel has worked hard on for the last number of decades. Although, Mintz said the changes do not affect the density, or intensity of the plan, it is hard to point to the extent of changes that would have an impact on Captiva.
“Our job over the next couple of weeks, or so, is to understand what the impact would be on Captiva by eliminating the plan. There will be significant changes that really impact Captiva by the removal of the plan,” he said.
As a response of the removal of community plans, Mintz said a coalition is being created of those communities affected, which the Captiva Community Panel has joined.
“There is a coalition being formed to oppose the elimination of community plans and the changes in the land development code that result in it,” he said.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email mbradbury@breezenewspapers.com