Plan needs to be honored
To the editor:
I live in Bokeelia where my husband’s family’s history goes back to the early 1900s. We live in the little house built by his aunt and uncle when they moved off of Cayo Costa in 1968. We are involved in our community, we stay informed, and vote in every election.
The “Pine Island Plan” has a long history (gpica.org/about-us/pine-island-plan/) and the plan needs to be honored. It’s silly to think that the various communities in the Lee Plan can be lumped into one plan. Pine Island is not like Alva, nor like Captiva. Heck, Bokeelia is not like St. James! Change is a part of life … but what’s the rush by Lee County to do so with such little notice?
Lee County will undergo a state-required review of the Lee Plan in two years. That gives the county and its many citizens time to review, examine and discuss documents that may influence development decisions for years to come. Let’s use this time to get ready for 2028, not push through the hundreds of changes the Lee County Board of County Commissioners directed last April but was just presented recently, with little notice, by county staff.
Do not sacrifice meaningful public participation for expediency. The Board of County Commissioners may be used to having their appointed advisory boards rubber stamp their wishes, but please take note of the recent resignation of Mr. Mike Roeder from the Lee County Executive Regulatory Oversight Committee (EROC). Maybe he will choose to run for county commission again!
Ellen Ballard
Bokeelia