LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Some people in Lehigh Acres are celebrating Governor Ron DeSantis's decision to veto $6 million that would have funded an extension of Sunshine Boulevard to State Road 80, while others argue the road project is necessary for our growing community.
The extension would have transformed Sunshine Boulevard into a four-lane highway from 75th Street to State Road 80, cutting through what is currently a natural preserve area.
Click here to see Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak to Lehigh Acres neighbors about the veto:
"I don't even have any neighbors, any direct neighbors. I do believe that we need to see a lot more growth in Lehigh Acres, before this becomes a viable project," said Lory Ortiz, who lives on Sunshine Boulevard.
With the funding, Lee County would have used it for an evaluation study that potentially would have sped up pre-construction, according to a funding request by the Senate.
For Ortiz, the natural preserve behind her home would be threatened by the road.
"We've got bears, panthers, wild hogs, coyotes…but my question is this: how do you expect them not to invade these residential areas when we're literally taking their natural habitat away," Ortiz said.
Victoria Paschke sees things a little differently. She supports the extension if wildlife is protected, but believes our growing community needs more roads to handle traffic.
"Lee County is going to have to be very thorough with relocating all of these animals, because it's out of our control all the people that are moving here....I'm all for it, because we need more avenues. We need to," Paschke said.
When Fox 4 reached out to the county for an interview and they said they did not have someone available for comment.
They provided a list of approved projects:
- Fort Myers Beach Water Reclamation Facility Restoration & Enhancement
(HF 2538/SF 3266) – $1,250,000
Essential for restoring capacity in the wake of recent hurricane impacts, this project will enhance water quality and environmental health. - Alico Road Extension from Airport Haul Road to East of Green Meadow Road
(HF 2824/SF 3080) – $5,000,000
This regional mobility improvement project is critical to supporting economic development and hurricane evacuation routes. - Medical Examiner Facility and Natural Resources Laboratory
(HF 1874/SF 3355) – $875,000
This funding supports our critical regional capacity for forensic services and environmental monitoring. - Ten Mile Canal Page Field Weir Replacement
(HF 2412/SF 3267) – $1,300,000
The replacement of this aging weir structure is vital to maintaining water quality and flood mitigation efforts in a high-growth area.
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