CAPTIVA, Fla. — On Tuesday, the Lee County Board of Commissioners said any changes to height regulations for Captiva Island won't be decided until September.
The amended regulations would allow for buildings up to 75 feet high. This would allow buildings 3 stories above base flood elevation.
The amended rules being looked at by the Lee County Board of Commissioners would call for no density restriction.
Frustrated residents expressed their concerns during a public input session on Tuesday, saying the changes would allow all businesses to build higher and destroy the island's beach town appeal.
Michael Jacob, Lee County’s Deputy Attorney said those proposed changes, in fact, would only apply to South Seas, a property Jacob said had not sent the county their plan to build higher.
“So everybody else that is outside that rezoning application is still going to be subject to administration interpretation,” said Jacob.
Jacob said any other properties, regardless if the county decided to approve the height changes would still have to apply to rezone their property.
During the meeting, Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman said it would only open the door for South Seas to ask to build higher.
“It just gives them the opportunity to ask for one, it gives them their day in court, their due process that any land owner in the U.S. gets,” said Hamman.
South Seas released a statement ahead of the commissioners' meeting saying south seas has not submitted any requests to lee county for zoning changes that would affect building height or density requirements.
In the statement, South Seas did say if they opt to pursue any zoning changes, they will follow all procedures and provisions as required by Lee County.
Below is South Seas full statement:
It's a process for businesses wanting to build higher, that Fox 4 asked Erik Salna, an expert on extreme events like hurricanes at Florida International University in Miami about.
Salna said certain steps have to happen for communities in Florida to stand against future storms.
“We have to build things differently we have to rise things up and especially on the barrier islands along the beaches we need to be resilient,” said Salna.
Salna explained that if properties don't build up and build stronger, they will only cost coastal communities more money after future storms.
“This whole issue of damage clean up, damage clean up rebuild we have to stop that spin cycle. Every dollar spent on mitigation can save $7 to $8 in clean-up and damage costs,” said Salna.
It is an added cost that Southwest Florida wants to avoid and as for Captiva Island, commissioners said any decisions on height changes won't be made until they meet again on September 5/6 2023.
