NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — A 28-acre plot of land in North Fort Myers could soon be home to a 463-unit apartment complex, and some neighbors aren't happy about it.
Fox 4's North Fort Myers Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski works in the area every day, so he keeps an eye on neighborhood apps like Nextdoor, and that's where he saw people pushing back against the plan.
Watch to hear what neighbors told Austin about the proposed apartments:
The site sits at the corner of Brooks Road and North Tamiami Trail. Debbie and Bobby Pennington have lived on Brooks Road for 20 years. They say it's the only way in and out of their neighborhood, and worry hundreds of new cars could turn the exit into a bottleneck.
"If there's that many units there, you figure pretty much two people to a unit possibly - that's a lot of extra traffic coming out," Debbie said.
The Penningtons say they also worry about privacy, wildlife, and losing the quiet character of their neighborhood. But their biggest fear is flooding.
When Hurricane Ian tore through, they say feet of storm surge swept into their home and left their property buried in debris. And ever since Ian, they say even a typical summer storm can now flood Brooks Road, so they worry new development could make it worse.
"And what that would bring is less area for the rain to go to," Debbie said.
However, the developer, Horizon Tamiami, points to a Lee County DOT study in its application, saying the complex wouldn't add more traffic than current zoning allows. The application also says stormwater would be handled through underground storage vaults, and about eight acres of wetlands on the site would remain untouched as a buffer.
Next Monday, the county's land planning agency will review the application at a meeting, and neighbors say they'll be there to speak out.
"They're going to put something there. But to have that many more people brought into this area, it's just ridiculous," Debbie said.
