FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Mary Gibbs, Lee County Community Development Department
                (941) 479-8345

FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 8, 2001) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners (BOCC) will hold the first of two public hearings Tuesday (Feb. 13) on proposed Land Development Code changes that, among other things, would improve notification to the public about proposed zoning changes.

Among the key changes being proposed:

• Mailed notices of hearings before the BOCC, Hearing Examiner or Local Planning Agency would go to more people. Surrounding property owners within 500 feet of a zoning applicant’s property would be notified (the prior rule was 375 feet). In those instances where fewer than 10 owners of property would be notified, the distance would be expanded to 750 feet.

• As soon as rezoning applications are received by the Community Development Department, notices would be sent to citizen groups informing them of the proposed developments in their communities, a brief description of what the development will be, and who to contact for more information.

• Applications for zoning changes wouldn’t be scheduled before the Hearing Examiner until after the Community Development Department finalized its written staff report or 60 days after submittal of the complete application, whichever comes first (the rule for planned developments would be 60 days after the date the department finds the application sufficient).

• For zoning changes and planned developments, a two-week (14-day) waiting period would be required between the release of the written staff report and the date of the public hearing. In the case of special exceptions and variances, the required wait would be seven days.

• Nothing could be scheduled for a public hearing before the BOCC until after the Hearing Examiner has rendered a recommendation.

"These proposed changes are designed to give residents more advance notice of zoning requests that may impact them," says Mary Gibbs, county Community Development Director. "It’s a way to better ensure that people don’t get left out of the decision-making process."

The public hearing will begin at 5:05 p.m. in the County Commission Chambers, second floor of the Old County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in downtown Fort Myers. The second public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27. The Board will not make a decision until the second public hearing.