Oct 9, 2006

COMMISSIONER BOB JANES, DISTRICT #1
LEE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
POST OFFICE BOX 398
FT. MYERS, FL 33902-0398

COMMENTARY ARTICLE BY COMMISSIONER BOB JANES

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
      
Contact:   Commissioner Bob Janes, District #1
                   Lee County Board of County Commissioners
                   239-335-2224

Smart Growth – A Time For Change

Cape Coral's desire to acquire the Zemel property and to erect more unimaginative urban sprawl along its northern boundary goes against every tenant of Lee County's Smart Growth initiative. Florida as a whole and Lee County specifically cannot and must not repeat its mistakes of the recent New Florida past, erecting strip malls willy nilly and increasing density of homes in the DRGR. We absolutely must not allow growth to continue in this manner.
 
Together, all of us, including the citizens of Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Sanibel, and Pine Islands, must think of ourselves as one community, not fracture ourselves into separate entities. Together we must build smarter and more creative communities that are multifunctional. These communities should protect the environment by preserving and connecting green spaces for the future of all species, ensure roads and sidewalks don't end in the middle of nowhere, encourage shopping and include schools in a walkable community atmosphere. This can be accomplished while still promoting public access to waterways, include affordable housing and maintaining the historic and one-of-a-kind character of Southwest Florida's culture.

Even as our Smart Growth Committee meets each month to discuss these concepts and is recommending innovative and protective changes to Lee's Comprehensive Plan, we are not following our own rules and suggestions. For example, what is the logic behind the castle-like strip mall near the intersection of Chiquita Boulevard and Pine Island Road? What does this say about the community, the character of North Cape Coral? It's history? Was there some sort of Celtic past here that is not common knowledge? And why are we building more strip malls when there are old, empty ones everywhere that need refurbishing? Why are we continuing sprawl-type growth when infill and regeneration of our downtown areas should be our goals? We are becoming and will be a twin to the ugliness seen in big cities if we don't start taking Smart Growth concepts to heart.

We, in every city, in every county corner, must encourage and even mandate infill development and redevelopment of our business and housing areas. We must include workforce housing, green space and wildlife corridors, water preservation and protection, sidewalks and schools, shops and restaurants and not just continue to raze the green and erect the grey.

Developers and builders may balk at these concepts at first, because it will be more challenging and take more time and thought to accomplish. They claim it will increase housing costs and lower property values, but they are terribly mistaken. In other communities and counties throughout the state and nation, progressive developers have and do get behind these ideas, and inviting educators, environmentalist and socio-economic experts to the development table will only benefit the entire community.

And, if we as a community, a united county, mandate the inclusionary housing, inclusionary zoning techniques that Smart Growth is promoting to the BOCC and the Lee Planning Agency, we will attract the best developers, the ones who actually want live in the communities they create.

As your commission representative on Lee County's Smart Growth Committee, and on behalf of Director Wayne Daltry and the citizens who serve on the committee who care deeply about this community as a whole, the Smart Growth concept need not be, as so many like to joke, an oxymoron.

Lee County's history and future depend on us implementing a holistic approach to growth and development in every aspect from roads to rivers. To do this we must open our minds and think creatively about how we will accommodate the 1.5 million people who are expected to live, work, shop, attend school and raise families here. We must learn not to be afraid of the words increased density. Granted, this increase needs to take place in the right areas, not the DRGR. Picture this: an old strip mall that is not being fully utilized is rebuilt into an entire community that includes work-force housing, on-site shopping, green space and schools. A walkable, livable community where children can play, people can walk or ride bikes to work and shop, a place that feels open and easy, that accommodates all of our needs in one area, limiting traffic on already crowded roads.

This is not pie-in-the sky. It's planning and the goal of Lee's Smart Growth Committee, a group of educators, planners, agriculture specialists, socio-economic experts and environmentalists which is promoting these concepts by recommending positive changes to the Comprehensive Plan.

In closing, cutting down trees and erecting another mall or piling up dirt for more houses is not and cannot be the long-term solution. We all must get on board to pursue a higher thought process when it comes to Florida's future. All of us. If we use creativity and heart, and think of ourselves as a community rather than a fractured county, use concern for the environment and each other as our goals, Lee County could be on the cutting edge of building and rebuilding a cohesive, beautiful community where we all want to live.

We have and must support county staff such as Mr. Daltry and other leaders who are willing to fight for creative development solutions such as smart villages, while maintaining Lee's historic character. We must stop sprawl and allow the county to grow, while maintaining and creating public access to green spaces and waterways.

We have been lacking in boldness. We have been lacking in implementation of sound development rules. Instead we have been promoting developmental segregation and environmental degradation. We can no longer afford to build this way. We must listen and act immediately. We have the Smart Growth Committee and a strong Lee County Development staff in place to fight for change. Let's do it. 

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