Protect Captiva & Sanibel

Following Hurricane Ian, in January, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) requested that County staff work to find and amend the land development code (LDC) affecting height, setbacks, and other development limitations that could impede rebuilding efforts for those who lost their homes and businesses in the hurricane. This request was ostensibly made in the name of making the county more resilient.

The county staff returned with proposed amendments to the LDC and Lee Plan that had been requested by South Seas Island Resort (SSIR) to increase the allowable building height and allow them to request additional density on Captiva. SSIR claims that without these changes it was impossible for them to rebuild. At its June meeting, the BoCC voted to hold public hearings on the proposed changes later that month. These amendments blindsided the community, who had not been informed or consulted about the changes and had already incorporated an elegant solution to be reactive to sea level rise into the LDC that governs the rest of Captiva. The lack of respect for the norms of development on Captiva, along with the perceived potential to create high-rise buildings with greater density on SSIR sent shockwaves through the barrier island communities of Captiva and Sanibel.

The BoCC rescheduled the hearings for September and scheduled two on-island informational meetings over the summer where the community stood united in opposition.

These proposed amendments will directly benefit South Seas Island Resort (SSIR), to the detriment of Captiva and Sanibel. If SSIR is allowed to increase its height and density, it will weaken the resilience of the rest of the islands. At a June 20 public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners, residents, business owners, city officials, conservation groups, and stakeholders across the island banded together in unanimous opposition to the proposed changes.

What were some of the issues raised?

Safety: Three major safety issues have been raised: hurricane evacuation, emergency services, and hurricane resilience. Increased traffic will slow future hurricane evacuations on the sole route off the islands. Emergency services worry about increased traffic slowing response times and increased building heights that will be taller than the current fire trucks are able to reach.

Environmental concerns: With higher levels of development along bodies of water, comes poorer water quality. The planned merger of the Sanibel and Captiva sewer systems could be put at risk if levels of waste are increased. Increased building heights would increase light pollution on the sanctuary islands, increasing pressure on the endangered sea turtle populations that require dark skies for navigation.

Business competition: SSIR would benefit directly from this change, with the county effectively granting them a competitive advantage over other resorts and hotels on Captiva that are required to adhere to stricter density requirements.

Island values: Residents and tourists seek out Sanibel and Captiva because of the unique nature of the islands. Building highrises and adding traffic to the island contradicts our natural ethos and hurts our way of life.

Speak up and follow along with SCCF newsletters and action alerts! We will provide new details as the situation develops and share opportunities at upcoming public meetings for the community to have our voices heard. Together we can spread the message that these proposed changes do not uphold the shared Sanibel-Captiva vision.