Submitted by Concerned Citizens for Lee County | Special to EastLeeNews.com
ALVA – Public hearings for the Caloosa 80 proposal have moved from August to September, giving residents more time to prepare for a land-use decision that could shape Alva’s rural future.
The comprehensive plan amendment is scheduled for a Lee County Board of County Commissioners hearing Wednesday, Sept. 2. The related Hearing Examiner, or HEX, hearing is Thursday, Sept. 17. Residents should confirm final times, rooms and agenda links through Lee County’s official agenda system.
Why the location matters
The central question is whether Lee County should redesignate roughly 92 acres within a larger 192-acre project from Rural to Sub-Outlying Suburban, potentially allowing about 720 homes and 30,000 square feet of commercial development.
The site sits beside Hickey Creek Mitigation Park, east of Bateman Road and south of Palm Beach Boulevard. The surrounding area is not a built-out suburban corridor; it includes low-density homes, pasture, open land, conservation areas and agricultural uses.
Supporters of Alva’s rural protections argue the proposal would introduce a suburban pattern where the adopted community plan was intended to preserve rural character, agriculture, natural resources and lower-intensity development.
A planning question, not just a growth fight
Opponents say this is not simply resistance to growth. The question is whether the requested change is consistent with the Lee Plan and the Alva Community Plan.
Alva’s Community Plan is intended to protect the area’s rural, historic and agricultural identity. Residents say Caloosa 80 would increase development intensity on land that remains within that rural planning framework.
They also warn of precedent: approval could be cited in future requests for similar rural-to-suburban changes along State Road 80 and elsewhere in Alva.
Infrastructure and public services
Road capacity, emergency services, water, sewer, evacuation planning and other public-service levels are expected to be central issues. Advocates question whether existing infrastructure can support the intensity that could follow the land-use change.
They are also concerned that extending water and sewer into rural land could encourage additional suburban growth beyond this site.
Wildlife and habitat concerns
Community advocates say the property and surrounding area provide habitat for documented Florida panthers, Audubon’s crested caracara, gopher tortoises and Southern fox squirrels.
Because the site borders Hickey Creek Mitigation Park, opponents want habitat loss, wildlife corridors, road mortality, species surveys, mitigation and cumulative impacts fully addressed before any rural-to-suburban conversion.
The broader question is whether development should be intensified beside conservation land before the long-term effects are understood.
Two tracks, two different public participation rules
Caloosa 80 involves two government processes with different participation rules.
For the comprehensive plan amendment, residents may contact County Commissioners, submit written comments, and attend the Board hearing. This stage concerns whether Lee County should change its adopted future land-use map and planning framework.
The zoning application is quasi-judicial and operates more like a court proceeding. Residents should not privately lobby commissioners, the Hearing Examiner, or their staff about the merits of the pending zoning case. Zoning concerns should be placed in the public record through the formal hearing process.
Lee County guidance states that anyone who wants to speak at the final BOCC zoning hearing must first give verbal testimony at the HEX hearing. Written comments alone do not preserve that opportunity.
Residents who may want to speak during the final zoning step should therefore attend and speak at the Thursday, Sept. 17, HEX hearing.
Bottom line
Caloosa 80 is a test of whether Alva’s adopted rural protections will hold as development pressure moves east.
For residents who support ‘Keep Alva Rural,’ the message is simple: review the proposal, prepare comments, follow the correct process and show up. The dates changed, but the issue did not.
The property is generally east of Bateman Road and south of Palm Beach Boulevard, directly beside Hickey Creek Mitigation Park. The aerial image shows the surrounding rural pattern of scattered homes, open land, woods and agricultural uses. Source: project location map provided to East Lee County News.
The master concept image below illustrates the proposed scale and internal layout and should be considered alongside the aerial map showing the site’s rural setting.
The Caloosa 80 MPD master concept shows proposed roads, development cells, preserve areas, access points, a daily-cover soil stockpile and connections to Palm Beach Boulevard and nearby roads. Source: master concept image provided to East Lee County News.
CALOOSA 80: WHAT RESIDENTS SHOULD DO NOW
| Topic | Action |
| Comprehensive plan | Wednesday, Sept. 2: Contact commissioners, submit written comments and attend the BOCC hearing. |
| HEX zoning hearing | Thursday, Sept. 17: To preserve the opportunity to speak at the final BOCC zoning hearing, speak on the record at HEX. |
| Keep the tracks separate | Commissioner contact is appropriate on the plan amendment. For zoning, avoid private lobbying and place comments in the formal record. |
| Verify details | Confirm times, rooms, and agenda links through Lee County official agendas and Alva Inc. updates. |
