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Lee County Community Development

e-Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2008
 

School, road impact fee reports available

New studies for proposed changes to Lee County’s school and road impact fees are now available online at http://lee-county.com/dcd/.

Reports by Duncan Associates, a Texas-based company, recommend a drop in the school impact fee of 4.5 percent for a single-family home, a decrease of $193.  The new fee would be $4,116.  Fees for multi-family units and mobile homes would have similar decreases. 

An expedited road impact fee study shows an increase in fees for a single-family home of 7 percent to $9,634, an increase of $658 per house, if adopted.  There are similar increases for commercial, industrial and other uses. However, two categories would decrease.  The fee for shopping centers would drop 26 percent to $11,788 per square foot and the fee for hotels and motels would drop 18 percent to $5,551 per room.

Lee County Commissioners will discuss the issue:

§         Sept. 8 – Management and Planning Meeting, 1 p.m., Commission Chambers, 2120 Main St., Fort Myers

§         Sept. 9 – Board of County Commissioners regular meeting, 9:30 a.m., Commission Chambers, to consider public hearing dates for both school and road impact fee ordinance amendments.

If commissioners agree to consider impact fee changes, the tentative schedule for committee review includes:

§         Sept. 10 – Executive Regulatory Oversight Commission, 2 p.m., Community Development/Public Works Center, 1500 Monroe St., Fort Myers, road impact fee

§         Sept. 12 – Land Development Code Advisory Committee, 8 a.m., Community Development/Public Works Center, road impact fee

§         Sept. 22 – Local Planning Agency, 8:30 a.m. in Commission Chambers, road impact fee

§         Sept. 22 – Affordable Housing Committee, 2 p.m., Community Development/Public Works Center, school and road impact fee

A tentative public hearing date is Sept. 23 for both school and road fees.

For the third consecutive year, Lee County staff will be among the presenters at the workshop “Keys to Mastering the Land Development Approval Process” presented by the Real Estate Investment Society (REIS).  The workshop will be Sept. 17 from 8 a.m. to noon in the Magnolia Room at Pelican Preserve Clubhouse on Colonial Boulevard, one mile east of I-75 exit 136, in Fort Myers.

Mary Gibbs, Director of the Lee County Community Development Department, and Pete Eckenrode, Director of Development Services for Lee Community Development, will be joined by two other presenters – Dave Douglas, Professional Engineer and Principal with David Douglas Associates, Inc., and Stephanie Keyes, Director of Public Affairs for the Realtor® Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, Inc. and a Certified Planner.  Workshop topics include impact fees, new FEMA flood maps, due diligence, rezoning, hearing examiner procedure, and the latest laws, ordinances, procedures, fees, and regulations.

For details, go to http://www.reis-swfl.org.  Deadline for online registration is Sept. 15.

Renewal of Certificates of Competency for contractors doing business in Lee County is under way and will continue through Sept. 30.  After that, late fees increase monthly through March 31, 2009.

At http://lee-county.com/dcd/ContractorLicensing.htm, renewals can be done easily online.  You will need current certificates of insurance for general liability and for Workers Compensation or an exemption.

The fee for renewal is $24 for journeyman, $90 for all trades, and $100 for general, building and residential contractors.  Make checks payable to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners.

If your certificate of competency is not renewed or placed on voluntary inactive status by March 31, 2009, it will expire.  Expired certificates require re-filing and approval by the Contractor Licensing Board to renew.

If you are not able use the online renewal system, please call (239) 533-5895.

2007/2008 Plan Amendment Cycle

The Local Planning Agency will meet on Sept. 22 at 8:30 a.m., in Commission Chambers.  The agenda includes the final review of the 2007/2008 Plan Amendment Cycle.

The Board of County Commissioners will meet Oct. 22 at 9:30 a.m. in Commission Chambers to hold a public hearing on transmittal of the 2007/2008 Comprehensive Plan Amendments.  At the transmittal hearing, the Board of County Commissioners will vote to transmit or not transmit cycle amendments to the State of Florida Department of Community Affairs.  Lee County will receive an Objections, Recommendations, and Comments Report issued by DCA approximately two months after the plan amendments are transmitted and a final adoption hearing will be held before the Board of County Commissioners approximately two months after that.  A complete list of the current plan amendment cycle can be viewed by going to http://lee-county.com/dcd/ComprehensivePlanning/PlanAmendments/RA2006-2008.htm.

2008/2009 Plan Amendment Cycle

The Local Planning Agency will also review a list of proposed amendments for the upcoming 2008/2009 plan amendment cycle at its Sept. 22 meeting.  The list of amendments will then be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners for review on Sept. 23 for formal initiation into the 2008/2009 amendment cycle.

Temporary parking for Lee County courts administrators has now been removed from the Community Development/Public Works Center.  This frees up 28 additional spaces, including two designated for motorcycles, for customers to the permitting lobby and other offices in the building at 1500 Monroe St., Fort Myers. 

The spaces were needed for expansion of the Lee County jail and justice center, which is nearing completion.

Permits were issued for 37 single-family homes valued at $15.5 million to be built in unincorporated Lee County.  In comparison, there were 49 permits for single-family homes issued in July and 55 in August 2007.

There were 32 multi-family units permitted in unincorporated Lee during August, compared to 24 the previous month and 146 in August 2007.

Permits were issued for 7 new commercial buildings valued at $6.2 million in unincorporated Lee County, compared to $2.7 million the previous month.  In August 2007, newly permitted commercial buildings were valued at $21.9 million.  For detailed reports, go to http://lee-county.com/dcd/Reports/ReportsMain.htm.