Slater Road residents say new development could make road more dangerous

The project to bring hundreds of homes to a plot of land in North Fort Myers is one step closer to reality. But, how close it all is to a curve of road with fast traffic has people worried.

Richard Shine of the Greater Slater Community Watch and several others wore red in the Lee County commissioner meeting Wednesday, wanting leaders to stop a development that would bring 330 homes to the 17000 block of Slater Road, north of Barshore Road.

“The community is tremendously disappointed by the vote to approve this development that is wrong for the community in every imaginable way,” Shine said.

Doug Caton from the Slater Pine Road Association said, “If you run off Slater Road you’re going to turn over, there’s no shoulders.”

Their main concerns are traffic, flooding, and retaining the rural character of the area.

Shine referenced out a recent incident on the road, “It was just the other day when WINK News provided the public images of another vehicle upside down with a crashed roof on this very curve.”

But other than Frank Mann, commissioners agreed to approve it after applicant for the development Ron Inge provided evidence and research that those concerns would be taken care of.

Inge siad, “The Slater Road right of way is sufficient to construct turn lanes if they’re required by the land development code and the administrative code of Lee County.”

County commissioner Brian Hamman says his hands are tied, “The evidence on the record in this case showed that all the concerns actually could be dealt with and mitigated … Back in 1984 the future land use map for Lee County was created and ever since the beginning, this land in particular has always been planned to be a development with six units per acre in a suburban land use.”

If the county voted it down the landowner could sue, and that money would fall on taxpayers.

Hamman added, “You have to go with what the law says even in spite of a lot of opposition to it.”

The zoning was approved Wednesday but permits are still needed. The landowner said it could be another year or so before anything gets started.