The Bonita Springs Local Planning Agency voted 5‑1 on Aug. 28, 2025, to recommend that City Council deny a comprehensive plan amendment requested for the Ravana Lakes project, a proposal to redesignate about 204.5 acres north of Bonita Beach Road to allow up to 299 dwelling units and neighborhood commercial uses.

The proposal, presented by Seagate Development Group and its consultant team, sought to convert land currently mapped as Lee County DRGR (Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource) and wetlands into the City of Bonita Springs Urban Fringe Community District and Resource Protection future land use categories. Applicant representatives said they had reduced residential density from an earlier 388‑unit proposal to 299 units and secured an Environmental Resource Permit from the South Florida Water Management District for a stormwater plan that routes treated runoff to the Keel Canal.

LPA members and public speakers focused on flood risk, groundwater recharge and traffic. The agency’s recommendation—advisory to City Council—was based on concerns that the change would be inconsistent with surrounding DRGR-designated lands and could increase pressure on the Keele Canal and the Imperial River watershed during storm events.

Seagate Development Group principal Matt Price and planner Alexis Crespo told the panel the site is fragmented by historic mining, contains significant disturbed acreage and is isolated hydrologically from larger DRGR lands by the Keele Canal. Crespo said the application “is 1 of 4 active applications for this project” and stressed that the hearing was limited to a change in future land use rather than zoning or annexation matters. Project engineer Jackie LaRocque and hydrogeologist David Brown described a stormwater system designed to store and treat runoff in interconnected lakes, with a controlled discharge to the Keele Canal, and said the team had an approved Environmental Resource Permit.

City staff provided a neutral, analytical presentation and told the LPA the recommendation they provide will inform an Oct. 15, 2025 City Council hearing. Staff noted the amount of study submitted by the applicant but emphasized that a comprehensive plan amendment is ultimately a policy decision for council. The staff report also pointed out that if the future land use remained unchanged, about 14 dwelling units could be built on the property under current designations; by contrast the Urban Fringe Community District text would allow a theoretical maximum of 566 units, though the applicant’s zoning petition was for 299 units.

Members of the public urged caution. Speakers who said they live in nearby communities raised evacuation and emergency response concerns, argued the parcel still serves groundwater recharge functions and questioned whether wildlife impacts had been fully assessed. Dr. Siegfriedo Hernandez said the area had lost extensive wetlands over decades and warned the change could harm “threatened and endangered species” and reduce recharge. Several speakers asked the city to pause additional approvals until the impacts of projects already under construction east of I‑75 are better understood; the meeting packet included petitions and letters reflecting that request.

The LPA’s motion to recommend denial passed 5‑1. The motion was seconded by Member Lombardo; the record shows a 5 yes, 1 no tally (the lone no vote was recorded). The LPA’s vote is advisory; the city council will make the final comprehensive plan decision at its scheduled hearing on Oct. 15, 2025.

The applicant team told the LPA it prefers the property be governed by Bonita Springs standards (water, sewer, buffers, open‑space rules) rather than Lee County’s, and warned that if the project cannot proceed through the city, different, potentially denser or industrial uses could be pursued under county jurisdiction for portions of the land currently outside city limits. The applicant also noted commitments included in their submittals: preservation areas to be designated Resource Protection, a minimum preserve band along Bonita Beach Road of roughly 150 feet, a reservation of neighborhood‑serving commercial in the first phase, and ongoing canal maintenance along their frontage.

Next steps: the LPA recommendation and staff report will accompany the item to City Council on Oct. 15. Council may accept, reject, or modify the LPA recommendation; if the amendment is denied, portions of the property that remain under Lee County jurisdiction could be developed under county rules unless other legal or administrative steps are taken.