Planning board recommends rezoning for Metro Parkway site proposed for Costco, citing traffic review underway

Planning Board members voted 5–1 on March 5 to recommend Fort Myers City Council approve a request to rezone 36.74 acres at 10451 Metro Parkway from a mix of planned unit development, commercial intensive and mixed-use zoning to Commercial General, a change the applicant says is needed to accommodate a proposed Costco warehouse and related outparcels.

The applicant, attorney Brad Wester, said the request would expand an existing 20-acre swath of Commercial General frontage and let the site be developed as a single, unified commercial parcel. “We are asking for a conventional rezone to CG,” Wester said in the board hearing. Planning staff recommended approval, finding the rezoning consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and land development code.

The request matters to residents because the applicant’s presentation and public comments centered on vehicle trips, intersection queuing and pedestrian crossings near Metro Parkway and Colonial Boulevard. City staff and the applicant said a traffic impact study (TIS) submitted Feb. 25 is under active review by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Lee County and the City of Fort Myers; the applicant said the TIS models build-out and proposes signal, turn-lane and other roadway mitigations.

What the board heard - Applicant presentation: Brad Wester said the total site acreage is about 56.95 acres including areas the applicant acquired and that the rezoning would allow a unified development pattern. Wester described a site plan showing a Costco store location, a membership gas facility and outparcels along the Metro Parkway frontage and said engineers are finalizing replat and site-development work concurrently with the rezoning application. - Company testimony: John Paul Andrews, Costco Director of Real Estate Development, said the existing Fort Myers Costco on Cypress Lake Drive is undersized and that the company is seeking a larger, more efficient store with an expanded fuel facility. He said the relocation would improve safety and operations at the Costco site. - Traffic, access and mitigation: The applicant’s traffic consultant provided trip-generation estimates and a list of proposed mitigations the TIS models, including a new signal at one access, right-in/right-out restrictions at another access, north‑ and southbound right‑turn lanes, additional turn lanes and queueing improvements. Wester said Costco would fund the mitigation elements tied to the project and that the TIS modeled both existing (2024), no‑build (2027) and build (2027) scenarios, incorporating other planned developments and some future FDOT projects. - Public comment: Neighbors raised concerns about traffic on Plantation Road, queuing at the proposed intersections, pedestrian and bicycle safety where a multiuse path would cross site driveways, night‑time noise from deliveries and lighting impacts on adjacent homes. Speakers said some local residents reported not receiving mailed notice and asked for more outreach.

Facts cited at the hearing - The applicant gave sample trip-generation figures from the TIS and said Saturday is the peak day for a Costco-style use. The applicant reported an example peak: 692 entering and 692 exiting on a Saturday peak (1,384 Saturday trips) and weekday totals of about 1,057 daily trips with a PM peak of roughly 528 entries/exits (applicant-stated modeling figures). Those figures are part of the submitted TIS and are under agency review. - The applicant identified four primary project access points and an interconnectivity drive; the TIS shows different mitigation needs for each access. Wester said the project includes a proposed 58,000-square-foot warehouse/store and a fuel facility with 16 pumps (32 fueling positions) in the design presented at the hearing.

Board action and vote Board member (motion maker name as shown on the record) moved and another member seconded to recommend approval to City Council. On a roll call the board recorded the following votes: Mr. Croats — yes; Mr. Hamlin — no; Ms. Lewis — yes; Mr. Leger — yes; Ms. Barnwell — yes; Mr. Ward — yes. The motion carried.

What remains to happen - City review: Planning staff confirmed the rezoning request is a conventional zoning map amendment; the TIS and design engineering materials were submitted as part of parallel site and access permitting that are being reviewed by FDOT, Lee County and the City of Fort Myers. The rezoning recommendation proceeds to city council; council action is required to change the zoning. - Permitting and mitigation: The applicant says mitigation elements identified in the TIS are under review and, if approved, would be conditions of permits and road-access approvals. The city engineer noted FDOT standards will govern the multiuse-trail crossing on Colonial Boulevard and any permit will reflect FDOT required signage, markings and ADA details.

Why this matters Rezoning here would change what uses are permitted on more than 36 acres that border major corridors (Metro Parkway and Colonial Boulevard) and will affect vehicle and pedestrian circulation across multiple jurisdictions. The applicant’s TIS and the agency review of mitigation measures — including signals, turn lanes and driveway controls — will determine whether and how the city can accommodate added traffic and preserve pedestrian and bicycle connections in the corridor.

Next steps The planning board’s recommendation will go to the City of Fort Myers City Council for final action. The applicant and staff said additional engineering and permitting (FDOT access permit, Lee County coordination and city site-development review) remain pending.