Residents say new Miramar build pushes setback, coverage limits; ask council for clearer communication

Becky Knight, a Miramar Street resident, told the Fort Myers Beach Town Council during public comment that she has received no meaningful follow-up from town staff after raising concerns about a new home on her block.

Knight said the proposed house appears to sit 12.6 feet from the road and that the site plans list 41.34% building coverage, exceeding what she understood to be a 40% maximum. "I'm just disappointed," she said. "I was promised that I would be communicated with and had really no information at all."

Why it matters: neighbors said the combination of tight setbacks and high coverage creates safety and parking worries on a narrow street and erodes trust when communications stall. Gary Knight, another Miramar resident, said the project moved through permitting in roughly six weeks and warned neighbors are concerned about emergency access, trash removal after storms and where tenants will park on what he called a four-bedroom rental.

Town staff response and follow-up: Councilors and the town manager acknowledged the comments and said staff would work to ensure residents receive clearer updates. Council members did not vote or take formal enforcement action at the meeting.

What neighbors say is wrong: Residents described two inconsistent measurements on the submitted plans: a site plan showing a 12.5-foot setback and a drainage plan showing 10.4 feet; they said the builder now claims a 12.6-foot setback. Becky Knight referenced a town "parallelogram ordinance" adopted last July that she said was meant to increase the effective setback in similar lots; she told council the lot is 50 by 100 feet and said the apparent use of a parallelogram swing produced a layout that leaves the home closer to the road than older builds on Miramar.

Council response: Council members agreed to ensure staff follows up. The mayor asked that staff schedule a meeting with the residents, the town27s planners and the building official to review the plans and the calculations used to compute setbacks and coverage. No new permit action was taken at the meeting.

Ending: Residents said they want an on-site visit by council or staff and an independent engineering review of the plans. Councilors agreed to arrange a meeting so staff can explain how the setback and coverage numbers were computed and to follow up with the residents afterwards.