Lee County planners back Savannah Lakes MPD amendment to increase residential density; hearing examiner recommended approval

Savannah Lakes MPD (DCI 202400037) was presented to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 5, 2025, as a request to amend the Mixed Use Planned Development to increase residential density and reduce commercial space. Adam Mendez, principal planner with County Community DevelopmentZoning Section, said the project sits north of State Road 82 and west of Homestead Road South and covers about 822 acres, of which the applicant controls roughly 371 acres. The application seeks to increase project density from 1,477 dwelling units to 2,300 (an increase of 823 units), reduce general commercial floor area from 100,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet and eliminate 75 hotel rooms.

The hearing examiner recommended approval with conditions, and staff supported that recommendation. Commissioners asked staff about surrounding land uses, conservation areas and coordination with the Lehigh Acres Municipal Infrastructure (LAMPS) entity identified in the presentation; staff confirmed the conservation parcel adjacent to the site is owned by the Lehigh Acres municipal infrastructure entity and said the applicant is coordinating with that agency on water management. A public speaker, Derek Felder, said he supported the proposal despite reservations about the loss of commercial uses and urged the applicant to add sidewalks and other community amenities.

A commissioner moved to approve the hearing examiner's recommendation subject to the conditions and deviations on the record; a second was recorded and the motion carried unanimously.

Because the hearing examiner's recommendation was approved, the county will implement the conditions and deviations attached to that recommendation at later development stages. The record shows five public participants of record for this case and that staff and the applicant were available to answer questions during the hearing.

No further action by the board was recorded on ancillary approvals or a development order at this meeting. Any development-stage details, including engineering plans, construction phasing and final mitigation commitments, will be addressed during subsequent review stages and as required by county permitting and state water-management rules.