Hendry County transmits Big Cypress Golf Club land-use change to state amid service concerns

The Hendry County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 22 voted to transmit a comprehensive plan amendment for the proposed Big Cypress Golf Club to the State of Florida for review, after hearing a detailed presentation from the applicant and its consultants.

The amendment, CPA 24-00001, would create a site‑specific “private resort/recreation” future land use for roughly 1,110 acres at the southern end of the county — the property the applicant described as the former Hendry County Correctional Institute site. Katie English, representing South Florida Ops, said Phase 1 would include an 18‑hole private golf course, a clubhouse and up to 100 non‑permanent lodging “casitas.” A later Phase 2 could include up to 350 residential units, the applicant said, but those units would require a separate PUD amendment and additional hearings.

Alexis Crespo, vice president of planning with RVI Planning, told commissioners the proposal would preserve a substantial portion of the site, and that utilities would be private and built to current DEP standards. Crespo said the project would be structured so the developer pays for on‑site water and sewer and for long‑term service costs through a municipal service taxing and benefit unit (MSTBU) or interlocal agreements with neighboring Collier County.

Vika O'Grady of RMR presented the fiscal analysis included with the application and described the development as a roughly $334 million project. In the presentation she said the project was expected to generate large construction output (presentation figures cited $490 million) and ongoing operational revenue (presentation figure cited approximately $103 million annually); those numbers came from the applicant’s study and were presented for the board’s review.

Commissioners repeatedly raised life‑safety concerns tied to the possible 350 residential units, focusing on fire, EMS and sheriff response in the county’s far southern reaches. Multiple commissioners urged that staff include the board’s written concerns in the transmittal packet to the state so the State of Florida and review agencies would take them into account. Several commissioners also said they wanted written agreements or commitments showing how services would be provided before final approval of a phase that includes residential units.

The applicant acknowledged the concerns and said it would work with staff during the state review period to identify and include conditions addressing on‑site or proximate life‑safety services. County legal staff clarified that transmittal to the state is an administrative step for review and comment and is not a final county approval; adoption would occur at a later hearing (scheduled for Oct. 28, 2025, if the process continues).

After discussion, the board approved a motion to transmit CPA 24‑00001 for state review with commissioners’ concerns included in the transmittal packet. The rezone request associated with the project (RZ24‑005) was continued to the Oct. 28 meeting for consideration alongside the adoption hearing.

What’s next: The application will be transmitted to state review. The board will consider final adoption of the comp plan amendment and the companion rezone on Oct. 28, 2025; any Phase 2 residential approvals would require separate PUD application(s) and further review.