Fort Myers Planning Board backs rezoning of 6.23 acres on Colonial Boulevard

The Fort Myers Planning Board on March 5 voted to recommend City Council approve rezoning about 6.23 acres at 4231 and 4221/4229 Colonial Boulevard from Planned Unit Development (PUD) to Commercial General.

Applicant counsel said the PUD had been written specifically for 84 Lumber and its terms and conditions were never met, leaving the site with a narrowly tailored set of permitted uses. “What the owners of the 2 properties want to do is just bring it back to the original zoning that it's surrounded by, so that they don't have to adhere to the 84 Lumber type zone,” the applicant said during the hearing.

Planning staff Senior Planner Taryn Thomas told the board that staff had reviewed the request and found it consistent with the comprehensive plan and the land development code, and that the fire marshal and engineering staff had no objections. Staff also confirmed required notices were sent to nearby property owners and that signs and a newspaper ad had been posted prior to the meeting.

Board members asked staff to include the original PUD language in meeting packets in future hearings so the board can evaluate the PUD’s conditions. After brief public input (no substantive opposition was recorded), a board member moved to recommend approval; the motion passed by voice and will be forwarded to City Council for final action.

Next steps: The Planning Board’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for a final decision; any site-plan or plat approvals required to implement future development will proceed through separate applications and reviews.