The Lee County Local Planning Agency on Dec. 8 recommended that the Board of County Commissioners consider amendments to the land development code that eliminate minimum square‑footage and residential‑unit thresholds for mixed‑use plan developments (MPDs).

Anthony Rodriguez of the Department of Community Development’s Zoning Section told the LPA the proposal would "strike those minimums and to allow, essentially a group of uses to be developed within a mixed use plan development without having to adhere to any minimums in terms of square footage or residential density." He said the change is intended to give developers more flexibility to respond to market demand and would not remove site‑specific review: other planned development processes remain available.

Rodriguez said advisory committees previously reviewed the proposal and recommended approval with no changes. Several LPA members asked about the use of the word "may" in the code language; Rodriguez said "may contain multiple uses" was intended to allow, not require, multiple uses and that local review processes would still permit thresholds to be applied on a site‑specific basis when appropriate.

Two members of the public spoke in support. Developer Alan Freeman said market conditions can change between zoning and buildout, and that removing rigid thresholds "doesn't really change evaluations of intensity and square footage" because impacts such as traffic and utilities are evaluated at rezoning. Amy Tibo (listed in the record as representing 'Bridal') also supported the amendment and said that site‑specific thresholds can still be imposed where necessary.

The LPA moved, seconded and approved a recommendation in favor of the MPD threshold amendments by voice vote; the amendment will be forwarded to the BOCC for public hearing and consideration.