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Fort Myers staff and consultant present comprehensive‑plan timetable; housing and transportation top public concerns
Summary
City staff and consultant reported preliminary public‑engagement results (491 survey responses, 166 youth responses), flagged housing and transportation as leading concerns, and said staff expects to transmit a draft to the state in April–May with final adoption planned this summer.
City staff and the consultant on the comprehensive‑plan update briefed council members on progress, outreach and next steps.
Steve Velling and Community Development Director Steve Allen summarized staff work to reconcile 14 plan elements (future land use, housing, transportation, municipal services, parks, public safety and others) and explained that staff will bring draft policies to council and meet one‑on‑one to align priorities.
Luis Serna of Calvin Giordano, the consultant, said public engagement produced about 491 general survey responses and 166 youth responses; early analysis shows housing affordability, jobs and transportation are the top issues flagged by respondents. "Jobs and affordability are huge factors and younger people are concerned about housing and transportation," he said.
Consultant and staff explained the anticipated schedule: once staff and the planning board work through policies and draft maps, the city aims for a transmittal hearing to state reviewers in April or May, a 30‑day review by state agencies, and a final adoption hearing this summer. Councilmembers asked for copies of survey questions and raw responses, and requested to see the draft future land‑use map in advance of staff transmittal.
Councilmembers also pressed staff about coordinating comp‑plan changes with the CRA redevelopment plan, clarifying concurrency with the land‑development code and addressing corridor‑specific questions for Cleveland Avenue, Palm Beach Boulevard and U.S. 41.
