Updates

Our legal challenges to increased building heights and density on Captiva continue on the three separate fronts discussed in prior emails. There have been some significant developments and here is the latest update. Captiva Civic Association’s (“CCA”) challenge to the Land Development Code (“LDC”) amendments that increase building heights, density, and intensity on Captiva and South […]

With incredible support from the Captiva and Sanibel communities, our legal challenges (on at least three separate fronts) to increased density and building heights on Captiva and South Seas are moving steadily along. Here is an update. City of Sanibel Votes to Intervene Captiva Civic Association’s (“CCA”) challenge filed with the Division of Administrative Hearings to […]

On April 25, 2024, the County’s Zoning Section again rejected South Seas revised Plan Application dated March 25, 2024 for reasons not unlike its January 18, 2024 rejection of the first South Seas Plan Application dated December 18, 2023. In its April 25 letter, the Zoning Section again stated that the application did not provide enough […]

With yesterday’s preliminary decision by the Florida Department of Commerce, the Captiva Civic Association (“CCA”) and the “Protect Captiva” coalition have now met the two preconditions required to request a hearing before an administrative law judge who will determine if the Land Development Code amendments passed by Lee County to permit increased building heights and density […]

The “Protect Captiva” coalition wants to bring two linked documents to your attention. Both support the Captiva community’s contention (and continuing legal actions) that increasing building heights and density on Captiva and South Seas is unlawful and inappropriate on a fragile barrier island. A public information request by our legal team uncovered a document entitled “South Seas […]

In its letter to South Seas homeowners, some of which was reprinted in the Santiva Chronicle, the new owners of South Seas distort the facts while criticizing community groups working to “Protect Captiva” from overdevelopment on South Seas. We take this opportunity to correct the record. 1. South Seas writes: Last December, South Seas unveiled a Redevelopment Plan that would maintain […]

As reported earlier, the Captiva Civic Association (CCA) for the Protect Captiva Coalition filed a petition under State statutes challenging the Land Development Code amendments as inconsistent with the governing Lee Plan. The State’s Department of Commerce has scheduled an informal hearing on the Petition for April 4 and will issue a written decision sometime in May. Depending upon that decision, […]

About 120 people attended the Protect Captiva Coalition’s video premiere and legal update on March 27 at the Captiva Civic Association. Interviewees featured in the video include: The video chronicles why the Protect Captiva Coalition came into existence within the historical context of Sanibel and Captiva. It also features comments made by the Lee County […]

As previously reported, the Protect Captiva coalition continues to make its case against increased density and building heights on two separate fronts — in a Petition with the state challenging the Code amendments that allow for increased density and building heights on South Seas, and against the South Seas rezoning application filed with the County […]

Now that South Seas Island Resort has announced its intentions to radically increase density from 247 to 707 units with three-story buildings up to 64 feet in height – and now that our County Commissioners have paved the way for this overdevelopment on Captiva – it’s time for the “Protect Captiva” coalition to pursue every […]