Residents of Gated North Fort Myers in Florida are upset about the potential development of their community’s private roads. The development would provide access to new developments and businesses, leading to concerns over traffic, safety, and the impact on the neighborhood’s peaceful atmosphere. The dispute has led to legal action, with residents filing a lawsuit to prevent the development from moving forward. The situation highlights the tension between development and the desires of established communities to maintain their way of life.
Gated North Fort Myers residents livid over access to private roads for future community development
Residents of a gated community in North Fort Myers, Florida are up in arms over the prospect of losing access to their private roads. The roads in question are being eyed by a developer as a potential route for their upcoming community development. The residents of the 94-single family home enclave are livid over the potential loss of control of the roads they paid to have paved and maintained for their own use.
The Issue
The residents’ issue is with the developer, D.R. Horton, who is seeking permission to use the private roads in both their present and future stages of construction. D.R. Horton’s plan is to build 247 single-family homes on the adjacent residential plot of land. The company would like to use the existing roads in the development of the project, which would include a road extension that would run over a portion of the gated community property.
The gated community residents were informed of the potential development plans by the developer in a March community meeting. At that meeting, the residents were told that they would have to give up the rights to their private roads if the developer was granted access. The residents were not pleased with the proposition and have since launched a campaign to block D.R. Horton from using their private roads. The residents have garnered support from local officials and other residents from surrounding areas.
Gated Community Rights
The gated community residents argue they are entitled to their private roads and are not willing to part with them. The roads are not maintained by the county and are solely maintained by the residents through a homeowners association (HOA) fee. The residents say they pay a significant amount of money to maintain the roads and should not be forced to give them up for the benefit of a developer. The residents also contend that allowing the developer access to the private roads could cause an increase in traffic, creating unsafe conditions for those living in the gated community.
The HOA sent a letter to county officials and the Florida Department of Transportation stating the community is staunchly opposed to the developer’s proposal. The letter states, “We, the residents of the gated community, have spent our own money to install and maintain our roads. We believe that D.R. Horton should not be granted access to our private roads or that there should be any road extension running through our community.”
The Developer’s Perspective
While gated community residents are unhappy with the current proposal, D.R. Horton has argued that it is necessary for the success of their project. By using the existing private roads, the developer can alleviate the need to build new roads, which would be costly and time-consuming.
D.R. Horton sent a letter to county officials in May stating that they continued to engage residents in discussion over a possible compromise. The letter states, “We understand the concerns of the residents, and we remain committed to continuing discussions with them to find a solution that suits all parties involved.”
The Resolution
As of now, there has been no resolution to the dispute. County officials continue to engage both parties in talks to find a way to accommodate both parties. The county commissioner, in an interview with a local News outlet, stated that no decision has been made yet. The commissioner did not indicate which side had the upper hand but reiterated that a compromise was necessary to move forward.
The dispute between the gated community residents and the developer is a common occurrence in Florida. With the state’s growing population, developers are increasingly looking to build new communities. This often means crossing over into existing residential areas, sparking disputes over private property rights. At the center of this particular battle is the gated community’s desire to maintain control of their private roads against the developer’s need to access them for the success of their project. Only time will tell if a compromise can be found that will ultimately satisfy both parties.
