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Restaurant on the lake suggested for Lehigh

By Staff | Apr 16, 2009

Envisioned Retail complex: Ken O’Leary, a developer, holds an artist’s rendering of a proposed retail and office complex on Joel Blvd., just past the old auditorium, which is now a church. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Members of the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp. (LACPC) told a developer they would love to see a nice restaurant with tablecloths overlooking the lake on a piece of property that the developer wants to erect a retail and office complex.

Fred Hood, a project planner with Davidson Engineering in Naples appeared before the LACPC on April 8 with a site plan for a proposed complex on Joel Blvd., past the old Admiral Lehigh Hotel, which was demolished last year, in an area adjacent to a time share complex.

The developer, Ken O’Leary, was also at the planning group’s meeting and showed an illustration of a building proposed for the site. They wanted the blessings of the LACPC before they went further with the county.

Hood showed the conceptual site plan to the LACPC and said the building or buildings would contain 77,000 square feet of retail space and about 23,000 square feet office space.

Since the Admiral Lehigh Hotel was torn down last year, there has been interest in the area for more retail shopping centers. O’Leary said this site is generally opposite County Club Parkway. He said the property contains a lake in the rear. To many who have lived in Lehigh for many years, legend is that the lake is so deep that nobody knows its depth.

On The Lake: This is a view of the lake on a piece of property off of Joel Blvd., where a developer wants to build a retail and office center. The LACPC suggested that “a nice restaurant” be built along the shore of this lake. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Frank LaRossa, one of the members of the LACPC, said afterwards, that the lake has been known as “the bottomless lake.”

The lake is a beautiful setting and can be viewed by the time share units on one side of it. The rest of the lake and surrounding area is wooded and in its natural state.

That was when LACPC member Richard Georgian said he would love to see a restaurant overlooking the lake, “a restaurant with white tablecloths – a good place to dine.”

Others on the board agreed, and O’Leary said it was something to consider.

Others on the board suggested a multi-plex movie theater along with the restaurant to attract movie-goers and those who would like to dine afterward or before the show. Several referred to the complex at Bell Towers where there is a large movie theater and several restaurants around it, in addition to a large retail center. LACPC members said it would be wonderful to have a movie theater here rather than having to drive to Fort Myers.

Site Plan on Joel Blvd. Fred Hood, a project planner with Davidson Engineering of Naples, explains a proposed retail and office complex that developers want to build on Joel Blvd., on the same side of the road a short distance from where the old Admiral Lehigh Hotel once stood. Photo by Mel Toadvine

When Hood first introduced the plans to LACPC members, he said it would be called Flint’s Pavilion, in honor of the Flint Family who homsteaded much of the area that is now Lehigh in the mid 1800s. Some descendants of the original Flint family still live in Lehigh.

“We just wanted to remember these people and bring some history in it,” Hood said.

Weiner, as he always does when any developer appears before the board, pleaded that the building be built up to the road and put the parking behind so people “don’t have to see cars all the time in front of businesses in Lehigh.”

“And what kind of trees are you planning,” he asked. He was told oaks which brought a big smile to Weiner who has no use for palm trees and shopping centers.

“Palms don’t allow any shade; they shouldn’t be used in parking lots,” he mused.

Also during the meeting, Tim Smith of Lehigh asked the LACPC members for their blessings for plans he had to build an assisted living complex on Lee Blvd. near Archdale and Delaware Ave., off of Lee Blvd. However, the man didn’t have a professional site plan done and did not own all the property where he planned such a complex. He was told to come back when he had a professional site plan ready to show them.

The subject of the proposed Lehigh Acres Rental Ordinance came up and Edd Weiner, who had authored the proposal, said the staff in Lee County government was against the plan and had little hope the county commission would ever see it come before them.

Robert Anderson, who was in the audience, told the board he knew what the ordinance was aimed at but as a renter of a house, he felt that single family homes should be eliminated from the document.

“It will only cause our rents to go up,” he said.

Anderson said he understood that the aim of the ordinance was for owners of duplexes whose inhabitants in some cases leave their yards filled with trash.

Weiner said Lehigh was the only place in Lee County where there “is a pocket of duplexes.” You don’t find them very much in other areas of the county, he said.

Weiner spent little time talking about his proposal for two “round-abouts” in Lehigh that he said would help deter left turns in the Lee and Leonard Blvd. areas. He said Richard Thompson, an engineer in Lehigh, was preparing a 12-foot long graphic that he would bring to the next meeting.

“They are something we need in Lehigh and we have to fight to get them here,” he said. The board appeared in agreement.

“If we can’t incorporate this area and make these improvements which the county doesn’t seem to care about, then we have to come up with a CRA for the area or incorporate,” he said.

Some members of the group did express concerns of children in the area having the cross the round-abouts.

The next meeting of the LACPC is May 13. It will be held at Veterans Park Community Center and will begin at 6:30. The public is encouraged to attend and make its feelings known about upcoming projects in Lehigh.

The county sends people with plans for development in Lehigh to the LACPC to gather its opinion through resolutions. It is a private corporation and is not associated with Lee County government, but commissioners say they want the opinions of the group before moving on with many projects.

County Commissioner Frank Mann who attended one of the meeting recently said the opinions of the LACPC are sought by the County Commission.